Severe Storms Likely in Tuscaloosa, Alabama Tonight and Again Friday
Severe storms are possible in West Alabama during the overnight hours Wednesday and into the early morning hours Thursday, and another round of severe weather is possible again during the day Friday.
The National Weather Service in Birmingham has placed all of Alabama under a marginal risk (1/5) for storms tonight, and ABC 33/40 Chief Meteorologist James Spann believes tonight's storms could impact West Alabama as early as 10 p.m. tonight:
Storms will enter far Northwest Alabama sometime between 10:00 p.m. and midnight… they will move slowly southeast after midnight into the early morning hours tomorrow. Storms will be capable of producing strong, gusty winds and small hail. A brief, isolated tornado is possible, but not likely. While the severe weather threat late tonight and tomorrow morning isn’t “major”, you still need to pay attention to warnings if they are needed. Winds could be strong enough to bring down a few trees, and again a brief tornado can’t be ruled out. This is early April in Alabama.
The storms will end by mid-morning tomorrow as a slot of drier air works into the state, and the sky becomes partly sunny tomorrow afternoon with temperatures rising into the low to mid 80s. For some places, tomorrow will be the warmest day so far this year.
An additional round of severe weather is possible during the day Friday, and the NWS has placed West Alabama under a slight risk (2/5) for this round of severe weather. James Spann believes these storms may be a bit stronger:
Additional showers and storms will likely form across Alabama late tomorrow night into Friday. This won’t be a continuous rain, and you might even see a few intervals of sunshine Friday. But, where storms do form they could be strong, especially Friday afternoon when the air becomes very unstable. SPC has defined a “slight risk” (level 2/5) of severe thunderstorms Friday west of a line from Hamilton to Tuscaloosa to Camden to Fairhope, with a “marginal risk” (level 1/5) for the rest of the state. The main threats Friday will come from hail and strong winds.
Be sure you have a way to receive weather information and warnings, especially during the overnight hours.
Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa's Operation Storm Watch is brought to you by Safe-T Shelter. Visit their website here to see their selection of residential and commercial safe rooms and storm shelters. To contact a Safe-T Shelter representative, click here to visit their Facebook page.
Check out the latest radar models here:
If a tornado warning is issued in our area, Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa Operation Storm Watch will provide you with live and local team coverage, including wall-to-wall weather with James Spann.
To view the latest weather updates and information, click here.