West Alabama Wednesday Briefing

It is Wednesday January 24, 2024. Several rounds of rain and a few storms are expected through the weekend. Areas of heavy rain and rain moving over the same areas, repeatedly, will result in a risk for flooding.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH is in effect from noon today through Thursday evening for areas generally north of a line from Mobile to Montgomery to Opelika, including all West Alabama counties.

The first wave of rain begins this morning and is expected to continue into tonight. But the heaviest rain with a few embedded thunderstorms will occur tomorrow into early Friday morning. Locally heavy rainfall is possible due to any slow-moving or training thunderstorms. 2 to 4 inches of rainfall is forecast across the watch area, with locally higher amounts.

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has highlighted an area from Sumter County in West Alabama, down the state line to just east of Mobile Bay today for a Marginal (1 in 5) Risk for strong to severe thunderstorms.

Tomorrow, the SPC has defined a Marginal (1 in 5) Risk for severe thunderstorms tomorrow south of a line from Demopolis to Montgomery to Eufaula. The main threat from the heavier storms tomorrow will come from strong straight-line winds. These winds have result in tree and power line damage and scattered power outages in Mississippi this morning.

Rain will taper off Friday with yet another wave of rainfall, some heavy, move in Saturday. The Saturday morning rain could include high winds upwards of 60mph.

Next week looks like it will be dry with seasonable temperatures according to computer models.

The Forecast:

Today: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 68. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Tonight: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 63. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 70. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Thursday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Cloudy, with a low around 60. South wind around 5 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 68. Northeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Weekend: Showers and thunderstorms Saturday with mostly cloudy skies Sunday. Highs will be 68 Saturday and 52 Sunday. Lows upper 30s to mid 40s.

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Topping the News:

River traffic is at a virtual standstill along the Black Warrior River and Tenn Tom Waterway. A breach last Tuesday at the Demopolis Lock has prompted closure of the facility to river commerce and pleasure boating. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers the breach involved the concrete sill beneath one of the lock gates failing.

The closure will shut down towboats and barges from Birmingport in Jefferson County to Mobile. It will impact industries like the coal fields, NUCOR and Hunt Oil in Tuscaloosa.

There is no currently estimated time for completion of repairs.

Fortunately, the sub-freezing temperatures are gone because the Hale County Courthouse in Greensboro has little to no heat. Probate Judge Arthur Crawford fingers a broken boiler as the culprit.

Apparently, the recent cold weather damaged parts on the boiler that must be replaced in order to heat the 1907 structure. That will cost around $10,000.

Independent Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will make a campaign stop in Tuscaloosa today.

The little-advertised event will be held Wednesday in Sellers Auditorium at the Bryant Conference Center. Doors open at noon and Kennedy will speak to supporters and answer questions from 1 p.m. until 2:30.

The Lt. Governor’s Commission on 21st Century Workforce has unveiled a new workforce development strategy for the state.

The plan creates a new cabinet secretary of workforce development, calls for supporting career and tech-ed programs, a childcare tax credit, affordable housing and a number of other initiatives.

Many of the proposals will need approval from the legislature.

In Sports:

The Alabama Men's Basketball Team looks to bounce back tonight from a humiliating blowout by #5 UT over the weekend with an upset of 8th ranked Auburn. It is the "Iron Bowl on Hardwood" tonight at Coleman Coliseum.

Effort and concentration will be needed to defeat the hot Tigers. Tide Coach Nate Oats has made it plain that his team needs to improve in all areas of the game to have a chance to win.

Tonight's game is set for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff and will be aired on the Crimson Tide Sports Network on 100.9The Tide and 1230WTBC and televised by ESPN.

From UA Athletics: For the third time in program history and second time under Nate Oats, the Crimson Tide has two signees who will participate in the same McDonald's Boys High School All-American game.

Tide signees Derrion Reid and Aiden Sherrell were selected to participate in the highly prestigious game.

DERRION REID | F | 6-8 | 200 | GROVETOWN, GA. (PROLIFIC PREP)

A five-star prospect, Reid is rated as the No. 8 player nationally and the No. 5 small forward the country by ESPN.
Named to the Naismith Trophy High School Player of the Year Midseason Team
Reid ranks as the fourth-highest rated recruit in program history behind Collin Sexton, Brandon Miller and JD Davison per 247Sports
Averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game on the Nike EYBL Circuit with Team Thad
Posted six games with 20 points or more on the EYBL circuit.

Aiden Sherrell | F | 6-10 | 225 | DETROIT, MICH. (PROLIFIC PREP)

A five-star prospect, rated as the No. 2 power forward in the country by Rivals and the No. 14 player overall by On3.
Named to the Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List
Averaged 18.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in the Overtime Elite League
On the Nike EYBL Circuit, Sherrell averaged 13.0 points and 5.2 rebounds with Vegas Elite
Plays with fellow Alabama commit Derrion Reid at Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif.

Stay Dry and ROLL TIDE, Beat Auburn!!