Severe Weather Outlooks for Today (expiring at 7:00 am Sunday)
For North Alabama, an Enhanced Risk (level 3 out of 5) is up for the northern and northwestern parts of the area that includes Florence, Russellville, and Athens. A Slight Risk (level 2 out of 5) is up for the rest of North Alabama that includes Decatur, Hartselle, Cullman, Huntsville, Guntersville, Scottsboro, and Rainsville.
For Central Alabama, a Slight Risk (level 2 out of 5) is up for the extreme north and northwestern parts of the area that includes Hamilton, Jasper, Double Springs, Oneonta, Winfield, Fayette, Sulligent, and Millport. A Marginal Risk (level 1 out of 5) is up for locations around and along the I-59 corridor including Gadsden, Anniston, Birmingham, Hoover, Tuscaloosa, Reform, and Alabaster.
Severe Weather Outlooks for Sunday (expiring at 7:00 am Monday)
A good portion of North Alabama will be in a Marginal Risk, including the cities of Russellville, Athens, Decatur, Hartselle, Cullman, Huntsville, Guntersville, Scottsboro, and Rainsville. A very small portion of the eastern parts of the area is in a Slight Risk which includes Fort Payne and Valley Head.
Nearly all of Central Alabama has been placed under a Marginal Risk with the exception of the northeast corner of the area, which has been placed in a Slight Risk. Those locations in the Slight Risk include Blanche, Cedar Bluff, Centre, Pleasant Gap, and Borden Springs.
What To Expect for Today and Sunday
Rain and thunderstorms will mostly stay confined north of the area throughout the daytime hours, but we could have a few scattered storms develop during the afternoon and into the evening hours over the west and northwestern parts of North Alabama that could possibly become strong to severe. We will be in the warm sector, south of the warm front that passed through earlier, where instability will be rising through the day. Shear will also be increasing, and with ingredients coming together, damaging winds and a couple of tornadoes will be possible.
A line of storms along and ahead of the cold front really do not become organized until late tonight and will finally start to move into the northwestern parts of the area just after midnight. The line will slowly progress across North/Central Alabama throughout the pre-dawn hours and will make it to the I-59 corridor just after daybreak. The good news is that the line will be weakening through its trek through the area, but there will continue to be a threat for strong to severe storms until the line loses its punch by Sunday evening.
The line will reach the I-85 corridor just before the midday hour on Sunday and will start to strengthen back up again; plus, we’ll see a secondary wave of showers form during the afternoon hours, but that will be non-severe. The main line will push out of the area by the mid-afternoon hours on Sunday, bringing an end to the severe weather threat. The secondary line will begin dissipating during the evening and into the late-night hours, with all of North/Central Alabama dry by midnight.
Central Alabama Weather 