The National Weather Service continued to monitor the potential for severe weather in parts of Alabama on Friday. Forecasters also warned of a “significant” potential for flash flooding overnight in parts of the state.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has issued a tornado watch that includes part of southwest Alabama. It will be in effect until 9 p.m.:
The Alabama counties in the watch are Baldwin, Clarke, Mobile and Washington.
The SPC said a couple tornadoes possible will be possible in the watch area (which also includes parts of Mississippi and Louisiana) as well as scattered large hail and wind gusts up to 70 mph.
Forecasters said scattered thunderstorms are expected to “gradually develop and intensify across the watch area this afternoon into the evening.”
Rain will be possible on and off through the day today, and the potential for strong to severe storms is expected to increase this afternoon and last into Saturday. The severe weather risk is confined to the southern half of the state; severe weather isn’t expected in north and north-central Alabama.
Wind gusts up to 60 mph, tornadoes and heavy rain will all be possible.
The severe weather outlook from the Storm Prediction Center has shifted the severe threat southward and removed it for parts of north and north-central Alabama. As of the latest update the greatest potential for storms will be roughly from parts of Birmingham southward to the Gulf Coast (see the updated map at the top of this post).
Storms will be possible in two rounds in south Alabama, the first was ongoing and could last into the nighttime hours. Storms will be possible this afternoon in central and north Alabama as well.
Another round of storms could affect the state overnight (see below for timing for the various parts of the state from the weather service).
The heavy rain is of particular concern, and the weather service warned that flash flooding will be possible in areas that get repeated storms. Up to 6 inches of rain will be possible from today through Saturday evening. NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center mentioned that isolated areas could potentially get up to 8 inches before it’s over.
The heaviest rain could fall across south-central parts of Alabama. Here’s the rainfall forecast from the National Weather Service:
Some parts of Alabama could get up to 6 inches of rain through Saturday, which could cause deadly flash flooding.NWS
A flood watch will be in effect for much of central Alabama and a few north and south Alabama counties, and NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center is maintaining a Level 3 out of 4 risk for flash flooding in parts of the state:
A Level 3 out of 4 risk for flash flooding (in red) will be in effect for parts of Alabama today and tonight.Weather Prediction Center
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center is forecasting a Level 2 out of 5 risk for severe weather for parts of south and south-central Alabama for today. A Level 2 (or slight) risk means that scattered severe storms will be possible.
Parts of central and southeast Alabama have a Level 1 out of 5 risk, which means that isolated severe storms will be possible. The Level 1 risk has been shifted farther to the south with the latest update as of Friday morning.
South Alabama could experience storms first, as soon as noon, according to the weather service. More storms will be possible during the overnight hours.
The storms could last overnight and into the day on Saturday for parts of eastern Alabama, and the SPC has a Level 2 risk outlined for that part of the state:
The threat for severe storms will continue into Saturday in east and south Alabama.SPC
Storms are expected to move out of Alabama from west to east during the day on Saturday, and Sunday is expected to be cooler and drier. The next chance for rain won’t arrive until Wednesday, and so far no severe weather is expected.
Here’s a look at what the National Weather Service was expecting for Alabama: