Winds are increasing considerably, mainly over East Alabama and parts of Central Alabama. This is due to the pressure gradient from the wedge building in from the east and a low-pressure area over the Gulf of Mexico.
NWS/Birmingham has posted a Wind Advisory and warns that gusts as high as 45 mph can be expected. This could bring some tree limbs down and possibly a few power outages. The Wind Advisory goes until 4:00 a.m. and is mainly for these counties:
Autauga
Barbour
Bullock
Coosa
Dallas
Elmore
Lowndes
Macon
Russell
Pike
Chambers
Clay
Lee
Randolph
Tallapoosa
The National Weather Service in Mobile has posted a Special Weather Statement concerning strong winds of 40 to 55 mph with passing bands of heavy showers. All of this, including the heavier rain, was moving NE at 25 mph. The strong winds tend to last about 20 minutes in each community and could result in downed tree limbs and periodic power outages.
As we approach midnight, rain was becoming heavier especially over the southern third of Alabama and spreading toward the NNE. A separate area of showers was over North and West Mississippi and those were spreading into NW Alabama. All of this is going to combine into a statewide rain area later this morning and during the day Friday. Already the 33/40 weather watcher for Foley reports 1.35 inches of rain.
So far tonight there has been little or no lightning involved with this weather system, except a few small thunderstorm clusters down over the Gulf of Mexico.
LATE NIGHT SPOT REPORTS
Huntsville, rain, wind SE, gusts to 26
Birmingham, cloudy, 59, wind SE, gusts to 21
Montgomery, steady rain, wind east, gusts to 28
Auburn, cloudy, wind east, gusts to 32
Alexander City, rain, wind east, gusts to 20
Mobile Regional Airport, steady rain, wind east, gusts to 47
Mobile/Brookley Field, heavy rain, wind east, gusts to 28
Dothan, heavy rain, wind east, gusts to 21
East Dauphin Island, wind east averaging 45, gusts to 50 mph
Gulf Shores Skycam…wind east 13, gusts 33 with 3.44 inches of rain!
Mt. Cheaha Skycam…49 degrees, wind east 18, gusts 45
