Questions from tonight…
Severe thunderstorms or a tornado in Birmingham tonight?
The storms coming through the metro right now are severe and could produce damaging winds. A tornado looks unlikely although not out of the question.
Once these storms pass, is that all for the night?
Yes.
If the lines merge, which one will strengthen or weaken?
When cell mergers do occur, you usually get a brief flare up in intensity. That is what likley will happen here.
Will it qualify as an MCS?
Yes, by general definition, it would be a Mesoscale Convective SYstem since it will probably have lasted several hours as a complex of storms. It would not qualify as an MCC or Mesoscale Convective Complex…its size is not great enough.
When a line of storms like this comes through, can we just take shelter in our home as opposed to a storm pit?
It depends on your house situation. Mobile homes must be abandoned in the face of thunderstorm winds of this magnitude. Generally well built structures can stand up to all but the most intense thunderstorm winds. But still, trees can crash through roofs and crush what is beneath them. And windows can be broken by wind blown debris. Use your judgement and know what your safe places are…in advance of the storm.
Will the storms be as strong when they get to East Alabama?
Probably so. They have a lot of forcing behind these storms. They are weakening slowly, but still could produce damaging winds.
