*** No video this morning. I have limited bandwidth as I’m handling weather observing duties downtown this weekend, so will post a text only discussion. ***
It seems like deja vu all over again. To save work, it seems that I could just copy and paste the discussion from yesterday since it looks like little has changed in the overall weather pattern for Central Alabama. But no skimping here, so you will get a new discussion.
Multiple clusters of thunderstorms raked the northern third of Alabama yesterday afternoon and evening with numerous warnings primarily out of two storms. The northwest corner of the state has received a lot of rain over the last two days which has prompted flash flood watches for today across the northwest counties as well as back into Mississippi, Arkansas, and West Tennessee. A severe thunderstorm watch was in effect this morning for portions of Louisiana and East Texas. And the SPC has nearly all of Alabama except the southeast corner under a slight risk for severe weather today along with much of Mississippi and Louisiana. So look for additional severe weather watches across our area today.
The convergence boundary or stationary front will be sticking around keeping the forecast challenging through Monday. A number of weak disturbances aloft together with surface waves will be riding along this boundary generating rain and the potential for severe weather. The QPF forecast suggests 5 to 7 inches over the next five days in a band from southern Arkansas to East Tennessee. Central Alabama will see rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches across the northwestern half of the state.
Just as we saw yesterday morning, radar composites showed rain along the boundary all the way from the southern Appalachians to East Texas. There was a break in the rain primarily across Alabama but that break will not last long as the disturbances move steadily eastward today and Monday. We’ll be under the gun for severe weather today and tonight with a full compliment of severe weather possibilities including hail, damaging wind, and isolated tornadoes. Bow echo line segments will again be responsible for severe weather. So keep your Weather Radio handy and stay up with the latest weather information from the Blog and ABC 3340.
The boundary eases south on Monday which should mean improving weather for us and a break in the rain on Tuesday. But as the upper trough is slow to move a northwesterly flow pattern will keep us unsettled again for from Wednesday to Friday. By the weekend, a ridge builds into the Southeast from the west putting an end to the unsettled weather and keeping our temperatures above average for early May.
In voodoo country, the ridge stays with us for several days into week two but breaks down some by the end of the forecast cycle. However, the main storm track is well north so it is likely to be a pattern of scattered afternoon showers.
Don’t forget to listen to our weekly netcast anytime on the web or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. You can even listen here on the blog; look for the player on the top left.
And you can follow news and weather updates from ABC 33/40 on Twitter here. And, my personal Twitter feed is here if you want to keep up with the adventures and mis-adventures in my life. Twitter is a short messaging service you can receive via the web, cell phone, or IM.
James Spann will be back, I think, on Monday morning with the next Weather Xtreme Video. Not sure if there will be a video since his voice is having a hard time recovering. Be safe today and Godspeed.
-Brian-
For your meteorological consulting needs, Coleman and Peters, LLC, can provide you with accurate information on past hailstorms, lightning, flooding, and wind damage. We work primarily for people involved in insurance cases and for attorneys. Please call us at (205) 568-4401.
