Early this afternoon there was a zone of showers diagonally across Alabama generally from Hamilton and Fayette down across Tuscaloosa and Marion to near Montgomery. Movement was NE. Little or no lightning in those.
The main line of showers and thunderstorms, with considerable lightning, extended from West Tennessee across NW Mississippi and across Louisiana from NE to SW and offshore south of Galveston and Beaumont.
A Tornado Watch continued for SE Louisiana. The Storm Prediction Center expects to issue another Tornado Watch soon that will include extreme South Mississippi.
NWS/Jackson has issued Severe Thunderstorm Warnings for Claiborne and Warren Counties in SW Mississippi.
The Storm Prediction Center also paints a slight risk of severe weather as far north as Central Alabama (about the south half of the state). Their last update pulled the line southward a bit, so Birmingham is not included. Of course, it is an arbitrary line and who gets what will determine greatly on how much rich moisture and unstable air presses inland from the Gulf of Mexico.
An examination of all data early this afternoon does not look too stormy, but that will change. Dew points were very low (in the 20s) over the north half of Alabama. Even near the coast, dew points were only in the 40s and 50s. However, there is some rich material offshore with temperatures in the 70s and dew points in the 60s down over the North Gulf of Mexico.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY
NWS/Birmingham keeps that in effect until 4 o.clock tomorrow morning for winds sustained 20-30 mph with gusts to around 35. The wind will be out of the east and SE but shifting to the west behind a cold front that should move through after midnight.
We will watch all of this chessboard weather and will have updates throughout the afternoon and probably burning the midnight oil (coffee).
