Heads up for new Tornado Watch coming shortly for North and Central Alabama. The new Tornado Watch incorporates the old one except for the westermost counties and goes until 6 p.m. The new tornado watch is generally about 75 miles either side of I-59 in Alabama. The westernmost counties go until 2 p.m. still.
The NWS in Huntsville has issued a Tornado Warning for Colbert, Lauderdale and Lawrence counties till 1:15 PM CDT …
AT 1232 PM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR LEIGHTON… OR ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MUSCLE SHOALS…MOVING NORTHEAST AT 36 MPH.
Earlier damage report from HUN…5 W Florence [Lauderdale Co, AL] emergency mngr reports TSTM WND DMG at 12:15 PM CDT — up to two houses damaged with powerlines down near intersection of county road 14 and 16 in Oakland.
Late report from Skywatcher in Hamilton…Damage to Hamilton High School Gym the skirting was blowed off and lightning hit a tree across the road from the gym.
And a new Mesoscale Discussion from SPC for North Alabama…
MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0822
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1237 PM CDT THU MAY 08 2008
AREAS AFFECTED…NRN AL…NW GA INTO ERN TN
CONCERNING…TORNADO WATCH 277…
VALID 081737Z – 081900Z
THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FOR TORNADO WATCH 277 CONTINUES.
PRE-SQUALL LINE BOUNDARY LAYER NORTH OF BIRMINGHAM…AND
PARTICULARLY NORTH OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER INTO MIDDLE/EASTERN
TENNESSEE…WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE
APPALACHIANS…REMAINS RAIN-COOLED/STABILIZED. AND…CLOUD COVER
FROM APPROACHING CONVECTION WILL PROBABLY PRECLUDE SIGNIFICANT
FURTHER DESTABILIZATION. BUT…AT LEAST AN ELEVATED MOISTENING AND
FORCING ON THE SOUTHERN FRINGE OF THE SHORT WAVE IMPULSE LIFTING
THROUGH KENTUCKY/TENNESSEE WILL LIKELY MAINTAIN VIGOROUS SQUALL LINE
INTO AREAS NEAR/NORTHEAST OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN BY AROUND 20Z.
LOW-LEVEL SHEAR NEAR THE NOSE OF A 40-50 KT LOW-LEVEL JET WILL
REMAIN SUFFICIENT FOR A RISK FOR TORNADOES IN SUPERCELLS WITHIN THE
SQUALL LINE…BUT DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS MAY BE THE PRIMARY
SEVERE THREAT…WITH SOME HAIL ALSO POSSIBLE.
..KERR.. 05/08/2008
