Rain is spreading out of Mississippi into southwestern Alabama at this hour. It will overspread the state this evening and increase in coverage and intensity. There may be a bit of a lull from mid to late morning into mid-afternoon tomorrow before heavier rain and thunderstorms spread into Alabama later in the day and continue into the evening.
A powerful upper-level trough covers the western half of the country tonight. A long line of winter weather advisories, winter storm warnings and even blizzard warnings extend from New Mexico and eastern Colorado northeastward through Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Ahead of the system, wind advisories cover a wide area from Louisiana and Texas to Kentucky, including most of Alabama. The winds will average 20-25 mph with gusts to 30-35 mph on Thursday. This will bring down tree limbs and some weakened trees. High profile vehicles will be impacted as well.
A surface low is over the Texas Panhandle, and in the warm sector, a tornado watch is in effect for a large part of Central Texas. Severe thunderstorm warnings are in effect in Northeast Texas and eastern Oklahoma. An enhanced threat of severe weather covers a large part of Central Texas tonight. The day two outlook includes a marginal risk (level 1 out of 5) for much of eastern Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and the southwestern quarter of Alabama, as far north as Tuscaloosa and Lamar Counties. A slight risk (level 2 of 5) barely reaches into Southwest Alabama.
Flash flood watches extend along the I-59 corridor from Southeast Louisiana through Mississippi, Alabama and Southeast Tennessee then up through the Piedmont of South and North Carolina into Virginia.
Rainfall amounts will this system and other disturbances that will influence our weather through January 2 will be quite impressive, averaging 5-6 inches along the I-59 Corridor with as much as 3-4 inches over Northwest Alabama, and 3-6 inch amounts over the southeastern half of Alabama.
2-3 inches will impact much of Alabama between now and Friday evening.
After a brief break Friday night and much of Saturday, rain will return Saturday night it appears, continuing possibly until Tuesday!
