A new tornado watch has been posted for counties in Central and South Alabama early this morning and will be in effect until 9 AM. This watch is just south of our coverage area…but the rain and storms are moving to the north.
WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION FOR WATCH 862
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
110 AM CDT MON AUG 25 2008
ALC047-085-091-101-109-251400-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.A.0862.080825T0610Z-080825T1400Z/
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 862 IN
EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT THIS MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS
IN ALABAMA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 5 COUNTIES
IN CENTRAL ALABAMA
DALLAS LOWNDES MONTGOMERY
IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA
PIKE
IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA
MARENGO
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF…DEMOPOLIS…FORT DEPOSIT…LINDEN…
LOWNDESBORO…MONTGOMERY…SELMA AND TROY.
The watch extends South of these counties through the Florida Panhandle.
EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY MORNING FROM 110 AM UNTIL 900 AM CDT.
TORNADOES…HAIL TO 0.5 INCH IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 70 MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 80 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF
TROY ALABAMA TO 30 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF PENSACOLA FLORIDA.
FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).
REMEMBER…A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
DISCUSSION…TSTMS HAVE BECOME SOMEWHAT BETTER ORGANIZED IN THE PAST
1-2 HRS FROM SW AL S AND SW INTO THE N CNTRL GULF OF MEXICO. THIS
INTENSIFICATION APPEARS TO BE RELATED…IN PART…TO MORE
PROGRESSIVE /EWD/ MOVEMENT THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN ON BY T.D. FAY AND
THE MID LATITUDE VORT MAX WITH WHICH IT MERGED. AS THE LARGE SCALE
CIRCULATION SYSTEM CONTINUES ENEWD…CONVERGENCE SHOULD BECOME MORE
FOCUSED IN ZONE OF RICH GULF INFLOW /SFC DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 70S
F/…BENEATH WEAK COLD ADVECTION ALOFT ALONG THE CNTRL GULF CST.
ASSOCIATED DESTABILIZATION MAY SUPPORT A FEW SUSTAINED UPDRAFTS WITH
LOW LVL ROTATION/ISOLD TORNADOES GIVEN QUALITY OF MOISTURE INFLOW
AND FRICTIONAL/ ISALLOBARICALLY-INDUCED BACKING OF FLOW.
We’re going to have pretty good rain chances through at least Tuesday if not Wednesday as well. The tropical downpours can happen at any point throughout the day or night. We’ve already had numerous reports across Central Alabama of rainfall totals over 3 and 4 inches of rain. As we move through the next few days we could easily see additional 2-5 inch totals. Keep your eyes on the sky and we’ll of course do the same.
