Bill Murray
Strong Storms Over Northeast Alabama
Strong storms continue over Northeast Alabama at this hour.
They are over Jackson and DeKalb Counties, down through Cherokee County, into Calhoun and Cleburne Counties.
Another strong storm has formed southwest of Gadsden in Etowah County.
The storms are not severe, but have plenty of lightning, torrential rains and gusty winds.
The storms are moving southeast, but the activity is trying to redevelop southwestward along the leading edge of a pool of cold air aloft that is spreading out like a big blob from the storm complex over Georgia.
The flash flood watch continues for Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne and Randolph Counties till 7:00 PM CDT for the heavy rainfall.
Big Tornado Northeast of Oklahoma City
The NWS, Media and Spotters are tracking a large tornado now just north of Luther, Oklahoma. It will be tracking very near Wellston shortly.
Here is streaming video from KFOR.
Another confirmed tornado is on the ground right now near Udall, KS.
A Couple of Showers/Storms over East Alabama
Showers and thunderstorms have been widespread across eastern Tennessee and northern Georgia today. The storm complex over west central Georgia has prompted a severe thunderstorm watch and several warnings.
At one point, flash flood warnings blanketed counties three deep into western Georgia.
Outflow from the storms pushed west into eastern Alabama triggering a few showers and storms as well. One storm is between Rainbow City and Southside in Etowah County.
Showers and storms should be limited to our easternmost counties, from Jackson and DeKalb, through Etowah and Cherokee into Calhoun and Cleburne Counties, and into Clay, Randolph, Tallapoosa and Coosa Counties.
Storms may expand in coverage and intensity across South Central Alabama from the Auburn area back to Montgomery and Selma.
West of that, skies are trying to slowly clear. The most sunshine has been over the northwestern part of the state. It was 85F last hour at Muscle Shoals and 80F in Haleyville. It was 80F at Tuscaloosa, 77F at Birmingham and 71F at Anniston.
Over the Plains, convective initiation has started over Central Kansas. A tornado watch is in effect now for southern Nebraska, much of Kansas and northwestern Missouri, including Kansas City. Another watch will be coming up soon for much of Central Oklahoma. To the north, anotehr tornado watch is in effect for parts of Iowa and Minnesota.
Strong Storms over Georgia
As predicted by the high resolution models, thunderstorms have redeveloped over western Georigia.
They are spreading south, just skirting the edges of Cherokee and Cleburne Counties in eastern Alabama. They will edge into Randolph and Chambers Counties as well.
The storms are quite intense in Georgia between Carroltton and the City of Atlanta.
Severe thunderstorm warnings are in effect for the western half of Atlanta Metro. Damaging wind is indicated on radar and there have been reports of small hail, and there is lots of lightning. Flooding is a major problem though, with most areas getting heavy rain yesterday. Flash flood warnings are in effect as well.
In Alabama, the flash flood watch continues for Calhoun, Chambers, Clay, Cleburne, Lee, Randolph and Tallapoosa Counties. All other counties have been cleared.
A review of skycams and satellite shows heavy clouds, but no rain in Alabama, except over Cherokee and Cleburne Counties. There has been a little drizzle in some spots, like eastern Jefferson County, but it is of no consequence.
Temperatures are in the 70s. Locations that stay cloudy may only make the lower 80s, but anywhere the sun breaks old, you can expect middle and upper 80s.
Weather Watch Soon?
The SPC puts the chance that we could see a severe thunderstorm watch across much of Central and North Central Alabama within the next 2 hours at 40 percent.
The thinking is the same as our 11:30 discussion.
Showers and storms moving out of Mississippi into northwestern Alabama will continue to intensify as they encounter some instability. An area of stronger winds in the mid levels of the atmosphere at about 18,000 feet are providing extra wind shear so the storms will become organized.
The main threat is hail and damaging winds, although the chance of an isolated tornado can’t be ruled out.
