Closer Look At The Coming Rain Event
Our most significant rain event since July is ahead for Alabama; this won’t come close to ending the drought, but it will certainly give it a “punch in the gut”. We are getting many questions, so here are some answers…
TIMING: Tis the season for Christmas parades and other holiday events, and we are getting many questions about the times rain will fall. Understand it is hard to define the exact windows now, but here are some ideas…
ROUND ONE: The first round of rain and storms will come Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning. Showers will begin to develop across Alabama during the day Monday, but the most widespread rain will come Monday night and early Tuesday, generally between 9 p.m. Monday and 9:00 a.m. Tuesday.
For Monday night Christmas parades, understand there will be some thunder and lightning involved. But, there is a chance the most widespread rain arrive after the parades are over. No need to cancel at this point, it is a very close call. Confidence in the timing will be higher tomorrow.
ROUND TWO: After a break in the rain for much of the day Tuesday, the main window for the second round of rain will come from 6:00 p.m. Tuesday through 3:00 a.m. Thursday. It does looks pretty wet for the Christmas parades scheduled for Tuesday night… drier air will move into the state during the day Thursday with gradual clearing by afternoon.
SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL: SPC has defined the standard “slight risk” of severe weather for most of Louisiana and Southwest Mississippi for Monday afternoon and Monday night, with a “marginal risk” into far West Alabama…
The best combination of instability, shear, and dynamic support will remain west of Alabama Monday night, but a few strong storms are certainly possible over the western counties of the state. But, the good news for now is that the overall severe weather threat looks fairly low.
RAIN AMOUNTS: New guidance this morning from WPC (NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center) suggests amounts from 2 to 4 inches for North/Central Alabama from Monday through Thursday…
Understand we need rain amounts of 8 to 12 inches to end this drought. It takes time to get into a drought, and it also takes time to get out of them. But, this is a very important and beneficial rain event for our state.
Keep an eye on the blog for updates…
Category: Alabama's Weather
About the Author (Author Profile)
James Spann is one of the most recognized and trusted television meteorologists in the industry. He holds the AMS CCM designation and television seals from the AMS and NWA. He is a past winner of the Broadcast Meteorologist of the Year from both professional organizations.Subscribe
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