Marion Warning Expires, Storms Still Strong Though, Big Picture Look

Bill Murray | 6:22 pm May 20, 2012

Quarter sized hail (1 inch in diameter) reported just south of Bexar in western Marion County at 5:55.

This storm is now approaching Byrd and County Road 17 in southern Marion County.

The severe thunderstorm warning has been replaced with a significant weather alert as the storm seems to have weakened a bit. Alert also includes northern Lamar County.

It was a pulse type storm, enhanced by a significant outflow boundary that intersected it earlier.

Still a threat of decent hail, strong gusty winds and very heavy rain from this storm, as well as dangerous lightning as it pushes south.

Additional storms have formed along the Mississippi border over western Marion County approaching Bexar again.

Big picture at 6:20:

You can see the storms back near the Mississippi River, starting to get kicked up by a slowly approaching cool front. That will increase our rain chances over the next couple of days.

You see the storms in West Alabama. Boy, look at those outflow boundaries. That is the cool rush of air you feel from a nearby collapsing thunderstorm as it dies. The boundaries are like mini-cool fronts that can act as a focus for additional storm development.

You can also see the storm over Jackson County in Northeast Alabama. It will likely weaken before making it past Marshall and DeKalb Counties, if it makes it that far.