Severe Threat Continues, Changes in Tornado Watch Possible

UPDATE: Due to current trends and severe weather parameters, the NWS in Birmingham is NOT planning on extending the tornado watch east at this time.

The latest Mesoscale discussion from the SPC continues to highlight the threat for severe storms for Alabama the next several hours. Damaging straight-line winds continue to be the main threat, but there is enough shear present to possibly allow for a few brief tornadoes to develop. Heavy rain, hail, and frequent lightning are occurring as well.

As the line of storms continues to push east, the tornado watch present over north and west Alabama may need to be extended to the east, this is just a heads up for locations in East Alabama. Once the line of storms passes your location, the severe weather threat is over.

AREAS AFFECTED…PORTIONS OF MIDDLE/ERN TN…NRN/CNTRL AL…CNTRL
MS…NERN LA

CONCERNING…TORNADO WATCH 58…59…

VALID 041028Z – 041200Z

THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FOR TORNADO WATCH 58…59…CONTINUES.

SUMMARY…THE SVR RISK CONTINUES ACROSS REMAINING VALID PORTIONS OF
TORNADO WATCHES 58 AND 59.

DISCUSSION…A LARGE LEADING-LINE/TRAILING-STRATIFORM MCS CONTINUES
SPREADING ACROSS PARTS OF THE LOWER MS AND THE TN VALLEY.
STRENGTHENING MID-LEVEL SWLYS ARE FOCUSING THE STRONGEST FORWARD
PROPAGATIONAL COMPONENT OF THIS SYSTEM AND DMGG WIND/TORNADO
POTENTIAL INTO PARTS OF MIDDLE TN…WHERE WW 59 HAS BEEN EXPANDED
NWD. FARTHER S ACROSS AL INTO CNTRL MS AND NERN LA…INSTANCES OF
DMGG WIND GUSTS MAY BE MORE SPORADIC AS THE CONVECTIVE LINE IS
ASSUMING A MORE PARALLEL ORIENTATION TO THE FLOW ALOFT.
HOWEVER…40-50 KT OF 1 KM AGL FLOW PER DGX/BMX VWP DATA WILL
SUPPORT SOME POTENTIAL FOR DMGG WIND GUSTS WITH EMBEDDED BOWING
SEGMENTS. THIS POTENTIAL MAY SPREAD E OF WW 59 IN AL…PERHAPS
WARRANTING AN EWD EXTENSION OF THE TORNADO WATCH. THE SVR RISK WILL
BE NIL BEHIND THE CONVECTIVE LINE.

Category: Alabama's Weather, Severe Weather