Sunny Today; Rain Returns Tomorrow Afternoon

BLUE SKY TODAY: We are forecasting another beautiful spring day today for Alabama, with ample sunshine along with a high in the low to mid 70s. But tomorrow, clouds will increase during the day, and we will forecast a good chance of showers and storms by mid to late afternoon, continuing into tomorrow night.

STRONG STORMS? SPC has defined a low end, “marginal risk” (level 1/5) of severe storms for roughly the western half of Alabama, but with limited instability we don’t expect too many issues. Some of the heavier storms could produce small hail and gusty winds tomorrow evening over West Alabama…. but better chance of severe storms will be to the west of our state.

Rain will end Friday morning, and most of Friday afternoon and Friday night should be dry. The weather will stay mild with highs in the 70s tomorrow and Friday.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Looks like this will be the warmest weekend so far this year; highs will be in the 77-80 degree range both days. On Saturday, we will forecast a mix of sun and clouds with potential for a few scattered showers and thunderstorms… no “all day” kind of rain, however. Sunday will be warm and humid; best chance of showers and storms will be late in the day and into Sunday night with the approach of an upper trough. Some of those thunderstorms could be strong; we will keep an eye on severe weather parameters as we get closer to the weekend.

NEXT WEEK: Showers and storms should end Monday morning, and the day will be somewhat cooler with a high in the low 70s. Most of the state will be dry Tuesday, although we could see a few showers over the Tennessee Valley. A rather robust system will bring storms back into the state Thursday… See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.

ON THIS DATE IN 1974: The 1974 Super Outbreak was underway. It was the second-largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, just behind the 2011 Super Outbreak. It was also the most violent tornado outbreak ever recorded, with 30 F4/F5 tornadoes confirmed. From April 3 to 4, 1974, there were 148 tornadoes confirmed in 13 U.S. states and the Canadian province of Ontario. In the United States, tornadoes struck Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and New York. The outbreak caused roughly $843 million USD with more than $600 million in damage occurring in the United States. The outbreak extensively damaged approximately 900 sq mi along a total combined path length of 2,600 mi. At one point, as many as 15 separate tornadoes were on the ground simultaneously.

In Alabama, at least eight tornadoes, including four extremely intense and long-lived storms, brought death and extreme storm destruction that night. The communities of Guin and Jasper were hit hard. Eighty-six persons were killed, 949 were injured, and damages exceeded $50 million. Sixteen counties in the northern part of the state were hit the hardest. It ranks as the third worst tornado outbreak in Alabama history. It is surpassed by the tornado outbreak of March 21, 1932, when over 300 people died in a series of tornadoes, as well as the historic outbreak of April 27, 2011, when 252 Alabamians lost their lives.

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN FOR INDYCAR AT BARBER: The Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama will be April 5-7 at the beautiful Barber Motorsports Park! Make plans for the event that has been voted “Best Annual Event” & “Best Sporting Event” in Birmingham. Kids 15 & under are admitted free with a ticketed adult, and three-day general admission tickets are $69. Single day tickets are as low as $15. Pack a picnic/cooler and bring the family out for a weekend full of activities and racing! For tickets, CLICK HERE.

BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute show anytime on your favorite podcast app. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.

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I have weather programs this morning at Moody Elementary, and Children’s of Alabama… look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 this afternoon. Enjoy the day!

Tags: ANC, sunny

Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Weather Xtreme Videos