9 am Rain Progress Report

Rain has overspread much of Alabama. Only thing, it is not reaching the ground (yet) over the north 1/4 of the state. But some rain is reported now as far north as I-20 (Translation: The Tuscaloosa-Birmingham-Anniston area.) The heaviest rain, but still only moderate, was across South Central Alabama.

The NWS has posted a Flash Flood Watch from noon today through Friday morning for parts of South Alabama. Northwest Florida and Southeast Mississippi. In South Alabama, the watch includes these 12 counties:

Butler
Choctaw
Clarke
Conecuh
Covington
Crenshaw
Escambia
Baldwin
Mobile
Monroe
Washington
Wilcox

Rain will be increasing today especially this afternoon and tonight. New data suggests that the Birmingham area could get 1.50 to two inches from this storm system. Down south, 3+ inches over SW Alabama, including Mobile and up north, one inch or so across the Tennessee Valley. These amounts depend heavily on the trak of the low pressure area across Alabama.

At mid-morning, the low was over the NW Gulf of Mexico. It is expected to track toward the northeast across Alabama Friday, into Georgia late Friday, and then across the east parts of South Carolina and North Carolina and finally offshore east of the Virginia Coast Saturday morning

This will be an all rain event for Alabama but a number of other places are watching with a wary eye as this storm progresses. This is only two examples:

EXTREME NW SOUTH CAROLINA
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
Winter Storm Warning midnight tonight until Saturday morning. Mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain could casuse some damaging ice accumulations. As much as 1/4 inch ice accumulation. (Translation: That does not sound like much but is is certainly enough to cause plenty of problems)

WASHINGTON DC
Winter Storm Watch Friday and Saturday. Two to four inches of snow Friday afternoon. Snow continues Friday night, heavy at times and continues into Friday.

Numerous states in the Midwest and Great Plains also under the gun.

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