Heavy Rain/Some Storms Pushing East

Click to enlarge

Heavy rain and some embedded thunder continues to lift northeastward across Alabama early this afternoon.

The heavy rain extends from the Birmingham area southward through Shelby, Bibb, Chilton, Autauga, Dallas, Lowndes and Wilcox Counties.

A shield of moderate rain extends up into the Tennessee Valley.

The back edge of the heavy rain has passed Tuscaloosa. Ron Hughes sees patches of blue sky from Coker.

So far, only minor reports of flooding, but many areas over Western Alabama are approaching two inches of rain. Some have likely exceeded that. 1.13 inches at the Birmingham Airport through noon.

The heavy rain should end in the Birmingham area between 12:30-1:00.

There is a severe thunderstorm warning in South Alabama for Wilcox and Monroe counties and a tornado watch for St. Clair, Calhoun and Cleburne Counties south and southwestward through Shelby, Bibb and Perry Counties and onto the south. The NWS is clearing counties as soon as the line of storms moves through.

There is a narrow tongue of very weak instability over eastern Alabama ahead of the main line, but we are only talking 250-500 j/kg of CAPE, considerably less than early Monday morning. There is a good amount of helicity associated with that little disturbance lifting into Shelby County, and areas over East Central and South Central Alabama could still see an isolated severe storm. We continue to maintain a very small threat of a tornado in the tornado watch area, but it is very remote.

There could be a few showers later this afternoon and this evening ahead of the main cold front, which is currently just crossing the Mississippi River.

Category: Alabama's Weather, Severe Weather