Ongoing Severe Weather and Flooding

No Weather Xtreme Video this morning due to the ongoing severe weather and flash flood situation.

What a crazy night across Central Alabama. Shortly after 10 pm, thunderstorms exploded in the northwesterly flow pattern producing a couple of thunderstorm complexes that have trained across Central Alabama with some of the largest impacts in the Jefferson and Shelby county areas. Numerous severe thunderstorm warnings along with flash flood warnings have been issued. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch including parts of Central and South Alabama will expire at 7 am and is not likely to be extended for now according to the latest SPC discussion. The greatest severe weather threat should push into South Alabama and Georgia by late morning and afternoon.

Extensive flooding has been reported in parts of Birmingham and the northern third of Shelby County in the Pelham and Helena areas. Skywatchers reported between 4 and 6 inches of rain in Helena and Pelham. My gauge had recorded 4.43″ of rain at 6:30 am.

It goes without saying this morning that the morning commute will not be routine with power outages due to the wind and downed trees and roads closed due to flooding. Everyone should allow some extra time in going to work.

The large cluster of storms should be moving out of Central Alabama this morning bringing an end to the stormy conditions. Additional showers and thunderstorms, while possible later in the day, are not as likely to occur since the atmosphere has been worked over significantly. And additional 1 -2 inches of rain is possible with the o-going storms through the noon hour.

The trough over the eastern US will edge a bit further east today and Wednesday but that keeps us in the northwesterly flow pattern. And as we’ve been saying, we have to be watchful for thunderstorm complexes to develop in this flow pattern as we saw this morning. Computer modeling does not do especially good with the specifics on this kind of development.

A strong trough moving out of Southwest Canada on Wednesday and Thursday should dampen the ridge and weaken the eastern US trough. This will allow the ridge to push back into the Southeast a bit but with no air mass changes we will remain in a cycle with daily shower and thunderstorm chances primarily during the heat of the day and into the evening. Temperatures should not be changing much either with lows in the lower and mid 70s and highs in the lower and mid 90s.

In the tropics, a weak area of low pressure was located in the South Atlantic and while it is not expected to produce a tropical storm in the next 48 hours, conditions appear favorable for some strengthening of the system over the next few days.

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The next regular Weather Xtreme Video should be posted on Wednesday morning. Godspeed.

-Brian-

Category: Alabama's Weather