Severe weather will be possible across all of Alabama today (Friday, March 18th)

All severe weather hazards will be on the table today, including tornadoes, damaging winds, hail and heavy rain.   It’s possible there could be a strong tornado as well.

Forecasters were tracking a large mass of rain and storms moving into Alabama from the west early this morning (Friday).  The Storm Prediction Center has all of Alabama under a risk for severe weather today and has expanded an enhanced risk – or Level 3 out of 5 – to cover a larger portion of the state.  An enhanced risk means numerous severe storms will be possible; all of the rest of Alabama has a Level 2 or a slight risk, which means scattered severe storms will be possible.

FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA

Forecasters said severe thunderstorms would be possible all from 7:00am across the west and could last through 3:00pm in the east.  Those threats include large hail and damaging winds up to 60 mph; there’ll also be the threat for tornados near and south of the Highway 80/Interstate 85 corridor.

A second round of storms will be possible later this afternoon, if the atmosphere can re-charge from the morning round of rain.  The window for the afternoon storms will be 1:00pm in the west through 10:00pm in the east; the afternoon storms could very bring tornadoes, straight-line winds and large hail.

FOR NORTH ALABAMA

The first round – moving into the region early this morning – could bring gusty winds – while the second round which could develop later during the afternoon could bring damaging winds, hail, and heavy rain.  A tornado will also be possible.

LOOKING AHEAD

That threat for severe weather will end later today from west to east –  as a cold front moves through the state; another round of severe weather will be possible early next week.  The timing appears to be late Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning.