Severe weather possible this week in Alabama - Tuesday into Wednesday
By Leigh Morgan AL.com
An active weather pattern will bring the potential for severe weather back to parts of Alabama this week, according to the National Weather Service.
Parts of south and central Alabama will have what the weather service categorizes as a "limited" risk of strong to severe storms starting Tuesday and lasting into early Wednesday. Isolated strong storms will also be possible in north Alabama, but the weather service in Huntsville had not as of Sunday morning placed that area under a severe weather risk.
The weather service in Birmingham said Sunday that the severe risk was limited, but that could change and the risk level elevated if forecast confidence confidence continues to rise.
The hazards include tornadoes, damaging wind gusts of up to 60 mph and hail.
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center, as of Sunday morning, hadn't put the state under any formal severe weather risk, although that could change in the next few days.
The weather service office in Birmingham said Sunday morning that the timing was still uncertain, but confidence was increasing in the potential for severe weather beginning on Tuesday afternoon.
The main window for storms, however, appears to be Tuesday evening into early Wednesday.
The weather service was anticipating what has become a familiar severe weather setup this winter.
Temperatures are expected to remain warm for February across central and south Alabama, and dew points are expected to rise into the low 60s as a strong storm system and associated cold front approach from the west.
Showers could begin as early as Tuesday morning. Strong to severe storms are expected to develop by Tuesday afternoon into a squall line ahead of the front. Storms could also form out ahead of the main line, and some of those have the potential to become supercells and produce tornadoes.
The storms could also bring heavy rain in several doses to Alabama through Wednesday.
The weather service said that the storm system will bring much colder air back to Alabama, and a few snow flurries will be possible by Wednesday in north and central Alabama as the system moves away from the state. It could be one of those days when the high temperature comes overnight and falls through the day.
The weather service in Huntsville said rain could mix with some snow in north Alabama by Wednesday night, but no accumulations are expected. Central Alabama could see a few flurries as well, the weather service in Birmingham said.
The weather is expected stay dry with more seasonal temperatures for the rest of the week.