There will be severe storms on Thursday night

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Happy Wednesday! We would like to give everyone an initial warning of an active period of stormy weather over the next 48 hours. We could see several waves of storms hit central Alabama this evening/tonight Thursday and into Thursday night and early Friday morning. Just make sure you are aware of the weather and have ways to get important weather information. We have declared Thursday, May 9, 2024 a First alert weather day.

We started the day with cloud cover and temperatures in the 70s. This morning the clouds were persistent and there were isolated light showers First warning: AccuTrack satellite and radar. We’re sticking with the possibility of light, patchy showers into the early afternoon hours as they move east. It is expected to remain largely dry this afternoon and evening, with only a few isolated dangers of storms.

There is a chance we could see a few strong or severe storms between 4pm and midnight this evening. Most of us will likely stay dry, so the danger and likelihood of stormy weather remains low. If we see severe storms this evening, the main threat will be damaging winds of up to 60 mph, quarter-sized hail and frequent lightning. I cannot rule out an isolated threat of tornadoes. It’s very low, but not zero in this setup. We will call this initial threat Round 1.

I think most of us will be warming into the mid to upper 80s this afternoon with partly sunny to mostly cloudy skies. Temperatures are expected to cool to the low 80s by 7 p.m., with a 30% chance of isolated storms. Please be sure to monitor your First Alert Weather app for updates in the event that one or two storms become strong or severe.

Round 2 – Thursday morning: Our next chance for stormy weather is expected to occur Thursday morning and continue into the early afternoon hours.

We will be watching a line of storms develop in Tennessee that will likely move south into northern Alabama by early Thursday morning. We expect the severe threat to trend down as these storms move into Alabama. I would expect heavy rainfall, reduced visibility, gusty winds up to 40 mph, and small hail as these storms move east-southeast.

During severe storms, wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour and quarter-sized hail cannot be ruled out. Storms will likely move southeast and could attempt to strengthen during the late morning hours as they move south of Interstate 20. The greatest serious threat could occur in parts of eastern Alabama during the late morning hours. Most of our models are showing us a relatively dry Thursday afternoon between 1 and 5 p.m. with temperatures rising to the low to mid 80s.

Round 3 – Thursday evening/Friday early morning: The third round could develop Thursday evening into Thursday night in the southern half of Alabama. We may see another disturbance to our west that could produce clusters of thunderstorms along and south of Interstate 20.

Any storm that forms Thursday evening could produce damaging winds of up to 60 mph, large hail, heavy rainfall and frequent lightning. Areas that should receive special attention include Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Sumter, Greene, Hale, Bibb, Chilton, Shelby, Talladega, Clay, Coosa and Tallapoosa counties. Areas further north could still see showers and storms, but the risk of severe weather is significantly lower.

Stormy weather is likely to move out of central Alabama by 7 a.m. Friday. Because these storms can develop while you sleep, we strongly recommend that you have multiple options for obtaining weather information. Make sure you have a NOAA weather radio and monitor our weather app for updates.

Gradual eviction on Friday: We could start Friday morning with a few showers along and south of Interstate 20, but most of the rain should disappear here. Drier and cooler air will move into the state Friday afternoon, bringing us mostly sunny skies. We should see temperatures rise into the mid-70s with northerly winds blowing at 10-20 mph. It should be a wonderful afternoon and evening. You might want to grab a light jacket if you have any plans on Friday night. Temperatures are expected to drop into the upper 50s Saturday morning.

Wonderful Mother’s Day weekend: The coming weekend looks very good! Saturday should end dry with mostly sunny skies. Morning temperatures look cool, with temperatures in the lower 50s. You may need a light jacket in the morning this weekend! We should see highs in the mid to upper 70s Saturday afternoon. The fantastic weather continues until Mother’s Day!

We may see increasing clouds on Sunday, but we will likely stay dry. I would plan for partly to mostly cloudy skies Sunday afternoon. Temperatures are expected to warm into the upper 70s, with some spots in the lower 80s and light northerly winds. It looks like showers and storms could return Monday evening and continue into next week. For the period May 13-17, 2024, the pattern looks wet and very unsettled.

Make sure you download the WBRC First Alert Weather App on Android and Apple devices for the latest weather information.

I wish you a safe and wonderful Wednesday

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