Severe Storms Possible This Weekend
by Jim Stefkovich, Meteorologist, Alabama Emergency Management Agency
CLANTON – Friday, 6:00 am March 24, 2023
A broken line of thunderstorms will reach northwest Alabama late tonight and move across the state through early Saturday morning. Some of these storms will likely be supercells with damaging straight-line winds and tornadoes, especially west of I-65 and north of I-20. The intensity of the line will weaken as it moves east of I-65, and the severe weather threat will become more isolated.
This system will leave a surface boundary across southern Alabama early Sunday which will move northward during the morning and become stationary by Sunday afternoon. Additional upper-level disturbances will move across the southeastern US Sunday afternoon into Monday. A couple of severe storms will be possible near and south of the surface boundary Sunday afternoon with hail and damaging straight-line winds the main threats.
Total rainfall amounts from Sunday through Monday across the southern half of the state will generally be 2-3 inches with higher amounts possible in stronger storms. This may cause some localized flooding issues.
We are in the heart of our spring severe weather season, and nighttime tornadoes are not unusual. If you haven’t reviewed or developed your severe weather plan yet, go to https://www.ready.gov/severe-weather for more information.
Below is an Alabama county map. SAVE it to your phone. Print and hang it on the refrigerator. Have it with you when watches/warnings are issued and know both what county you live in and the names of surrounding counties to give yourself extra time before storms arrive.
Finally, have at least two methods to receive severe weather warnings that will wake you up in the middle of the night, one of which IS NOT be an outdoor siren. Outdoor warning sirens are meant just that…for people that are outdoors, and they can fail.
