So much so, that Severe Thunderstorm Warnings were posted for Chambers and Lee County along the Alabama-Georgia border.

The storms were forming in Georgia and moving toward the WSW. Some storms are forming as far north as the Atlanta area and headed this way.

The Chambers and Lee County storms were sporting tops as high as 52,000 feet! In Chambers County, these late reports...

.....Trees down SW of the Valley community
.....Hail 3/4 inch in diameter west of LaFayette in Chambers County

Now that school is back in session for most students, we are taking a bunch of requests for weather programs every day. Answering the e-mail this time of the year is almost a full time job!

I thought this would be a good opportunity to review the process in case you are interested in one of the ABC 33/40 meteorologists doing a program on meteorology for your school.

First off, all requests must be made in writing via e-mail. If you want me (James Spann), just send a note directly to me: jspann@abc3340.com.

The addresses for our other on-air meteorologists at ABC 33/40:

Jason Simpson: jasons@abc3340.com
Brian Peters: brianp@abc3340.com
John Oldshue: johno@abc3340.com

Jason, Brian, and John all do a great job with kids.

The demand for weather programs in schools can be overwhelming, and the entire school year is usually booked by Halloween. So, if you want a program for the 2005-2006 school year, you need to let us know sometime in the next two months. In fact, my calendar is already full through the end of November, and about three-quarters full from December of this year through May 2006. We take requests on a first come, first serve basis.

The good news is that there is absolutely no charge; all of our guys love kids and we are delighted to share science with them. Our programs are really designed for kids in grades one through six, but we occasionally speak to pre-schoolers, and older children in middle and high school. We have even been known to present a meteorology lecture on college campuses.

We usually cover weather forecasting, instruments, radar, satellite, thunderstorms, tornadoes, winter storms, and hurricanes. And, of course, a little about how we present the weather on TV. And, the kids get to be on ABC 33/40 News with our "KIDCAM".

The program takes about 45 minutes, and we will need a screen. We will bring the rest. Keep in mind we are all “shift workers”, and there are limits on our availability during the school day. In my case, I can’t leave until around 8:30 a.m. due to the morning radio shift, and I must be back at the weather office by 2:15 p.m. or so. I did my first program on weather for school kids way back in 1979, and still love doing them as much as ever!

They finally gave up the ghost across North and Central Alabama. Virtually all have faded off the radar screen.

But not down south.

Big thunderstorms over SE Alabama extended from about Troy down across the Elba-Andalusia area.
Those were moving SW.

Troy reporting heavy rain at 7 pm.

Another hot day. Sunday's high in Muscle Shoals was 97, the hottest in nearly three years. Their high was 96 today. A short list of today's highs:

93 in Montgomery and Birmingham
94 in Mobile
95 in Evergreen
96 in Anniston and Muscle Shoals
97 in Decatur and Huntsville

Time to enjoy another pot of coffee. If something interesting shows up, we will be back.

NWS, Huntsville continues a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Dekalb County until 6 pm. It was 7 milkes south of Valley Head moving east ever so slowly at 5 mph.

Elsewhere over North Alabama...
A couple of storms forming over North Etowah County
Still have a small thunderstorm over SW Walker County near Oakman. Moving very slowly.

By far, the more numerous storms way down over SE Alabama.

All the really big thunderstorms have shifted down into SE Alabama mainly south and east of Troy. Severe Thunderstorm Warning for barbour County in that part of the state.

Over North Alabama, storms are more widely spaced and not as strong. A small strong storm was in Walker County west of Jasper at 5:10 pm.

A few strong storms scattered across the Tennessee Valley. A Flash Flood Warning continues for Madison County until 6:15.

No significant storms within a 30 mile radious of Birmingham

A RAINFALL REPORT
During this afternoon's storm 0.87 of an inch of rain fell in only 45 minutes in the Bluff Park area of Hoover.

Many folks have told us they were in Gulf Shores last Friday and saw the big waterspout just off the coast. Here is another great image taken by Martha Wise:



You can see other images of the waterspout taken by Bill "Bubba" Bussey here:

The NWS cancelled the Flash Flood Warning for South Jefferson County that was to be in effect until 4:15 pm.

The thunderstorms that caused the downpour weakened greatly.

Flash Flood Warning continues for South Jefferson County until 4:15.

The nearly stalled thunderstorm that dumped the heavy rain has weakened more and now along the Jefferson-Shelby County line. The storm seems confused and not sure which way it wants to go. Whatever direction it is, it is very slow.

We have a report that limbs were down and power out at a building near Brookwood medical Center. Received the report at 2:10 pm.

A couple of storms further south, over Central Shelby County, becoming a bit stronger. Small ones.

Over North Alabama, Flash Flood Warnings continue for:

Morgan County
Franklin County

The Severe Thunderstorm Warning for South Jefferson County expired at 2:45.

The NWS continues a Flash Flood Warning until 4:15. Flash flooding was occurring in the Homewood-Vestavia Hills area where an estimated 1 to 2 inches of rain had already fallen. The Flash Flood Warning includes places like Homewood, Vestavia Hills and Cahaba Heights and maybe parts of the immediate Birmingham area.

However, at 2:55 p.m., radar indicates that particular thunderstorm has weakened some and partially broken up. In fact, part of it is over the northern edge of Shelby County. We will continue to watch it.

This storm has been by itself.

Up in North Alabama, the thunderstorms are a little more numerous and very slow-movers. Flash Flood Warnings continue for Morgan and Franklin Counties. A tree was reported across a power line in Russellville in NW Alabama and they also had some dime-sized hail in that community.

It was located near Homewood in Jefferson County and moving north slowly.

NWS issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 2:45 pm for Jefferson County...mainly the southern part. It includes such places as Homewood, Hoover, Cahaba Heights and Birmingham.

Lots of severe lightning.

Damaging winds also possible. Those damaging winds can erupt very quickly and often over very localized areas.

AND NOW, A FLASH FLOOD WARNING...
It is for Jefferson County also until 4:15 pm. Flash flooding was occurring in the Homewood-Vestavia Hills area from a nearly stalled thunderstorm. As much as 1 to 2 inches has already fallen and additional heavy rain will continue.

Other strong thunderstorms over NW Alabama. A warning for Franklin County.