Finishing our recap of the 2005 North Atlantic Hurricane Season. Tropical Storm Lee became a depression on August 28th, about 925 miles east of the Leeward Islands. The system weakened into a wave and then regenerated on the 31st. It remained at sea and never reached hurricane intensity. Hurricane Maria formed well east of the islands of the Caribbean on September 1st. The storm became a major hurricane, with maximum winds of 115 mph. It stayed well away from land as a tropical system. It would eventually become a powerful extratropical low pressure system and affected Scandanavia in mid-September.

Hurricane Nate formed as a tropical depression on September 5th just 300 miles southwest of Bermuda. It became a tropical storm just six hours later and then a hurricane. It briefly threatened Bermuda before heading out to sea. Unpredictable Hurricane Ophelia formed near the Bahamas and meandered off the east coast of Florida for a few days before menacing the Carolinas. The center passed just south of the Outer Banks. The hurricane was an up and down storm, pulsing between tropical storm and hurricane intensity several times. Hurricane Philippe formed on September 17th. Philippe never threatened land.

Hurricane Rita became the second (and possibly the third) Cat Five hurricane of the year. Rita was intensifying rapidly as it passed through the Florida Straits south of the Keys on September 20th. The hurricane emerged into the Gulf and strengthened rapidly as it menaced a skittish Gulf Coast. The hurricane went from Category Two to Category Five in just 24 hours. On the 22st, it had top winds of 175 mph. After prompting massive evacuations, the hurricane made landfall early on the 24th near the Louisiana/Texas border. Rita reinundated parts of New Orleans that had flooded during Katrina. Rita caused $9.4 billion in damage and six deaths in the U.S.

Hurricane Stan became the fifth storm of the year in the Bay of Campeche. Tropical Storm Tammy was a short-lived storm that formed just off the East Coast of Florida. Hurricane Vince went on to become the first tropical cyclone ever to strike Spain. Hurricane Wilma was another blockbuster storm. It went on to become the strongest hurricane ever observed in the Atlantic before striking the Yucatan. It dealt an amazingly strong blow to South Florida, where $14.4 billion in damage was felt along with 32 deaths.

Tropical Storm Alpha marked the first time the NHC has used the Greek alphabet to name storms. Alpha hit the Dominican Republic. Beta became the 7th major hurricane of the year, tying the all time record. Gamma caused flooding in Belize and Honduras. Tropical Storm Delta went onto produce hurricane force winds in the Canaries. Hurricane Epsilon is still kicking this morning, so the book is not yet compete.

- Bill Murray

Colder air was pushing deeper into Alabama tonight. A line of showers and some thunderstorms were along and near the cold front.

At 9:30 pm, the front extended from SW Alabama northeastward to near Montgomery and across North Tallapoosa County.

Widespread rain was still falling across North Central Alabama but not as heavyand not as widespread as earlier tonight.

Lightning detection quipment shows a decline in lightning also.

Some of today's rainfall amounts (updated for later reports):

0.62 of an inch at Anniston Airport
0.39 at Birmingham Airport
0.70 at Shelby County Airport
0.55 at Taylorville (south of Tuscaloosa)
1.14 at Decatur
1.26 in Huntsville
0.56 in Pinson
0.60 in Cullman
0.99 in Steele (north St. Clair County)
0.47 in Hueytown
0.61 in Greystone Cove (James Spann)
0.54 in Helena (Nathan Jones)

At Muscle Shoals, in NW Alabama, the temperature had fallen to 38 at 9 pm with light snow. Visibility was seven miles.

At 7:10 pm, some of the stronger thunderstorms were over St. Clair and NE Shelby County. The NWS has reports of:

...Pea size hail in Leeds.
...Pea size to dime size hail in Brompton on I-20 in St. Clair County.

Some of the stronger storms with heaviest rain now along the St. Clair-Calhoun County line.

Moving east.

No warnings in effect.

The Severe Thunderstorm Watch was cancelled early.

Much cooler air cover much of North and Central Alabama.

Will post some rainfall amounts later.

The National Weather Service, Birmingham, has cancelled the Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the following counties:

Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun, Chambers, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lamar, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker.

We still have some moderate to strong thunderstorms moving across the area...some of which will produce pea-size hail and locally heavy rain.

But the danger of severe thunderstorms has ended in those counties. Much cooler air has overspread most of the north half of Alabama.

At 6 pm, there were no formal warnings in effect in Alabama. The Severe Thunderstorm Watch continues one more hour (till 7 pm) for much of Central Alabama.

However, much cooler air has not overspread much of North Alabama.

Some of the heaviest rain in the state at 6 pm was in West Jefferson County approaching the Birmingham area. Considerable lightning in those storms also.

They could easily produce pea size hail along with heavy rain.

Moving eastward.

Colder air is following this storm system in the South and East. Look at these wintry outlooks:

NORTH AND CENTRAL CUMBERLAND PLATEAU OF EAST TENNESSEE
1 to 3 inch snow accumulations late tonight and Monday.

MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
3 to 6 inches of snow accumulating through Monday.

NORTHEAST TENNESSEE
Winter Storm Warning Monday for SW Virginia and northern mountains of Tennessee. This includes, among other places, Mountain City and Roan Mountain, Tenn., and Abington, Va. 3 to 9 inches of snow expected to accumulate by Monday evening especially in the higher elevations.

That is just three examples of expected wintry weather.

Still some strong storms moving ENE across North and Central Alabama. I believe the danger of severe thunderstorms has lessened over the north part of the Severe Thunderstorm Watch area. Places like the Gadsden-Birmingham-Tuscaloosa area.

The reason: the cold front has pushed south of those areas.

However, many of the stronger storms will still produce pea-size hail.

Look at these 5 o'clock temperatures:

41 in Decatur, Cullman and Huntsville
42 in Muscle Shoals
48 in Fort Payne
51 in Birmingham
52 in Gadsden
35 in Nashville
72 in Alexander City
73 in Montgomery

Quite a contrast

Check out these 4 pm temperatures:

76 in Montgomery
75 in Alexander City
53 in Birmingham
45 in Cullman
43 in Huntsville and Muscle Shoals

A vry cold 35 in Nashville

The cold front, of course, has pushed south of the Birmingham area.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch continues until 7 pm, CST, for a large chunk of Central Alabama. It includes 39 of Alabama's 67 counties. All of Greater Birmingham area included.

Scattered strong thunderstorms continue to march eastward across the area. Several hail reports:

.....3/4 inch hail at Sylacauga
.....Golf ball size hail at Alpine, Talladega County
.....One inch hail in Sycamore community 6 miles east of Childersburg

Earlier this afternoon, a sudden hailstorm occurred just south of the Shelby community in South Shelby County. At the intersection of highways 42 and 145, the hail caused wrecks and 4 persons were injured--none critical.

Police units report the roads were covered with ice and fog.

A sudden hail event down in Shelby County caused several accidents and injured 4 people.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning no longer in effect for Shelby County.

Warning was still in effect for South Clay County until 3:30.

One of the stronger thunderstorms now over Tuscaloosa County moving east.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch continues until 7 pm for 39 of Alabama's 67 counties--a largew area of Central Alabama.