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March 20 Weather Xtreme Video - Afternoon Edition
From: abc3340 Views: 877 4 ratings Time: 07:53 More in News & Politics

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

COLD START TO SPRING: Welcome to spring; the vernal equinox was at 6:02 a.m. CDT. As expected, morning clouds have moved to the south, and the sky is generally sunny across the northern half of Alabama. Temperatures are mostly in the 59-62 degree range.

FREEZE TONIGHT: The GFS is now printing a low of 26 degrees for Birmingham early tomorrow; we figure most places will see a low somewhere between 25 and 30 degrees with a clear sky and light wind. Look for lots of sunshine tomorrow morning, but clouds will arrive late in the day.

SNOW/SLEET TOMORROW NIGHT? A disturbance will bring precipitation into Alabama tomorrow night. Due to the wet-bulb cooling effect, we still believe the atmosphere will be cold enough for snow along and north of U.S. 278… or north of a line from Hamilton to Cullman to Gadsden. The best chance of accumulating snow will be along and north of the Tennessee River, especially around Muscle Shoals. A dusting to around one inch is possible, mostly on grass, across Colbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan, Madison, and Jackson counties. A few slick spots could develop, but major, widespread travel problems are not expected.

Down this way, the precipitation will most likely begin as sleet (ice pellets), with a little snow possibly mixed in. Then, it changes to rain early Friday morning. No accumulation or travel issues are expected for Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Anniston.

Remember, we have limited skill in forecasting winter events in Alabama late in the season, so we will be watching for any potential surprises.

Friday will be cold and wet, with periods of light rain. Not sure we can get out of the 40s; a few spots could reach the low 50s.

SATURDAY SOAKER: Saturday still looks a very wet day. Rain much of the day, with some thunder possible as a warm front lifts slowly northward from the Gulf. There could be a few strong storms over South Alabama, south of the warm front… up our way the risk of severe weather for now looks pretty small. Rain amounts of one inch are likely.

SUNDAY: The GFS continues to look pretty dry. The model suggests the rain will end early in the day, perhaps even during the pre-dawn hours, with the sun breaking through during the day. A cold front will be passing through; it could very well be a day with the high temperature coming during the morning hours followed by falling afternoon temperatures. The chance of strong afternoon storms is fading with this scenario.

NEXT WEEK: The weather looks generally cold and dry. Highs only in the 50s; a good chance we go below freezing Tuesday, Wednesday, and possibly Thursday morning. It won’t feel like spring.

AT THE BEACH: Dry tomorrow, but a few showers or storms are possible Friday and Saturday; just a slight risk of a shower Sunday. Highs will be in the 60s along the immediate coast. Most of next week will be dry with sunny days and fair nights, but temperatures will be cool with a high around 60 degrees each afternoon. The sea water temperature at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab this afternoon is only 63 degrees.

WEATHER RADIO HELP: We will be at the Publix in Chelsea tomorrow evening from 3:30 until 6:30… if you need help with a weather radio, have questions, or need to buy one, then come see us. Every Alabama home and business needs one; Monday’s severe weather event was a great reminder of that.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. Great to have weather legend Chuck Doswell on with us this week… scroll down for the show notes.

CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…

Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus

Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow….

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After a couple of days, I felt the need to share some thoughts after Monday’s severe weather event. Widespread wind damage impacted at least 18 Alabama counties; about 20 people were injured and there was considerable structural damage. Power at one point was out to over 220,000 people in our state. It was a high impact event, and it has brought out the “trolls, haters, and know-it-alls” in full force.

Let me say up front that accepting constructive criticism is very important, and a part of being successful. It is the only way we get better. Also, I know many are frustrated after being without power for two days. And, many of these people have suffered major storm damage and are in a very difficult and challenging position. Lashing out is just human nature.

When the NWS in Birmingham released a new storm survey last night that did reveal an EF-1 tornado in far northern Etowah County near Sardis City, it unleashed a new wave of comments that need addressing here. I know the easiest thing for me to do is to declare the most serious damage in these 18 counties the result of a tornado. And, to declare the weather community was wrong since no tornado warnings were issued. This would make most people very happy. But, it is not the truth, and part of the integrity process is simply telling the truth. Even when the haters are out in full force.

And, the truth is….

*Almost all of the damage in Alabama Monday was caused by straight line winds. There were two confirmed tornadoes in DeKalb County (in the Huntsville TV market, and tornado warnings were issued for both of them). The tornado in northern Etowah had a total path length of 7.9 miles, max width was 300 yards. That is an extremely tiny area… for our market 99 percent of the damage was not from a tornado.

*Roaring, winds of different direction, and twisting damage are all consistent with damaging straight line winds. And, straight line wind damage is very similar to a tornado.

*The NWS in Birmingham did a wonderful job in issuing high impact severe thunderstorm warnings… average lead time was 15 to 30 minutes, and in the warnings they said…

“THESE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.”

My faults…

*I have not done a good job reminding people to take severe thunderstorm warnings seriously.

*Encouraging people to add severe thunderstorm warnings to the list of warnings they receive on smart phone apps like NOAA Weather Radio.

*No tornado warning for the northern Etowah county storm. No, I don’t issue warnings, the NWS does. But, perhaps it could have been caught. Unfortunately, it is impossible to warn for some smaller EF-0/EF-1 tornadoes. There was a severe thunderstorm warning that called it an “extremely dangerous situation”, and that should have been enough to get folks to shelter that heard the warning.

One of the greatest discouragements I have seen come from people angry that sirens were not sounded during Monday’s storms. I guess I will never win this… some people will depend on weather sirens until the day they die. They only reach a limited number of people outdoors… and will NOT work for people in a home, business, school, or church. Some people refuse to buy or even have interest in getting a NOAA Weather Radio. If you had one Monday, you would have known 30 minutes in most cases before the storms arrived and the damage started.

Another discouragement comes from those that are so critical of Alabama Power. The men and women who work for Alabama Power during these situations are heroes, and how they have gotten 150,000 folks back online in such a short time is remarkable. Seems like nobody wants to thank these folks who spend many long hours away from their families so they can get the power back on. Seems like we live in a world of selfishness these days.

Over the last two days I have been called everything from an idiot to a “doofus” because I claim the damage was due to straight line winds over most of the state. And, I had plenty of hate mail from people furious I cut off “Dr. Oz” Monday afternoon due to storms that were not tornado producers. One guy called me a “moron” who just loves seeing himself on TV. I assure you, I am used to the name calling. But, again, truth is the greatest defense, and I stand with the National Weather Service in their assessment that the damage Monday was from straight line winds in almost every case. Their warnings were excellent, and
timely. Sad many didn’t hear them, or didn’t pay attention.

I assure you we will work on that in coming days, weeks, and years.

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March 20 Weather Xtreme Video - Morning Edition
From: abc3340 Views: 1021 2 ratings Time: 08:50 More in News & Politics

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

MUST BE MARCH IN ALABAMA: Long time Alabamians know anything goes this time of the year; this week we go from a severe weather event Monday to a freeze, and some snow before the week is over.

Today will be dry; we have some clouds this morning, but those should move out by midday, and the afternoon should be mostly sunny with a high in the low 60s.

FREEZE EARLY TOMORROW: We will begin the day in the 25-30 degree range for most places; NWS has issued a freeze warning (they do this late in the season for growers). It sure won’t feel like spring; the high tomorrow will only be in the low to mid 50s… almost 15 degrees below average for late March in Alabama.

SNOW/SLEET TOMORROW NIGHT? Confidence is actually pretty high in wintry precipitation over far North Alabama. Evaporative cooling should bring a favorable environment for snow over the Tennessee Valley region of North Alabama. The best chance of accumulating snow will be generally north of the Tennessee River; a dusting to one inch is possible mostly on grassy areas. Our friends up in Florence, Athens, Huntsville, and Scottsboro will have to watch for some slick spots on roads and bridges late tomorrow night and into early Friday morning, but temperatures should be generally in the mid 30s as the snow falls.

Down this way, precipitation will begin through a very dry low level column… and some sleet (ice pellets) are very possible as far south as Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Anniston (I-20). Sleet rarely causes driving issues, and temperatures should be above freezing, so I don’t expect any problems around here.

But, we all know late season winter systems can bring some surprises, so we will watch data closely as it gets closer.

FRIDAY: The day will be cold and wet, with periods of light rain. I seriously doubt if we can get out of the 40s with clouds and rain at times. It won’t rain all day, and rain amounts should rather light.

SATURDAY SOAKER: Unfortunately the weekend should begin with a very wet day. Rain is likely Saturday; the rain should be pretty widespread with amounts of one half to one inch likely. And, it could very well rain much of the day as a warm front slowly moves northward from the Gulf of Mexico. We should remain north of the warm front, so for now no severe weather is expected, but some elevated thunder is certainly possible.

If by chance the warm front gets north of here, strong storms are possible, but at this point that doesn’t look likely.

SUNDAY: This day remains a mystery; a dry slot in the mid levels will work into Alabama, and no doubt a pretty good part of the day will be dry with some sunshine. We should warm up into the mid 70s… which could open the door for some scattered afternoon storms. While the GFS is dry, a storm or two could very well form on a surface front, and if they do form, they could be pretty strong since the air will be unstable. We will continue to mention the risk of a storm in the afternoon, but if the models continue the dry look we will begin to phase that risk out of the forecast.

NEXT WEEK: The pattern looks generally cold and dry. I expect to see freezing temperatures on multiple mornings, and we will have a very hard time getting out of the 50s for most days.

AT THE BEACH: Dry weather is the story on the coast today and tomorrow, but showers and a few storms are possible Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Highs along the immediate coast will be in the 60s due to the influence of the cool ocean water; sea surface temperatures are mostly in the 60-65 degree range along the coast from Panama City west to Gulf Shores. Most of next week looks dry, but cool.

WEATHER RADIO HELP: We will be at the Publix in Chelsea tomorrow evening from 3:30 until 6:30… if you need help with a weather radio, have questions, or need to buy one, then come see us. Every Alabama home and business needs one; Monday’s severe weather event was a great reminder of that.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. Scroll down for the show notes on this week’s episode with Chuck Doswell.

CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…

Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus

Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 this afternoon…. enjoy the day….

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WeatherBrains Episode 373 is now online (March 19, 2013). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

This week’s Guest WeatherBrain needs no introduction. Tonight’s marks his entrance into the WeatherBrains three time Brain club, an accomplishment only endured by a small group of brave and foolish souls. But all kidding aside, he is one of the legends of our industry. Tonight, we welcome back the man, the myth and legend, Dr. Chuck Doswell.

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: Having just completed a long and technical rundown on the dual polarization upgrade to NWS Doppler radars, we now turn to something less technical (red less boring!!) – and that is weather folklore. This week we take a look at a couple of folklore sayings and explore their validity.

TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of March 18th.

Listener Surveys: Okay, we continue to drive this topic into the ground, but we really do like to hear from you. Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to fill out the Listener Survey. The survey takes just a minute or two to complete and provides us with an opportunity to learn where you are and hear your thoughts and comments on the show. Click here to take the survey.

Web Sites from Episode 373:

Picks of the Week:

Nate Johnson – Delorean Electric car

Kevin Selle – Smart Phone anemometer

James Spann – New enhanced SPC mesoanalysis page

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like JB Elliott, Nate Johnson, Bill Murray, Kevin Selle, and Brian Peters. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating netcast about weather.

WeatherBrains Episode 373 is now online (March 19, 2013). If you are crazy about weather, this is THE netcast audio program for you!

This week’s Guest WeatherBrain needs no introduction. Tonight’s marks his entrance into the WeatherBrains three time Brain club, an accomplishment only endured by a small group of brave and foolish souls. But all kidding aside, he is one of the legends of our industry. Tonight, we welcome back the man, the myth and legend, Dr. Chuck Doswell.

From The Weather Center:

WeatherBrains 101: Having just completed a long and technical rundown on the dual polarization upgrade to NWS Doppler radars, we now turn to something less technical (red less boring!!) – and that is weather folklore. This week we take a look at a couple of folklore sayings and explore their validity.

TWIWH: Bill Murray looks back at the week of March 18th.

Listener Surveys: Okay, we continue to drive this topic into the ground, but we really do like to hear from you. Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to fill out the Listener Survey. The survey takes just a minute or two to complete and provides us with an opportunity to learn where you are and hear your thoughts and comments on the show. Click here to take the survey.

Web Sites from Episode 373:

Picks of the Week:

Nate Johnson – Delorean Electric car

Kevin Selle – Smart Phone anemometer

James Spann – New enhanced SPC mesoanalysis page

The WeatherBrains crew includes your host, James Spann, plus other notable geeks like JB Elliott, Nate Johnson, Bill Murray, Kevin Selle, and Brian Peters. They bring together a wealth of weather knowledge and experience for another fascinating netcast about weather.

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March 19 Weather Xtreme Video - Afternoon Edition
The ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is a detailed weather discussion for Alabama and the Southeast U.S. which goes beyond the normal stuff you see on TV! From... From: abc3340 Views: 670 4 ratings Time: 06:55 More in News & Politics

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

FINE MARCH DAY: Nice to see the sun shining brightly across Alabama today… temperatures are mostly in the 60s, and the humidity is low. Some clouds will invade the state tonight and tomorrow morning with passing disturbance, but rain is not expected since the low level air is so dry. Sunshine will be out in full force tomorrow afternoon with a high in the low 60s.

THURSDAY MORNING FREEZE: Still looks like we will drop into the 27-32 degree range early Thursday morning. Then, Thursday will be dry but noticeably cooler with a high only in the low to mid 50s, well below average for mid-March in Alabama.

THURSDAY NIGHT/FRIDAY MORNING: The forecast gets interesting for the Tennessee Valley of far North Alabama, as precipitation breaks out. The wet-bulb cooling effect could very well bring a few snow flakes to North Alabama from about midnight Thursday night until 8:00 Friday morning… north of U.S. 278 (north of a line from Hamilton to Cullman to Gadsden). The GFS actually tries to bring 1-2 inches of snow to places like Florence and Huntsville. This is a very “iffy” situation; the low level thickness values really don’t support snow, but wet-bulb cooling could be a real factor.

Down this way (Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Anniston, Gadsden), it looks like a cold rain begins Friday morning (the 12Z run of the GFS is faster)… and periods of rain will continue Friday afternoon into Friday night. We might have a hard time getting out of the 40s Friday thanks to the clouds and rain. Not exactly a Chamber of Commerce kind of day.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Saturday, unfortunately, looks wet statewide. Periods of rain, maybe a little thunder, as a warm front moves slowly northward from the Gulf. The high should be in the 60s; it won’t rain all day, but it could rain at any time during the day.

Sunday looks interesting; the widespread rain could very well end early Sunday morning, followed by a decent amount of midday sunshine thanks to a mid level dry slot. But, we will be in the warm sector of the storm system to the west, and strong storms could fire up during the afternoon and evening hours with temperatures rising well into the 70s, along with dewpoints in the 60s. We will monitor this situation in coming days… but it looks like one of those wild March weekends with everything from snow to heavy rain to strong storms.

NEXT WEEK: Much colder air blows into the state next week, and I fully expect a late season freeze on at least one or two mornings during the mid-week period. See the Weather Xtreme video for the details.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. We will produce the show tonight at 8:30 p.m. CDT… the legend Chuck Doswell will be our guest. You can watch it live here.

CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…

Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus

I really enjoyed seeing the kids at Greene County Head Start in Eutaw today… be looking for them on the Pepsi KIDCAM today at 5:00 on ABC 33/40 News! The next Weather Xtreme video will be posted here bright and early tomorrow by 7:00 a.m…

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I have noticed an almost angry tone today on social media discussions over yesterday’s widespread and severe wind damage in Alabama. Seems like everybody insists their damage to be caused by a tornado. They tell us…

*I heard the roar
*I saw the funnel
*The trees were twisted
*Winds were blowing in different directions

The National Weather Service in Birmingham, in a morning statement… tells us…

“At this time NWS Birmingham is not planning on conducting storm damage surveys at this time. Based on the radar data and damage reports we have received thus far, the far dominant evidence is that this was solely a thunderstorm wind damage and large hail event in our forecast area.”

It is clear to them, and us, that the damage in our part of the state was not related to a tornado… it was all straight line winds.

Jim Stefkovich, in an afternoon note to the media… writes…

“As we all know, yesterday was not the “typical” severe thunderstorm event. In an effort to strike while the iron is hot, I have two favors, and both John and I are willing to help in any way possible.

The first is for each of you to do a news story to educate folks that yesterday is a prime reason why severe thunderstorms need to be taken seriously with damage equating to a tornado, and to read the actual body of the warning to see what we are saying the impacts will be.”

I know many are hurting now with storm damage and no power. I have been there, and it is not good. But I am clearly beginning to see that many in our state tend to ignore severe thunderstorm warnings, while paying attention only to tornado warnings. We need to change this.

As I wrote here last night…

A gustnado or two was certainly possible yesterday, if not likely… that is a vortex on the leading edge of a thunderstorm’s gust front. Ground based, and not really related to a true tornado in a classic sense.

You have to remember…

*Damaging straight line winds can, and will cause damage just like a tornado.

*You can have twisting type damage with a microburst due to the eddies generated by the air parcel after hitting the ground at extremely high speeds.

*A load roar can also be associated with straight line winds, much like a tornado.

*All severe storms have low level vertical wind shear, including those that don’t produce a tornado.

Many have sent me this picture… from Etowah County…

This is a tornado look-a-like, like the kind we show in storm spotter training. Not everything that looks like a tornado in a severe storm is a tornado. This cloud feature was formed from ground level by cold, moist, outflow air. The lowering was not rotating — just rising — and produced no damage itself. It looked a little scary due to the differential lightning. The Etowah County damage was all from straight line winds.

The NWS did a remarkable job in issuing severe thunderstorm warnings. One thing to understand is that we do NOT do long form “wall to wall” coverage on ABC 33/40 for these; perhaps that is one reason people think they are not important. I was on TV for about 20 minutes during the 2:30-4:00 time frame with occasional updates, and of course we were pushing updates on the blog and through social media. Everybody with a NOAA Weather Radio, or smart phone app designed to push severe weather warnings, should have know well in advance before the arrival of the damaging winds.

Just one example… this was issued about 30 minutes before the wind damage happened in Etowah County…

BULLETIN – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
334 PM CDT MON MAR 18 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
ETOWAH COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA…
ST. CLAIR COUNTY IN ALABAMA…
SHELBY COUNTY IN ALABAMA…

* UNTIL 430 PM CDT

* AT 332 PM CDT…EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED A LINE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL…AND DESTRUCTIVE WINDS
IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES EAST OF MCLARTY TO 6 MILES WEST OF ASHVILLE
TO MOODY TO VESTAVIA HILLS TO TANNEHILL IRONWORKS STATE PARK…AND
MOVING EAST AT 65 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
ODENVILLE…HELENA…PELHAM…ALABASTER…MONTEVALLO…PELL CITY…
CHELSEA AND RAINBOW CITY.

THIS INCLUDES…
INTERSTATE 65 EXIT NUMBERS 228 THROUGH 247…
INTERSTATE 20 EXIT NUMBERS 144 THROUGH 162…
INTERSTATE 59 EXIT NUMBERS 148 THROUGH 188…

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

THESE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE.
THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE A
STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

Please take this away from yesterday…

*A severe thunderstorm is defined as a storm with 58 mph winds or greater, or hail 1″ in diameter or larger.

*Pay attention to severe thunderstorm warnings.

*Read or listen to the text of the warning to see the hazards involved. Note the warnings yesterday said “These storms have a history of producing widespread wind damage. This is an extremely dangerous situation. Seek shelter now inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows”. We can’t be specific than that.

*If high wind is the hazard, do not drive, or be in a vehicle when the storm is passing through, and stay away from windows.

*You MUST have a NOAA Weather Radio or smart phone app (like MyWarn or iMap WeatherRadio) to get warnings. And, if you are watching TV and the severe weather map is on the screen, pay attention to the crawl message.

We note the NWS in Huntsville did issue two tornado warnings for DeKalb County, where there was rotation on radar, and they are surveying the area now. That would be only place in Alabama with potential tornado damage yesterday.

But, otherwise, it was all straight line wind damage. Trust me, we don’t say it to make anyone mad, it is simply the way it was. And, damaging winds can be just as dangerous as a tornado. At least 13 people in our state were hospitalized yesterday; we are very fortunate there was no loss of life.

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March 19 Weather Xtreme Video - Morning Edition
From: abc3340 Views: 645 1 ratings Time: 05:37 More in News & Politics

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

WILD MONDAY: The Alabama EMA office reports major damage in 18 Alabama counties; damage was especially significant across Walker, Etowah, and Calhoun Counties where hundreds of trees were uprooted and some structural damage was reported. Etowah County EMA reports 8 injuries including one that had to be transported to a Birmingham hospital. Large hail fell in many places; baseball sized hail was reported just south of downtown Clanton. Most of the damage was consistent with straight line winds; the NWS will have survey teams out today.

See a list of school closings and delays here.

See damage/storm pictures on our Flickr feed here.

SUNSHINE RETURNS: The sky will be sunny across Alabama today as drier air has returned; the high will be in the mid 60s. The weather will be cool and dry tomorrow and Thursday; we are forecasting a late season freeze early Thursday morning with a low in the 27-32 degree range. We won’t get out of the 50s Thursday afternoon despite a partly to mostly sunny sky.

WET WEEKEND: Clouds return Thursday night, and rain will begin during the day Friday as moist air returns to the state. We will mention periods of rain Friday night and Saturday as an upper trough slowly approaches. The last few runs of the GFS suggest we could very well have some thunder, but for now the severe weather risk looks low with a stable airmass in place. This is tornado season, of course, and we always have to keep an eye on any system that moves through the time of the year.

The 00Z GFS hints the rain will end by midday Sunday, with some chance of a little sunshine Sunday afternoon as a dry slot works into the state from the west. If the sun does break out Sunday afternoon, we could reach the low 70s.

NEXT WEEK: A shot of colder air moves in here by Tuesday and Wednesday, and I still believe the door is open for at least one morning with sub-freezing temperatures. See the Weather Xtreme video for the maps, graphics, and details.

AT THE BEACH: No rain on the Gulf Coast (Panama City west to Gulf Shores) through Thursday with mostly sunny days and fair nights. Showers and a few storms will return Friday and Saturday; just a slight risk of a stray shower Sunday. Highs will be in the 66-70 degree range along the immediate coast, and the sea water temperatures are still running around 60 degrees.

VERNAL EQUINOX: The first “official” day of spring is tomorrow; the new season arrives at 6:02 a.m. CDT. We will have twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of darkness as the sun will be directly over the equator.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. We will produce this week’s show tonight at 8:30 p.m. CDT… legendary tornado researcher Chuck Doswell will be our guest; you can watch it live here.

CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…

Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus

I will be doing a weather program this morning down at Eutaw in Greene County… be looking for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 this afternoon. Enjoy the day….

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Chilton County Hail... 3-18-2013
From Lauren Ragsdale... I am new to AL from Savannah, Ga and I have NEVER seen hail like this before!! I couldn't find a place to send this video but I work ... From: abc3340 Views: 5140 9 ratings Time: 00:55 More in News & Politics

This is the text of a severe weather warning from the National Weather Service for part of the AlabamaWX.com coverage area. Stand by for more details to be added to this post by our meteorologists.

WUUS54 KBMX 182205
SVRBMX
ALC123-182245-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0047.130318T2205Z-130318T2245Z/

BULLETIN – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
505 PM CDT MON MAR 18 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
SOUTHERN TALLAPOOSA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA…

* UNTIL 545 PM CDT

* AT 502 PM CDT…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A LINE OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL…AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED
ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM RIDGE GROVE TO MARTIN LAKE AT
KOWALIGA…AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
CAMP HILL…MARTIN DAM…REEVES AIRPORT…TALLAPOOSA CITY…BLUE
CREEK MARINA…YATES DAM AND REELTOWN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

FOR YOUR PROTECTION…MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF
YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.

&&

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT MONDAY EVENING FOR
SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER…
CALL 1-800-856-0758 OR TWEET YOUR REPORT USING HASHTAG ALWX

LAT…LON 3271 8561 3271 8567 3270 8570 3260 8570
3258 8571 3258 8580 3249 8580 3249 8588
3265 8589 3270 8591 3274 8588 3276 8593
3291 8560 3273 8560
TIME…MOT…LOC 2206Z 276DEG 32KT 3286 8555 3269 8594

$$

GRANTHAM

WWWW

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THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
SOUTHERN TALLAPOOSA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA…

* UNTIL 545 PM CDT

* AT 502 PM CDT…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A LINE OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL…AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED
ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM RIDGE GROVE TO MARTIN LAKE AT
KOWALIGA…AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
CAMP HILL…MARTIN DAM…REEVES AIRPORT…TALLAPOOSA CITY…BLUE
CREEK MARINA…YATES DAM AND REELTOWN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

FOR YOUR PROTECTION…MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF
YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.

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Nearly 200,000 without power across Alabama now…

Trees and power lines down north of Trussville at 3:20.

Trees on house in in Sardis City in Etowah County.. residents trapped.

Wind gust to 88 mph just southeast of Gadsden at 4 p.m….anemometer registered 88 mph prior to losing a cup. numerous trees and powerlines down.

Saks [Calhoun Co, AL] broadcast media reports TSTM WND DMG at 04:11 PM CDT — roof of Acker Electric co building partially removed. winds estimated at 70-80 mph by trained nws spotter.

Sturkie [Chambers Co, AL] public reports HAIL of golf ball size (E1.75 INCH) at 04:21 PM CDT –

2 ESE Mount Cheaha [Clay Co, AL] emergency mngr reports TSTM WND DMG at 04:22 PM CDT — trees and power lines down near Hwy 49 and Abel Rd.

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THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
AUTAUGA COUNTY IN ALABAMA…
ELMORE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA…

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 458 PM CDT…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A LINE OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL…AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED
ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM EQUALITY TO MULBERRY…AND MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
PRATTVILLE…MILLBROOK…WETUMPKA…TALLASSEE…BOOTH…MARTIN LAKE
AT KOWALIGA…DEXTER AND AUTAUGAVILLE.

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The line is sinking slowly south into these counties at this hour.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
NORTHERN DALLAS COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA…
NORTHERN MARENGO COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA…
PERRY COUNTY IN ALABAMA…
SOUTHERN SUMTER COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA…

* UNTIL 545 PM CDT

* AT 448 PM CDT…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A LINE OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL…AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED
ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM HEIBERGER TO FAUNSDALE TO CUBA…AND
MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
MARION…UNIONTOWN…VALLEY GRANDE…LINDEN…SELMA…SELMONT-WEST
SELMONT…KINTERBISH AND VAIDEN.

THIS INCLUDES…
INTERSTATE 20 EXIT NUMBERS 1 THROUGH 8…

$$

GRANTHAM

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The severe weather threat is over for areas behind the line of storms including Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Anniston and Gadsden and points north and west.

Temperatures behind the line are in the 50s to near 60F. Ahead of the line, it is 77F at Alexander City and Montgomery.

But in the wake of the storms, there are thousands and thousands of tree down and widespread power outages.

Power is out in many parts of the Birmingham metro area. Traffic is a nightmare in parts of the Metro.

The line is slowly sinking into South Central Alabama, where a new severe weather watch will be issued shortly. Here is the radar:

Several counties have just been trimmed from the watch.

These counties have been removed: Blount, Etowah, Fayette, Jefferson, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, St. Clair, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Winston [AL]

The tornado watch continues for Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Chambers, Chilton, Clay, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Tallapoosa [AL] till 9:00 PM CDT

The severe thunderstorm watch continues for Bibb, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Shelby, Sumter, Talladega [AL] till 9:00 PM CDT

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THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
TALLAPOOSA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA…

* UNTIL 530 PM CDT

* AT 430 PM CDT…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A LINE OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL…AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED
ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM MALONE TO PENTONVILLE…AND MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
ALEXANDER CITY…DADEVILLE…CAMP HILL…HILLABEE CREEK…NEW
SITE…WIND CREEK STATE PARK…JACKSONS' GAP AND JACKSONS GAP.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

FOR YOUR PROTECTION…MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF
YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.

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