WEATHER AWARE

THURSDAY: A strong cold front will trigger a line of showers and storms Thursday morning in East Mississippi, Southwestern Tennessee, and Northwest Alabama, and that line of storms will gradually push southeast through the morning and afternoon across the state.

Storms will gradually intensify as they move through Alabama as the air becomes more unstable as the heat of the day builds in. Ample wind shear and a strong low level jet-stream will provide enough lift and energy to this line of storms that despite questionable instability, storms could produce some damaging wind gusts, heavy rain, and perhaps a few tornadoes.

The main timeframe for storms in Central Alabama looks to be between 8 AM and 5 PM.

Make sure you stay weather aware through the day Thursday and have multiple ways to receive warnings.

The Rest Of The Forecast

TUESDAY NIGHT: Not nearly as cold as last night. Lows will stay in the 40s across much of Central Alabama, with a few communities north of Birmingham dropping into the upper 30s.

WEDNESDAY: Clouds increase through the day. A few isolated sprinkles are possible, but meaningful rain is not anticipated. Highs in the mid 60s.

FRIDAY: Cold air rushes in behind Thursday’s front. Temperatures drop to the 30s Friday morning, and stay in the 40s Friday afternoon with a brisk north wind. Some wraparound moisture will keep the sky mostly cloudy, and a flurry or two can’t be ruled out through the day, especially north of Birmingham. We don’t anticipate any accumulations in Alabama, but some snow is likely to stick across the mountains in Eastern Tennessee.

THE WEEKEND: The cold snap continues into the weekend, with temperatures starting out below freezing Saturday morning and again staying in the 40s Saturday afternoon. Temperatures slowly start to trend up Sunday, and highs climb back into the 60s by the start of the work-week next week.