1:07PM March 15, 2026
DAMAGING WIND & TORNADO RISK OVERNIGHT; BE ABLE TO HEAR WARNINGS… Severe thunderstorms are likely overnight, particularly across inland stretches of south Alabama and northwest Florida where a Level 3 (out of 5) enhanced severe weather risk zone now blankets the area. A Level 3 risk means that fairly high confidence exists that several storms will contain damaging winds, tornadoes, and large hail. Scattered to numerous severe storms are expected across Alabama tonight. Please understand that regardless of which risk level you’re involved with (Level 2 near the coast or Level 3 further inland), we ALL have a risk overnight. That does NOT mean that your community will, for sure, have severe storms. Many, in fact, won’t. Most will have loud thunderstorms at times and that’s it. Where severe storms happen, however, be ready to get sheltered. EF2+ tornadoes and widespread damaging wind gusts are the main concerns in storms that go severe overnight. We strongly encourage everyone to have multiple ways to hear warnings tonight! You need something loud and proud that will wake you up in case your location goes under a tornado warning. Now is the time to charge devices!
UPDATED: SEVERE WEATHER TIMING – OVERNIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING… Midnight to 8AM is now the window for strong to severe thunderstorms across south Alabama and northwest Florida. This will, (yet again) be an overnight severe weather risk for our region. It is NEVER convenient or ideal to have a severe weather event move through anytime, but particularly in the overnight hours when many folks are sleeping. Be able to hear warnings overnight. Some of the tornadoes may be strong and last longer than a few minutes. In addition to tornadoes, I am concerned about the potential for widespread, damaging wind gusts that could cause widespread power outages. Be ready!
HAZARD ASSESSMENT: SUPERCELL-INDUCED TORNADOES… We have two separate tornado risk concerns overnight. The first tornado risk will be the potential for supercells to develop out ahead of the main batch of storms. These supercells could produce EF2+ tornadoes that are on the ground for more than a few minutes. The greatest potential for supercell-induced tornadoes is in the “Enhanced Tornado Risk” zone in the map attached. This includes places like Andalusia, Opp, Florala, Red Level, Brewton, Evergreen, Castleberry, Brooklyn, Greenville, Luverne, Troy, Montgomery, Auburn, Tuskegee, Union Springs, Eufaula, Dothan, Abbeville, Geneva, Samson, Elba, Crestview, Campton, Laurel Hill, DeFuniak Springs, Chipley, and Marianna.
HAZARDS: SQUALL LINE TORNADOES… The second tornado risk concern will exist in the main line of thunderstorms that moves from west to east across the region. Embedded, generally brief and generally EF0-EF1, tornadoes will be possible. This will be quite similar to what happened just a few nights ago when TEN (yes, 10!) brief tornadoes happened in various locations across the region due to the line of storms that moved through. These tornadoes are very hard to warn for as development happens in a flash. Occasionally you can get a stronger EF2-EF3 tornado in a squall line, but that certainly isn’t the norm. Most of these tornadoes last 2-3 minutes then lift. This is why it’s so important to be inside and away from windows when the line of storms is coming through your location.
HAZARD ASSESSMENT: DAMAGING WIND GUSTS… The latest severe weather outlook upgrade at midday that brought more of southwest Alabama and northwest Florida into the Level 3 (out of 5) severe weather risk, is driven by a growing potential of widespread damaging winds. Locally, the damaging wind risk is maximized across Mobile, Baldwin, Washington, Clarke, and Monroe counties. The damaging wind risk is still prevalent in counties to the east but I suspect the damaging wind risk will maximize as the main line of storms is entering our region from the west. Pay attention to severe thunderstorm warnings that are issued. The thing you really want to be cognizant of are the warnings that have the “considerable” or “destructive” damage tags.
HAZARD ASSESSMENT: LARGE HAIL… Hail up to the size of golfballs will be a problem IF (big IF) supercell thunderstorms develop out ahead of the main line of storms. The overall risk of large hail is maximized EAST of a line from Pensacola to Brewton to Greenville in generally the same zones where the tornado risk is elevated. Tonight will be a night that vehicles should be under the carports if possible.
COLD WEATHER TOMORROW AFTER THE STORMS… After storms clear out tomorrow morning, scattered showers and thunderstorms (below severe limits after 8AM locally) will linger into the late morning and afternoon hours. Skies will gradually clear from west to east tomorrow evening. Temperatures will only be in the 50s tomorrow afternoon. Make sure to throw the jackets in the car and keep ’em ready as the next couple of days will be chilly. Overnight lows Monday night into Tuesday will be in the low to mid 30s across the region. There is a good chance some communities north of I-10 will be at or below freezing for a couple of hours tomorrow night into Tuesday morning.
QUIET WEATHER AFTER TOMORROW… In addition to the cooler temperatures, quiet weather looks to hang around awhile starting Monday night and lasting through at least the upcoming weekend. High temperatures will rebound into the 80s by the upcoming weekend, but not before a chilly pattern through Wednesday.
New to the area? Here’s the info you need to be prepared ahead of tonight’s severe weather risk:
1) WARNINGS… Most importantly, PLEASE HAVE A WAY TO RECEIVE WEATHER WARNINGS OVERNIGHT! If you don’t have a way to get the warnings, the rest of these points are moot. You have to KNOW when something is happening in your area! No matter where you are in Alabama, northwest Florida, or Mississippi, you’re included in a severe weather risk zone overnight. NOAA Weather Radios are great but they do generally need batteries (AA, AAA, etc.), Also, my company, RedZone Weather, has an app (free download at redzoneweather.com/app) that you can watch our live streaming video and audio coverage if tornado warnings happen in southwest Alabama or northwest Florida (coverage commitments available here: redzoneweather.com/coverage)
2) WHY HELMETS WORK SO WELL… Emerging research continues to show that wearing a helmet during a tornado that strikes your location greatly increases your chance of survival. Why? Because majority of fatal injuries that happen due to tornadoes happen because of blunt force trauma to the head/skull region. Thus, if we can mitigate this hazard in any way, we should. That’s where helmets and cooking pots come into the equation. Anything is better than nothing in this case. This means if you can grab a football, baseball, softball, bicycle, motorcycle, ballistics, or welding helmet and put it on, it will highly likely help you survive a tornado impact. Note this helmet deal isn’t just for children. It applies to everyone, no matter if you’re 8, 28, or 88 years old. Everyone needs a severe weather helmet. I cannot recommend them to you enough!
3) PHONES/TABLETS… Charge your cell phones and iPads and other electronic devices NOW. Don’t wait. Power may be out in some areas of Alabama, northwest Florida, and Mississippi tomorrow morning. If you’ve been on the fence about purchasing one of the fantastic small battery backups that can power your phone or iPad, I highly recommend getting one the next time you go to the store or visit Amazon. In my experience, I’m a fan of the Anker batteries. You’ll need a charging cable to go with it.
4) WHISTLES/AIRHORNS/IDs… You need something like a whistle, air horn, or something else that can emit a loud noise to let first responders know if you’ve been affected by a tornado and you’re trapped under debris. It’s important to also have your ID on your person during tornado warnings. If you need medical help and you’re unconscious, first responders need to know who you are.
5) CLOSED-TOED SHOES… It would pain me so much to hear that someone had been affected by a tornado, survived it, then walked out of a destroyed home, stepped on a live electrical wire and got electrocuted. Have the closed-toed shoes ready overnight into tomorrow morning! This is an easy thing we can all do with little effort.
6) PEOPLE AND PETS… Don’t forget about the pets when/if you have to take shelter overnight. Dogs and cats need to be sheltered too! Also, don’t forget to LET PEOPLE KNOW that we have an enhanced severe weather risk across portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and northwest Florida overnight. You’d be amazed at how many people I see regularly that don’t have a clue what’s happening in the news and weather world. That’s fine — until it’s not and they become a tornado casualty. Share this point, share someone else’s weather post, I really don’t care what you share as long as you TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THIS RISK.
7) HAVE A PLAN… Know NOW where you’ll be overnight. We recommend getting on the lowest floor of a well-constructed, site-built structure (like a sturdy house or business), away from windows and doors, putting as many walls as you possibly can between you and the outside world. You CANNOT be in a vehicle or a mobile home during a tornado warnings! These places become death traps very quickly in tornado situations… Don’t think, “Oh, I’ll try to outrun it.” NO. This could prove to be a fatal mistake. Underground tornado shelters are the best place to be, but many folks don’t have one of those, and that is okay. You don’t have to be underground to survive a tornado.
8) COVERAGE… I provide live streaming video coverage via our RedZone Weather app and on redzoneweather.com during tornado warnings for 12 counties in southwest Alabama and in northwest Florida. Some of you reading this post are NOT in our local area. While I appreciate you reading this, I would suggest finding out NOW who covers tornado warnings in your specific area. redzoneweather.com/coverage outlines our coverage policy extensively. Find a weather source you trust and watch the information overnight into tomorrow morning.
TORNADO WARNING POLICY… Any time there is an active tornado warning in effect for southwest Alabama or northwest Florida, we provide uninterrupted, live video coverage on Facebook Live and YouTube Live. Our detailed coverage commitment is outlined at redzoneweather.com/coverage. We are proud to cover all parts of Escambia (AL), Covington, Monroe, Conecuh, Baldwin, Mobile, Clarke, Washington (AL), Butler, Escambia (FL), Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties. If you live in any locale in those counties, be sure to tune into our coverage whenever there is an active tornado warning!
APP ALERTS… redzoneweather.com/app is the link where you can download the free RedZone Weather app. We post brief updates throughout each day in the app, keeping you up-to-date about the latest happenings in weather across south Alabama and northwest Florida. Once you have the free app downloaded to your iOS or Android device, be sure to visit the Alerts tab (lower right corner) then tap the large Alert Settings button to customize the alerts you would like to receive straight from me.
I will have more updates posted a bit later this evening. Have a nice Sunday! Be able to hear warnings overnight!
