LOOKS SCARY, BUT ACTUALLY HARMLESS… We see views just like this a LOT in the summer months across south Alabama and northwest Florida. It looks like a tornado, and seeing this could definitely be unnerving if you don’t know what you’re looking at. This is actually a completely harmless scud cloud. Thank you to Tammy Salter Godwin for her view from near Jay, Florida.

ALL ABOUT SCUD CLOUDS… This is a GREAT example of a scud cloud. They happen quite frequently around our area at the base of thunderstorms, especially in the summer months when we have “loud and proud” pulse-type thunderstorms that are generally not severe. Scud clouds appear as ragged, wind-torn (sometimes wispy) clouds that are dark or light grey at the bottom part of a larger thunderstorm overhead. These clouds are OFTEN mistaken for a developing tornado, but in actuality, they’re nowhere close to being a tornado or a funnel cloud. Generally, if you’re moving toward a scud cloud, you’re moving into very heavy rain. Again, it looks scary, but these clouds are harmless.

Odds are you could even see more scud clouds over the next few days as our area has a risk of showers and thunderstorms each day through at least Friday.

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The storms in/near Escambia County, Alabama are strong, but not severe. Heavy downpours of rain, lightning, and gusty winds are likely over the next 30-45 minutes in Atmore, Wawbeek, Canoe, Flomaton, Pineview, Pollard, Brewton, East Brewton, and Riverview.

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AFTERNOON UPDATE... Numerous small showers and thunderstorms continue to develop across south Alabama and northwest Florida.

At the moment, heavier rain is falling near Atmore, Poarch, Perdido, Rabun, Stockton, and Wallace. Storms are producing ample lightning and heavy rain. Nothing severe as of 2:05PM. Here is an inland view of the local radar…

Near the coast, lingering showers continue across much of Okaloosa and Walton counties. A heavier storm has also popped up near the Pensacola metro area. Storms across inland and coastal areas will continue over the next few hours before fading this evening as we lose daytime heating. I’ll let you know if we happen to have any rogue storms that ramp up briefly to severe levels.

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GOODBYE ALBERTO & HELLO SUMMER STORMS… We transition from an early season subtropical storm to more seasonal weather across south Alabama and northwest Florida on this Tuesday. High temperatures across the area will be in the mid-80s this afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms will pop up starting between Noon and 3PM. Storms will move from southwest to northeast today, being driven by the counterclockwise circulation of what is left of Alberto to our north.

SEASONAL WEATHER AHEAD… A risk of showers and thunderstorms will dominate our weather pattern through the weekend. Rain chances will decrease somewhat by Saturday as high temperatures rise into the mid-90s by the weekend. You know the drill… Generally dry, warm mornings, followed by intense, pulse thunderstorms that produce a lot of lightning, heavy rain, and potentially even gusty winds and small hail. Very typical for this time of the year!

LOW-END TORNADO RISK: EAST AL & GEORGIA… The remnant circulation of Alberto has caused the Storm Prediction Center to include much of east Alabama and west Georgia in their Level 1 (out of 5) “marginal” risk zone. Isolated, brief, spin-up tornadoes can’t be ruled out across east Alabama. It’s a low-end risk for places like Auburn, Alex City, Valley, Eufaula, Centre in east Alabama and Atlanta, Macon, and LaGrange in Georgia.

ALBERTO MOVING AWAY… The center of Subtropical Depression Alberto is situated over central Alabama this morning. The storm was downgraded to a depression last night at 10PM. Alberto will weaken to a remnant low later today and move north toward the Midwest over the next day or so.

HURRICANE SEASON STARTS FRIDAY… The rest of the Atlantic basin, by the way, is quiet. The 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially kicks off on Friday, June 1. Early season storms like Alberto do NOT necessarily mean an active season is ahead.

THANK YOU… Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me and supported RedZone Weather over the last few days as we covered Subtropical Storm Alberto. I can put the time and effort into making forecasts and graphics and everything else, but at the end of the day, it’s YOU who makes RedZone Weather a success by liking, sharing, and commenting on our content. Thank you so much. Be sure to also support our incredibly generous sponsors! (redzoneweather.com/sponsors) It really is an honor for me to be your meteorologist!

See all the forecast details in your Tuesday #rzw forecast video that will be posted here in the RedZone Weather app shortly… Have a wonderful Tuesday!

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