TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT; HEAVY RAIN LIKELY… All modes of severe weather, including a few tornadoes, will be possible on this Monday as an area of low pressure and trailing cold front move in from the west. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a Tornado Watch valid until Noon for Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia (FL), and Santa Rosa counties. Isolated tornadoes, damaging straight line winds, and heavy rain that could lead to flash flooding will be concerns. Today and Tuesday will be a soaking rain event with some isoalted locales picking up 5 to 6 inches of rain. You’ll need to have a way to receive urgent weather warnings today! Let’s talk details…
LEVEL 2 SEVERE WEATHER RISK… The southern half of our local area is included in a Level 2 (out of 5) low-end, slight risk zone to potentially see a few storng to severe thunderstorms. This means if you’re in Mobile, Pensacola, Florala, Fairhope, Daphne, Spanish Fort, Silverhill, Robertsdale, Foley, Dauphin Island, Bayou La Batre, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Molino, Century, Bratt, Crestview, Destin, FWB, Niceville, Mary Esther, Navarre, Milton, Jay, Allentown, or Pace, YOU have a slight risk of severe weather today. The marginal, Level 1 risk is in place for Brewton, Atmore, Poarch, Evergreen, Monroeville, Georgiana, Opp, Andalusia, Citronelle, Bay Minette, and Luverne. Areas to the north like Thomasville, Greenville, Chatom, and Butler are not included in a formal severe weather risk zone today.
APP & WARNING POLICY… Once you have the RedZone Weather app downloaded to your smartphone or tablet, be sure to visit the Alerts tab (bottom right corner) and tap the large, yellow “Alert Settings” button to customize the alerts you’d like to receive straight from me. If we have tornado warnings for any part of our 12 county primary coverage area (defined at redzoneweather.com/coverage), we will provide live streaming coverage across our platforms bringing you the very latest. That is a longstanding commitment that we are honored to provide for you!
TORNADO RISK GREATEST THROUGH 5PM… Isolated tornadoes could happen anytime through 5PM this evening. Don’t be surprised if the tornado watch is extended past the lunch hour. Isolated supercell thunderstorms are already getting started in the Gulf of Mexico this morning. As these cells approach the coast, some could produce brief tornadoes. There is a secondary tornado risk that will happen as the main, squall line of thunderstorms moves through later this afternoon. Big takeaway from this is: Have a way to receive urgent weather warnings throughout the day!
DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE AS LINE MOVES THROUGH… Thunderstorms will be possible all day, but the main risk of damaging straight line winds will happen as a squall line (or quasi-linear convective system [QLCS], if we’re being proper) moves through our area from west to east this afternoon. As I often caution, we must take severe thunderstorm warnings seriously! The damage from severe thunderstorms OFTEN rivals that of a weak/moderate tornado. Don’t be out on the roads driving if we have severe thunderstorm warnings today.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH… The National Weather Service has placed the entirety of Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia (AL), Conecuh, Covington, Escambia (FL), Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties in a Flash Flood Watch that is in effect through Tuesday evening. 3-4″ of rain is expected areawide, meaning flash flooding is a real concern. Please do NOT drive over a water-covered roadway! Too many people die in our nation each year from doing this. Totally preventable!
RAIN TO CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT… The severe weather risk will end from west to east today starting this evening. Rain, however, will likely continue falling well into the overnight hours and probably into Tuesday.
COLD AIR TO MOVE IN TONIGHT… Temperatures will “go the wrong way” all day on Tuesday. The technical high temperature for Tuesday will happen shortly after midnight and temperatures will fall for the entire 24 hour period. Mid-50s early Tuesday morning to 40s by Tuesday night. Sharply cooler temperatures are expected for Wednesday before drier conditions coming for the end of the week.
See all the details in your Monday #rzw forecast video… Have a great day!
