SLIGHTLY HIGHER TORNADO RISK OVERNIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING… The overall risk of severe weather has increased a bit for parts of south Alabama and northwest Florida overnight tonight into Saturday. A few tornadoes and damaging wind gusts will be the hazard concerns tonight into Saturday as another complex of rain and thunderstorms moves east into our area from Mississippi and Louisiana. MOST communities tonight into Saturday will simply have heavy rain and general thunderstorms at times. Any thunderstorms that become strong or severe, however, will be capable of producing a tornado or damaging wind gusts. Please have a way to hear warnings overnight into Saturday.
SEVERE WEATHER TIMING: SATURDAY MORNING… We all will need to be able to hear warnings tonight before we go to sleep as the severe weather risk will likely ramp up before sunrise in many communities. 1AM to 10AM is the 9 hour window when strong to severe thunderstorms will be most likely to happen across parts of south Alabama and northwest Florida overnight into Saturday. Lingering rain and thunderstorms will be possible into Saturday afternoon and evening, but the overall severe weather risk will probably end before the evening hours.
LEVEL 2 (OUT OF 5) TORNADO RISK ACROSS SOUTHERN HALF OF AREA… We now have a Level 2 (out of 5) tornado risk in place for the southern half of our local area. The Level 2 (out of 5) risk means that scattered instances of severe storms will be possible, including a few tornadoes and damaging wind gusts. The Level 2 risk is in place for much of eastern Louisiana, parts of southeast Mississippi, Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia (AL) counties in southwest Alabama and for Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties in northwest Florida. This includes places like Mobile, Prichard, Creola, Satsuma, Saraland, Wilmer, West Mobile, Bayou La Batre, Coden, Alabama Port, Dauphin Island, Theodore, Crichton, Tanner Williams, Tillmans Corner, Chunchula, Grand Bay, Daphne, Fairhope, Spanish Fort, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Fort Morgan, Magnolia Springs, Foley, Elberta, Elsanor, Robertsdale, Summerdale, Silverhill, Montrose, Loxley, Stapleton, Bay Minette, Stockton, Rabun, Perdido, Point Clear, Pensacola, Pensacola Beach, Perdido Key, Warrington, Myrtle Grove, Molino, Walnut Hill, Bratt, Century, Ensley, Gonzalez, Cantonment, Quintette, McDavid, Navarre, Jay, Milton, Pace, Gulf Breeze, Harold, Whiting Field, Chumuckla, New York, Brownsdale, Berrydale, Munson, Fidelis, McClellan, Mulat, Bagdad, Pine Bluff, Avalon Beach, Garcon Point, Whitfield, Allentown, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Mary Esther, Wright, VPS, Eglin AFB, Crestview, Deerland, Campton, Auburn (FL), Baker, Holt, Milligan, Laurel Hill, Brewton, East Brewton, Atmore, Flomaton, Riverview, Pineview, Wawbeek, Canoe, Nokomis, Santa Rosa Beach, Freeport, and Mossy Head.
LOWER-END SEVERE WEATHER RISK FARTHER INLAND… Clarke, Washington, Monroe, Conecuh, Butler, and Covington counties remain involved in the low-end, Level 1 (out of 5) severe weather risk overnight into Saturday. This means that the overall severe weather risk is LOW, but not zero. The greater combination of atmospheric instability and shear will probably set up a bit farther to the south and west, thus limiting the overall tornado potential farther inland. Regardless, even if you are involved in the lower-end risk zone, please have a way to hear warnings overnight into Saturday.
APP ALERTS… Many updates will be posted throughout the night in the RedZone Weather app. redzoneweather.com/app is the link for the free download. Be sure to visit the Alerts tab (bottom right corner) and tap “Settings” toggle button (upper-right corner) to customize the alerts you’d like to receive from me. If you like a lot of info, be sure to toggle ON Low-Level Alerts.
I will have updates posted throughout the night and into Saturday in the RedZone Weather app. Join us in live video coverage if tornado warnings are required for our local area. Have a nice Friday evening!