ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE TODAY; MOST COMMUNITIES TO REMAIN DRY… We have a conditional risk of a few strong to severe thunderstorms today across parts of south Alabama and northwest Florida on this Memorial Day Monday. A conditional risk means severe weather will become possible IF thunderstorms develop. The Storm Prediction Center continues to include a large section of south Alabama in their Level 2 (out of 5) severe weather risk with many more communities involved in the low-end, Level 1 (out of 5) risk zone in northwest Florida and across the region. The overall tornado risk for south Alabama and northwest Florida remains quite low, but not entirely zero, particularly across inland areas closer to the U.S. Highway 84 corridor. Gusty winds and hail will be the two main hazard concerns today. The overall forecast today remains a bit uncertain as MOST communities across the region will be completely dry with no major weather issues. Where thunderstorms do develop, however, we could have severe weather issues. The greatest potential for thunderstorms developing looks to be along, south, and east of I-65.
SEVERE WEATHER TIMING – TODAY INTO THIS EVENING… No changes from previous forecasts in that thunderstorms will be most likely to happen during the late afternoon and evening hours today across the region. 2PM to 8PM is the core six hour window when strong to severe storms will be most likely to happen. Again, the tornado risk remains quite low. It is not zero, but it is quite low. Damaging wind gusts and hail are most likely to happen in the core six hour window.
SOME COMMUNITIES WILL BE COMPLETELY DRY & HOT… Today will likely NOT be a day when all communities across the region have rain. Quite the opposite, actually. It looks like thunderstorms will remain quite spotty in nature. We have a cold front approaching from the northwest, although this frontal boundary may not push completely across our region. There will be plenty of moisture and plenty of instability for storms to work with, but the question is: Will the “spark” be there for storms to initiate and actually develop? If the answer is yes, some of those storms have the atmospheric ingredients in place to become severe, briefly. There very well may be many communities across south Alabama and northwest Florida that pick up NO rain today, despite the severe weather risk.
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 in the RedZone Weather app. 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, 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… If you haven’t already, be sure to download the free RedZone Weather app to keep up with all the latest information on the world of weather in south Alabama and northwest Florida. redzoneweather.com/app is the link for the free download. Once you have the app downloaded to your iOS or Android device, be sure to visit the Alerts tab (lower right corner) and tap the large Alert Settings button to customize the alerts you would like to receive straight from me.
I will have updates posted throughout the day and into tonight, as needed, in the RedZone Weather app. If tornado warnings happen to become needed, be sure to join me on Facebook Live for the very latest information. Have a nice Monday!
