SEVERE WEATHER RISK FOR SATURDAY INCREASES… Strong to severe thunderstorms will be likely on Saturday, March 15 (this coming Saturday) across much of the Deep South. The Storm Prediction Center now includes a big chunk of Alabama and Mississippi in their Level 3 (out of 5) severe weather risk zone valid for Saturday into Saturday night. All severe weather hazards, including tornadoes, damaging wind gusts, hail, and flash flooding will be possible. Our entire local area in south Alabama and northwest Florida has a severe weather risk in place, with the Level 2 (out of 5) risk noted closer to the coast. The Level 3 (out of 5) enhanced risk is in place for parts of Monroe, Clarke, Washington counties and points north in Alabama.
SEVERE WEATHER TIMING – SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT… I realize many people have outdoor plans for the upcoming weekend, especially considering we now have more daylight at the end of each day. Unfortunately, it remains far too early to be able to nail down specifics on what hazards are most likely for each local community. What I can tell you on this Monday evening is that timing has trended later. This event will likely happen Saturday P.M. into early Sunday A.M. This timing is highly subject to change with new data coming in over the next few days. I strongly encourage you to check back in for updates as forecast changes may be needed. The risk zones will almost certainly change somewhat between now and Saturday.
UNCOMMON RISK, YET NOT UNCOMMON DURING SEVERE WEATHER SEASON… While it is uncommon to have a significant risk 5 days ahead of an event, this is not something that should be surprising considering this is happening the month of March. The two months of March and April are our most active severe weather and tornado months across the Deep South. Tornadoes can happen in any month of the calendar year locally, but the two most concerning months are March and April.
DRY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY; FEW SHOWERS AND STORM ON THURSDAY… Sunny skies are expected tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday. Rain and thunderstorms will be possible at times on Thursday. For now, the pattern on Thursday does NOT appear supportive of strong to severe thunderstorms. Friday will likely also be a dry day ahead of our severe weather potential on Saturday into Saturday night.
FOR THE FOLKS WITH WEATHER ANXIETY… I understand that tornado/storm/weather anxiety is a real thing for many folks. I know seeking out the information can sometimes feel overwhelming. While this storm anxiety is a very real phenomenon, I would encourage you to check in at least once a day over the next few days. Info can and will change quickly, thus it is important to stay ahead of the latest developments. I will have plenty of updates posted in the RedZone Weather app with more updates on Facebook each day as well. Know that even on a “higher risk day” like what Saturday may be for some areas, the probability of a tornado hitting your house is very low overall. While this is certainly true, it’s also true that it only takes one storm to make for a very bad day. We will keep you posted every step of the way in the RedZone Weather app.
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… 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 updates posted in the RedZone Weather app in the days ahead. Join me tomorrow morning at 7:15AM in the next regularly scheduled RedZone Weather forecast video for the latest information.
Have a nice Monday evening!
