BIG RAIN EVENT AHEAD FOR EASTER WEEKEND; SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE… If you missed the rain today, there is good news in that we will have quite a bit of rain over the next 5-6 days. There also could be severe weather involved, particularly on Easter Sunday. While it is too early to be specific, model guidance has trended toward a potentially significant severe weather setup today across parts of the Deep South for Saturday into Easter Sunday. I can’t (nor can any meteorologist) tell you what the specific hazards will be for a particular community just yet, but odds are increasing that tornadoes will be involved.
MULTIPLE INCHES OF RAIN LIKELY… Confidence is HIGH that we will have widespread rain totals of 2 to 3 inches across south Alabama and northwest Florida through early next week. Most of this rain will happen late Saturday into Sunday, but there will be low-end rain chances on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as well. Most areas continue to run a rainfall deficit for 2020, so this will be beneficial rain for our region!
SEVERE WEATHER BECOMES POSSIBLE THIS WEEKEND… Again, let me emphasize that it is FAR too early to be talking about “long track tornadoes” and things like this. There is no one, and I mean NO ONE, that can tell you what specific hazards will be this weekend this far in advance. Could this be a significant round of severe weather? Yes. After all, it is April in the Deep South and we expect severe weather issues this time of year. However, on the other extreme end of the spectrum, this could shake out just to be a good rain event. Confidence is HIGH in parameters supporting rain. Confidence is LOW, but increasing, in a severe weather setup for the weekend.
COVID-19 AND TORNADO WARNING GUIDELINES… We are in a weird time when the guidelines on what to do during a tornado warning versus what to do regarding social distancing because of COVID-19 may seem to conflict. If you, your family, or your friends use a community underground storm shelter, please take the opportunity to read the recommended guidelines established by our local National Weather Service offices and the state health department. Basically, the tornado warning takes precedence over social distancing when/if necessary as the tornado is the more immediate threat. Here is the post outlining those details.
APP… 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, yellow Alert Settings button to customize the alerts you would like to receive straight from me.
I will have a detailed look at the weekend rain/severe weather setup in a morning post by 7:15AM. See you then!