First Alert Weather Day for Tomorrow

Good Afternoon Alabama,

We are closely monitoring the threat for Severe Weather for tomorrow. 

First Alert Weather Day: After consulting with meteorologists across the state and looking over more model data and the newest High-Resolution model data. I have enough confidence to go ahead and issue a First Alert Weather Day starting tomorrow at 12pm and going through 5am Thursday morning. 

Level of Operations: Also the level of operations have now been activated at a Level 5 starting at 10am tomorrow. Also all weather instruments have now been activated as well. 

Now to the Severe Weather talk....... 

What does the High Resolution Model Data say? The newest high resolution shows that there may be 2 waves of Severe Weather tomorrow. The first round looks to affect the western half of Central Alabama starting as early as 3pm and lasting as late as 8pm. The threat of stronger to severe storms looks to be coming from individual cells to clusters of storms and not organized anyway. There will be a decent amount of instability along with a good bit of shear in place that we will have the threat of isolated damaging wind gusts up to 60mph and isolated spin up brief tornadoes. 

A second wave looks to move up from the southwest and affect the southern half of the area as another blast of instability moves up into the area ahead of the cold front. This is where a little higher threat of damaging winds and a few tornadoes will be possible. Unfortunately, these storms look to take place during the overnight hours and into the early morning hours on Thursday with the main window starting at midnight and ending around 6:00 am. There is a chance that the instability ahead of the second wave could move farther north into Central Alabama. We will almost likely will see a tornado watch issued tomorrow around 2pm if I had to guess when they will issue it. 
What is going to happen Thursday night into Friday morning? The GFS and NAM model continues to put some snow flurries or even snow showers in North Alabama. But north of Montgomery could see some snow flurries. As of right now no impacts of the flurries but if any changes we will First Alert you. 

Call to Action: With the severe weather potential continuing over into the overnight hours into Thursday morning. We URGE you to have MULTIPLE WAYS TO RECEIVE SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS AND WATCHES!!!! Have a plan to go to your safe place in case you go under a warning for your area. Charge your phones while you are at work or wherever and before you go to bed Wednesday night. If you live in a mobile home leave your home as soon as the tornado watch is issued tomorrow. Because once a tornado warning you won’t have time to go get in your car and drive to your local storm shelter. If you haven’t already go onto the Jefferson County EMA website for the Everbridge alerts. 
Rainfall Rates: Rainfall rates across Alabama will range from 2-4 inches. Some area around Auburn may receive 3-6 inches or more. A Flash Flood Watch has now been issued for East of I-65.