Damaging Winds, Tornadoes Possible to End 2020 and Begin 2021
As 2020 ends and 2021 begins, Central Alabama will be faced with the possibility of strong to severe weather. The current timeline for any potential activity is between Thursday (New Year’s Eve) at 8 pm until Friday (New Year’s Day) at 9 am.
Currently, the National Weather Service Birmingham has our coverage areas in two different risk areas. Some are in the “slight risk area: damaging winds up to 60 mph. Tornadoes possible.” The other part is in the “marginal risk area: threats mentioned above are less likely but cannot be completely ruled out.”
My concern is the timing of the potential activity. This weather situation can take place in the late-night, overnight, and early morning hours. Please make sure you have your notifications turned on. It would also be a great idea to test the sound level of the notifications on your mobile devices to ensure that it can wake you up.
Hazardous Weather Outlook from the National Weather Service Birmingham, “Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible Thursday evening through early Friday morning across much of Central Alabama. Primary threats include damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph, as well as a few tornadoes. Outside of thunderstorm activity, wind gusts up to 35 mph are possible Thursday night.” This affects the following counties; Marion-Lamar-Fayette-Winston-Walker-Blount-Etowah-Calhoun-Cherokee-Cleburne-Pickens-Tuscaloosa-Jefferson-Shelby-St. Clair-Talladega-Clay-Randolph-Sumter-Greene-Hale-Perry-Bibb-Chilton-Coosa-Tallapoosa-Chambers-Marengo-Dallas-Autauga-Lowndes-Elmore-Montgomery-Macon-Bullock-Lee-Russell-Pike-Barbour.
Our friends over at ABC 33 40 noted that the “latest update from the SPC has the southwestern quarter of Central Alabama in a level 2 Slight Risk for severe storms, including locations west of a line from Reform to Brookwood to Billingsley to Fort Deposit. A level 1 Marginal Risk stretches outside of that and includes locations west of a line from Russellville to Falkville to Steele to Tuskegee to Clio.”
We will provide updates to this weather scenario as they become available.
(Source) For more from that National Weather Service, click here. For more from ABC 33 40, click here.
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