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A Tornado Watch is now in effect for our entire area until 9pm tonight. Storms are approaching and will be developing across our area through the rest of today and into tonight.
The storms will begin pushing through the Shoals and heading into the rest of the Valley between 5 & 7pm. Storms will wind down and should begin moving out between 11pm - 1am.
Brian Fowler
Meteorologist
WAFF 48 Storm Team
We Track Storms
256-533-6397
The weather will remain active and unseasonably warm until the weekend. We are tracking two potential rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms. The first one will move in late Wednesday afternoon and evening. The second chance for strong to severe thunderstorms will happen ahead of a cold front late Friday afternoon and evening. Stay tuned to the WAFF 48 Storm Team for the latest forecast as the threat for these storms gets closer. You can always get the latest Live Storm Tracker Doppler Radar image online at WAFF.com.
Expect scattered light rain showers early this evening as warm, moist air moves in from the south. Later tonight we could see a round of strong thunderstorms with locally heavy rain and strong gusty winds. It looks like we will get a break Wednesday morning with a mostly cloudy sky and morning lows in the lower 60s. Afternoon highs tomorrow will be in the lower 70s. Late in the day a strong disturbance will move in from our west. This disturbance will trigger a round of strong to severe thunderstorms. It appears right now the primary threat will be from large hail and wind gusts that could reach 60mph. This will be between the hours of 4pm and 9pm.
After the Wednesday evening storms die down expect a very nice Thursday with highs around 75 degrees with no rain.
By Friday another potent storm system will be headed our way. This will be the strongest system of the week. We are expecting the atmosphere to become unstable during the afternoon hours with highs in the middle to upper 70s. There will be plenty of fuel for strong to severe thunderstorms to develop ahead of this strong cold front. I expect the storms to track our way during the late afternoon hours. The weekend looks quite with cooler weather on Saturday and a rebound back to the 60s by Sunday.
Have a great night.
Brad Travis
Chief Meteorologist
WAFF 48 Storm Team
We Track Storms
A fast moving storm system in the southwest will be approaching our area and bringing about a few showers and maybe some isolated t'storms on Tuesday. Skies around here, will otherwise be mainly cloudy with afternoon highs in the lower 70s.
Most of the wet weather, however, will arrive on Wednesday with the front closing in on the Valley.
The potential for severe weather will be to our west on Tuesday.
By Wednesday, the severe weather threat will be right on top of the Valley. Damaging winds, hail and isolated tornadoes will be our main concerns as the system pushes through here on Wednesday.
Brian Fowler
Meteorologist
WAFF 48 Storm Team
We Track Storms
256-533-6397
Another warm & sunny day for the Valley with highs in te mid 60s tomorrow. Butwe are tracking possibilities for rain and storms in here by Tuesday or Wednesday. Some storm may be strong to severe.
There will be a slight risk of severe weather to our west on Tuesday, but that risk area may shift east into the Valley for Wednesday.
Brian Fowler
Meteorologist
WAFF 48 Storm Team
We Track Storms
256-533-6397
Enjoy this weather if you're going to be out and about today. Sunshine throughout this weekend.
Temperatures hit the 50s today and move closer to 60 by tomorrow. There is another Pacific Coast front moving in for the middle part of next week.
Have a great weekend!
Brian Fowler
Meteorologist
WAFF 48 Storm Team
We Track Storms
256-533-6397
Today is the last day of Severe Weather Awareness week. I want to focus on the importance of staying weather alert, and with today's technology is very easy to stay up to date on what's happening with the weather.
Of course, the best way to keep up with weather is to be up to date on the forecast by watching our newscasts and heading to our website. The WAFF 48 Storm Team is always tracking what's on the way and we try to give you as much of a head's up as we can when severe weather is on the way. Once it gets here, day or night, we'll be tracking the storms on television and with our online live streaming at WAFF.com to give you the information you need to keep you and your family safe.
In addition to watching us on television and checking on our website, there are lots of other ways to stay weather aware.
We recommend that every household have a NOAA Weather Radio. That is the voice of the National Weather Service, who is responsible for issuing all the severe weather watches and warnings. A Weather Radio is just as important as having smoke detector in your home. It can be programmed for your immediate area to sound an alarm to alert you to impending severe weather. This is especially critical in our area due to the high occurrence of severe weather at night. That alarm may be the only thing that wakes you up in the middle of night if dangerous storms are headed toward you.
There are many different models of weather radios. We recommend getting on that comes with S.A.M.E technology that will allow you to program alerts for specific counties. Some higher end models will also allow you to select what specific alerts you want. For instance, if you only want to be alerted for Tornado Warnings, those models of radios will allow you to specify that. The cost of programmable weather radios runs from around $30 for the basic models, to around $70 for the more sophisticated ones.
The WAFF 48 Storm Team will help you program your radio if you're having trouble. Just bring it our studio during normal business hours. We also have an online guide for programming the Midland WR100 radio here.
Another way to get severe weather alerts is having them sent to your email or via text to you cell phone. WAFF 48 News offers this free service. You can sign up for it here.
The state of Alabama and Huntsville based, Baron Services, also announced this week a similar free service available to Alabama residents. You can sign up to recieve severe weather alerts via text, email or phone for up to 4 locations. Click here for more information on this new service and a link to the sign up page.
If you're on the go, we have a free weather app you can download to your Android smartphone, iPhone, or iPad. Just search for 'WAFF' in the appropriate app market.
And lastly, you can always get weather information through our social media accounts. Be sure to 'like' us on Facebook and 'follow' us on Twitter.
On Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/waff48
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brad-Travis-Meteorologist/116604938372683
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeff-Castle-WAFF-48-Meteorologist/157575714314392
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-Fowler-WAFF-48-Meteorologist/115868551823434
On Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/48stormteam
https://twitter.com/#!/BradTravisWAFF
https://twitter.com/#!/WAFFBrian
Jeff Castle
WAFF 48 Storm Team
Today's Severe Weather Awareness Week topic is Flooding. It's a familiar topic here in the Tennessee Valley. And we've experienced flooding problems just in the last couple of months with heavy rains throughout the month of January. Of all the weather dangers we experience, flooding is probably the most survivable. Despite that, however, flooding ranks in the top 3 of weather related killers.
The time frame over which flooding occurs can vary greatly. For larger rivers, flooding is usually a process that takes days to develop. The smaller the river or tributary, the quicker it can occur. In the case of a Flash Flood, water levels can rise to dangerous levels in as little as minutes to an hour.
If flooding is occurring or expected to occur in your area, move to higher ground. If you are doing any recreational activities near a waterway, or live within the flood plain of a river or stream, it's important to stay alert to weather conditions that could lead to rising waters and have a plan to evacuate in the event of flooding.
The National Weather Service has a slogan known as "Turn Around, Don't Drown", which highlights the dangers of driving through flooded roadways. Nearly half of all flood related deaths occur in vehicles. If you encounter a flooded road, turn around and find a different route to your destination. As little as 12" to 18" of moving water can begin to push a car off the road.
We'll wrap up Severe Weather Awareness Week tomorrow with NOAA Weather Radio and other ways to stay weather aware.
Jeff Castle
WAFF 48 Storm Team
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 303 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-232000- /O.NEW.KHUN.WI.Y.0005.120223T1800Z-120224T0300Z/ LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLORENCE...MUSCLE SHOALS... RUSSELLVILLE...MOULTON...ATHENS...HUNTSVILLE...DECATUR... GUNTERSVILLE...SCOTTSBORO...FORT PAYNE...CULLMAN...LYNCHBURG... FAYETTEVILLE...WINCHESTER 303 AM CST THU FEB 23 2012 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM CST THIS EVENING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM CST THIS EVENING. * TIMING AND AREAS AFFECTED...THE WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF NORTH ALABAMA...ALONG WITH LINCOLN...MOORE...AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES IN TENNESSEE FROM NOON TO 9 PM. * WINDS...AN APPROACHING STORM SYSTEM WILL INCREASE SOUTHWEST WINDS ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SUSTAINED WINDS WILL BE BETWEEN 20 AND 25 MPH. IN ADDITION TO THIS...WINDS WILL FREQUENTLY GUST TO AROUND 35 MPH...ESPECIALLY IN HIGHER TERRAIN LOCATIONS. * IMPACTS...WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE WILL BLOW AROUND ANY UNSECURED OUTDOOR OBJECTS. LOOSE TREE LIMBS MAY ALSO BE BLOWN DOWN...AND DRIVING WILL BECOME DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT SUSTAINED WINDS IN EXCESS OF 25 MPH... OR GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA CAUTION. IN ADDITION...ENSURE ALL LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS REMAIN SECURE...INCLUDING PATIO FURNITURE AND TRASH CANS.
Jeff Castle
WAFF 48 Storm Team
Severe Weather Awareness Week continues across Alabama and Tennessee today. Today's topic is Tornadoes. This is something that I know many of you have anxiety about after the tornado disaster of April 27th, 2011. I want to reiterate, as we have many times since, that was what we consider to be a once a generation weather event. Prior to then the last tornado outbreak that we experienced here in north Alabama that was of the same magnitude was the Super Outbreak of April 3 and 4th, 1974.
With that said, however, we will see more tornadoes touch down in the future. Most though will not be of the intensity of that day. And for most tornadoes, following a few simple guidelines will be sufficient to keep you and your family safe. That's the purpose of today's blog post.
The #1 thing you have to do to stay safe is to know what to do in the event of a tornado. You absolutely have to have a safety plan already figured out, so that when we tell you it's time to take cover you can immediately put your plan into action. Even though the lead time between when a tornado warning is issued and when it touches down continues to get longer due to modern technology, seconds can still literally count, and it's important to react immediately, not spend time trying to figure out what you're going to do. Make sure you and all your family members know where they will seek shelter whether at home, school, work or wherever you may be when severe weather strikes.
Specially designed tornado safe rooms and underground shelters will always provide the best protection. When those aren't available, there are pretty much 2 rules to follow when seeking shelter from a tornado, and these will work no matter kind of building you are in.
You always want to try to put as many walls between you and the outside as possible. If a tornado hits, it's the exterior walls that will come down first.
Wherever you take shelter, you want to do what you can to protect your head and body from flying debris. Put on the bicycle, football, motorcycle or baseball helmets. Cover yourself with pillows and blankets. It's a good idea to have these items already stashed somewhere in your home so that you can quickly grab them on the way to your shelter.
Do not seek shelter in a car during a tornado. Abandon your vehicle and get to the closest building. If you live in a mobile home or trailer you cannot ride out a tornado there. You must have other shelter nearby to get to. It's imperative if you live in a mobile home or trailer that you stay extra alert to severe weather so that you have adequate time to get your safe place.
In the event you are caught outside with no available shelter, find a ditch or low lying area. Get as close to ground as possible and cover up your head to protect yourself from flying debris.
It's important to stay weather aware. Weather situations in which 'there was no warning' just do not really happen anymore. There are lots of ways to stay informed and we'll talk about some of those in Friday's blog post. Tomorrow's topic will focus on the dangers of flooding, one of the top 3 weather killers.
Jeff Castle
WAFF 48 Storm Team
Slight Risk for severe storms Wednesday above in yellow. This product is issued by the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK. The same office that issues tornado and severe thunderstorm watches.
We are monitoring a couple of chances for strong to severe thunderstorms across the Tennessee Valley. It has been unseasonably warm and dry this Tuesday but the strong south wind will be bringing in low level moisture that could help fuel some strong storms as early as Wednesday.
These storms could produce locally heavy rain, strong gusty winds and large hail. The storms on Wednesday will be the strongest late Wednesday morning into the early afternoon hours. If we get some rain cooled air and thick cloud cover temperatures will stay in the lower 60s and take some of the punch out of the atmosphere.
We are also monitoring the threat for strong to severe thunderstorms for Thursday evening and Friday morning. These storms will likely be stronger than the ones we see Wednesday. The atmosphere will be more unstable with afternoon highs on Thursday in the lower 70s. A strong cold front will move in overnight Thursday into Friday and trigger a line of strong to severe storms with very heavy rain, strong gusty winds and large hail. The exact threat for tornadoes remains uncertain at this time and we will have more information regarding that after the showers and storms quiet down Wednesday.
The line of storms is expected to develop Thursday evening between 8pm and 11pm. It will track slowly to the east-southeast.
Brad Travis
Chief Meteorologist
WAFF 48 Storm Team
We Track Storms
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