WAFF Weather

Flooding Rain over the weekend with more heavy rain possible Thursday into Friday.

Flood warning information:

 

The areal flood warning has been extended until 3:30pm for northern Lawrence County and Madison County.  Some flooding will continue to be a problem in Lawrence County near North Courtland and Town Creek.   In Madison County the flooding of low lying areas will continue along Indian Creek and the Flint and Paint Rock River.  A river flood warning continues for the Paint Rock and Flint rivers until Wednesday afternoon. That information is below.

From the National Weather Service office in Huntsville.

Paint Rock River

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE AL HAS ISSUED A
* FLOOD WARNING FOR
  THE PAINT ROCK RIVER NEAR WOODVILLE.
* FROM THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
* AT 8 AM MONDAY THE STAGE WAS 14.2 FEET AND RISING.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 16.0 FEET. 
* MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FORECAST...RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AND CREST
  NEAR 18.0 FEET BY EARLY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE RIVER WILL FALL
  BELOW FLOOD STAGE BY WEDNESDAY MORNING.
* IMPACT...AT 19.0 FEET...WATER IS COVERING ALABAMA STATE ROUTE 65
  ABOUT TWO MILES NORTH OF U.S. HIGHWAY 72. SEVERAL COUNTY ROADS IN
  PAINT ROCK VALLEY ARE FLOODED...INCLUDING JACKSON COUNTY ROAD 20.
* FLOOD HISTORY...THIS CREST COMPARES TO A PREVIOUS CREST OF 17.7 FEET
  ON MAY 4 2009.

Flint River

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE AL HAS ISSUED A
* FLOOD WARNING FOR
  THE FLINT RIVER AT BROWNSBORO.
* FROM THIS MORNING UNTIL TUESDAY MORNING.
* AT 6 AM MONDAY THE STAGE WAS 16.2 FEET AND RISING.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 17.0 FEET. 
* MODERATE FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FORECAST...RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BY THIS MORNING AND CREST NEAR
  19.7 FEET BY EARLY THIS EVENING. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD
  STAGE BY BY DAYBREAK TUESDAY.
* IMPACT...AT 20.0 FEET...BACKWATER ON A NEARBY TRIBUTARY ADDED TO
  FLOODWATERS FROM FLINT RIVER BOTH REACH A SMALL BRIDGE ON
  BROWNSBORO ROAD.
* FLOOD HISTORY...THIS CREST COMPARES TO A PREVIOUS CREST OF 18.8 FEET
  ON JAN 25 2010.

Big Nance Creek in Lawrence County. 

 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE AL HAS ISSUED A
* FLOOD WARNING FOR
  THE BIG NANCE CREEK AT COURTLAND.
* FROM THIS EVENING UNTIL TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
* AT 8 AM MONDAY THE STAGE WAS 8.5 FEET AND RISING.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 14.0 FEET. 
* MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST.
* FORECAST...RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BY LATE THIS EVENING AND CREST
  NEAR 14.5 FEET BY TOMORROW MORNING. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD
  STAGE BY LATE TOMORROW MORNING.
* IMPACT...AT 14.0 FEET...LOWLAND FLOODING BEGINS ON THE LEFT BANK OF
  THE RIVER.
* FLOOD HISTORY...THIS CREST COMPARES TO A PREVIOUS CREST OF 15.4 FEET
  ON JAN 25 2010.

Storm Tracker Doppler Radar Network rainfall extimates followed by actual rainfall totals for the entire weekend.

 

From the National Weather Service off in Huntsville.

BELOW IS A SUMMARY OF RAINFALL AMOUNTS RECEIVED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE. WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR REPORTS.
IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL DATA, PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE AT 256-890-8503, OR SEND YOUR REPORT TO US VIA OUR WEB
PAGE OR ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.


LOCATION               NAME                      PCPN

...COLBERT COUNTY...
NEW BETHEL             TUSCUMBIA 6.2 S           1.24
S MUSCLE SHOALS        MUSCLE SHOALS 1.3 SSW     1.22
SHEFFIELD              SHEFFIELD 1.3 ENE         0.49
MUSCLE SHOALS TVA                                0.70
LITTLEVILLE            LITTLEVILLE 0.8 NNE       1.03
MYNOT / MOUNT HESTER   CHEROKEE 5.9 SW           1.14

...CULLMAN COUNTY...
4 E CULLMAN            CULLMAN 4.4 E             0.95
2 E HANCEVILLE         HANCEVILLE 1.6 E          0.51
1 E TRIMBLE            CULLMAN 7.5 SW            0.80
CULLMAN AUTO AG                                  2.10
3 NW CULLMAN AIRPORT/CO. RD 1282                 2.51

...DEKALB COUNTY...
3.5 E SYLVANIA         SYLVANIA 3.4 ESE          1.54
POWELL                 FYFFE 6.3 NNE             1.94
VALLEY HEAD WATER BOARD                          0.89
CROSSVILLE - CRN                                 0.85

...FRANKLIN COUNTY /ALABAMA/...
RUSSELLVILLE AIRPORT                             2.14

...FRANKLIN COUNTY /TENNESSEE/...
4 W WINCHESTER         WINCHESTER 3.9 W          1.33
WINCHESTER DRY CREEK   WINCHESTER 1.6 W          1.55

...JACKSON COUNTY...
HOLLYTREE              HOLLYTREE 0.6 NNE         3.67
LANGSTON               LANGSTON 1.3 NE           1.78
WOODVILLE              WOODVILLE 1.7 NE          4.06
LARKINSVILLE           SCOTTSBORO 5.2 NW         4.57
NW SCOTTSBORO          SCOTTSBORO 1.7 N          3.53
PLEASANT GROVE         TRENTON 2.5 ESE           4.26
GOOSE POND COLONY      SCOTTSBORO 4.1 SSW        2.11
SCOTTSBORO AIRPORT                               3.75

...LAUDERDALE COUNTY...
MCFARLAND PARK         FLORENCE 2.6 SSW          0.51
MACEDONIA              CLOVERDALE 6.6 WSW        0.69
4 NE WRIGHT            WATERLOO 8.7 NE           0.61
EAST GREEN HILL        KILLEN 8.1 N              0.99
NORTH FLORENCE         FLORENCE 1.5 NE           0.68
FLORENCE HS AREA       FLORENCE 0.6 NE           0.59
2 N ROGERSVILLE        ROGERSVILLE 2.3 NNW       2.14
2 NE ANDERSON          ANDERSON 2.1 NE           2.70

...LAWRENCE COUNTY...
EAST LAWRENCE          TRINITY 1.7 SW            2.11
COURTLAND AIRPORT                                0.91

...LIMESTONE COUNTY...
EAST LIMESTONE         CAPSHAW 3.0 NW            1.90
REID                   ATHENS 4.3 W              0.88
WEST MADISON 1         MADISON 3.5 NW            3.35
5 N ATHENS             ATHENS 4.9 NNW            0.92
2 W LENTZVILLE         LESTER 10.5 S             1.15
CHARM SITE 175         CAPSHAW 4.1 W             2.36

...LINCOLN COUNTY...
HOWELL                 FAYETTEVILLE 6.1 NNW      1.42
HARMS                  FAYETTEVILLE 5.9 W        1.28
TAYLORTOWN             FAYETTEVILLE 7.9 WNW      1.70
2 SW BELLEVIEW         FAYETTEVILLE 8.6 WSW      1.12
TAFT                   ARDMORE 10.8 E            1.06
SOUTH LINCOLN SITE 2   FAYETTEVILLE 8.6 S        1.32
CAMARGO                FAYETTEVILLE 7.3 SW       0.89

...MADISON COUNTY...
SE HUNTSVILLE #2       HUNTSVILLE 5.9 SE         3.45
2 W NEW MARKET         NEW MARKET 1.5 W          2.40
MOUNT CARMEL           MOORES MILL 3.9 SE        2.40
MAYSVILLE              BROWNSBORO 1.9 NNE        1.73
EAST HUNTSVILLE        HUNTSVILLE 4.4 ENE        1.57
E MADISON/INDIAN HLS   MADISON 2.6 NE            2.72
SE HSV #3/BAILEY CV    HUNTSVILLE 8.2 SE         3.38
SE HSV #4/HOBBS RD     HUNTSVILLE 7.6 SSE        2.96
MAGNOLIA SPRINGS #1    HARVEST 4.8 SSW           3.22
HUNTSVILLE MOUNTAIN    HAMPTON COVE 2.1 WNW      3.03
BIG COVE               HAMPTON COVE 1.0 NW       3.38
MAGNOLIA SPRINGS #2    HARVEST 4.6 SSW           2.53
SE HSV/WILLOW BEND 2   HUNTSVILLE 7.0 SE         3.04
NORTH MADISON #3       MADISON 1.7 N             2.85
SE HSV #6/LILY FLAGG   HUNTSVILLE 5.5 SE         3.27
CAPSHAW MTN AREA       HARVEST 2.8 S             2.30
EAST MONROVIA          HARVEST 5.3 SSE           3.20
CHARM SITE 12          REDSTONE ARSENAL 6.5 SE   3.10
CHARM SITE 36          HUNTSVILLE 7.7 SE         3.15
CHARM SITE 43          HUNTSVILLE 7.0 SE         3.05
CHARM SITE 53          HAMPTON COVE 1.8 SW       3.53
CHARM SITE 103         OWENS CROSSROADS 5.3 NW   3.37
CHARM SITE 105         GURLEY 4.3 S              3.78
CHARM SITE 108         HUNTSVILLE 5.2 SE         2.88
CHARM SITE 112         HAMPTON COVE 0.5 W        3.81
CHARM SITE 166         MADISON 2.9 NNW           3.12
CHARM SITE 169         MADISON 0.2 N             2.30
CHARM SITE 171         HARVEST 4.7 SSE           3.15
CHARM SITE 172         HARVEST 3.7 E             2.44
CHARM SITE 175                                   2.32
CHARM SITE 176         HARVEST 4.7 SSE           3.11
CHARM SITE 187         MADISON 5.3 NNW           2.85
CHARM SITE 197         CAPSHAW 4.7 E             3.20
WAL TRIANA/BRASS OAK                             2.25
WAL TRIANA NR HWY 72                             3.46
COUNTY LINE AT HARDIMAN                          2.20
1 SE OWENS CROSS ROADS                           3.12
SLAUGHTER RD IN MADISON                          2.60

...MARSHALL COUNTY...
EAGLE MOUNTAIN         GUNTERSVILLE 2.2 SW       1.10
ALDER SPRINGS          GUNTERSVILLE 2.0 ENE      1.29
LATTIWOOD              ALBERTVILLE 4.8 WNW       0.35
BIG SPRING VALLEY      DOUGLAS 6.8 NW            0.46
CHEROKEE RIDGE         UNION GROVE 7.3 W         1.32
3 SE ALBERTVILLE       ALBERTVILLE 2.8 SE        0.37
ALDER SPRINGS #2       ALBERTVILLE 5.5 N         0.32
GUNTERSVILLE - WTWX-FM                           1.00

...MOORE COUNTY...
LYNCHBURG              LYNCHBURG 0.7 WNW         0.85

...MORGAN COUNTY...
POINT MALLARD          DECATUR 2.6 ENE           1.15
2 E SOMERVILLE         SOMERVILLE 2.0 SE         2.65
PRICEVILLE             PRICEVILLE 0.4 SE         1.01

Pictures of the Paint Rock River in Jackson County from Daniel Harbin. 

Pictures of the Flint River in Madison County near Hampton Cove from Liz Hurley.

I took this picture looking north along the greenway at Indian Creek off Old Madison Pike in Madison.  No jogging today. (Brad Travis)

 

More heavy rain is possible for Thursday and Friday.  Here is the projected rainfall totals from compuer forecast guidance.  It shows the potential for another 2-3 inches of rain during that time.

Rainfall from Lee continues.

A flash flood watch continues tonight with more heavy rain expected this evening and overnight. Temperatures will hold steady in the lower to middle 60s.

 

Estimated rainfall totals since Sunday afternoon.  (Some areas have seen more)

 

Many areas across the Shoals and Northeast Alabama have already experienced flooding with rainfall totals 5-9 inches over the past 24 hours. Additional rainfall totals over the next 24 hours will be anywhere from 2-5 inches. This will only create more potential flood problems. The rain will taper off throughout the day on Tuesday but many areas will remain wet through 2pm. Light rain and low clouds will remain in the area into Wednesday morning. Highs on Tuesday will be in the upper 60s and lower 70s. Some sunshine will return for Wednesday and Thursday with highs rebounding into the lower to middle 70s. Overnight lows will be around 60 degrees.

Pinpoint Predictor Images for more rainfall.

 
 
 

 Have a safe night. Brad Travis Chief Meteorologist WAFF 48 Storm Team We Track Storms

Flash Flood Watch expanded tonight. Until 7am Thursday

Heavy rain will move in late this evening and last into the overnight hours.  Some hail and strong wind gusts are also possible.

 

Flooding Rain and Rainfall Totals

Morgan County earlier today.

 

Doppler Rainfall Estimates.  Most of the heavy rain fell between 2am and 8am. Record rainfall for the date in Huntsville.  3.93" at the airport.

 

Some rainfall totals from other reporting sites according to the National Weather Service.

Cherokee    1.39"    Muscle Shoals    2.60"    Vinemont    3.10"    Cullman    2.06"    Crossville    3.11"
Fort Payne    2.96"    Henagar    1.92"    Valley Head    3.27"    Hodges    1.19"    Russellville    1.40"
White Oak    2.00"    Anderson, TN    2.64"    Belvidere, TN    3.35"    Tims Ford Dam,  TN    3.56"
Flat Rock    1.34"    Scottsboro    1.92"    Woodville    1.98"    Wilson Dam    2.03"    Wright    3.00"
Moulton    3.22"    Town Creek    1.74"   Courtland    1.60"    Capshaw    2.90"    Decatur    2.66"    
Fayetteville,TN    2.15"    Ditto Landing    4.33"    Farley    5.29"    Hampton Cove    4.91"    
Jones Valley in Huntsville    4.39"    HSV Medical District    5.01"    Meridianville    1.71"
Guntersville    4.03"    Falkville    3.69"    Hartselle    3.34"

Flash-flooding Threatens Gulf Coast as Low Moves Ashore

Here in Alabama we're sandwiched between a high-pressure area centered near the nation's capital and a weak, non-tropical low near New Orleans and moving ashore over Louisiana.  The result is a deep flow of moist air that should give us widespread rain during much of Sunday.  In fact, the rain could be troublesome for Mobile, Pensacola, and surrounding areas where up to 3 inches of rain has fallen and an additional 3-to-4 inches could cause flash flooding.  Anyone living in or driving through those flood-prone areas should exercise caution and be prepared to move to higher ground.

 

We may be about to see the end of our record-breaking heat streak...if, for example, Sunday at Montgomery turns out to be only as warm as the upper-80s.  Saturday's high of 92 degrees stretched the weeks-long streak to a record 56 consecutive days with temperatures topping out at 90 or higher.  Complaints, anyone?

 

 --Dan Atkinson,  Doppler 12 StormVision Meteorologist

Danger Lurks in the Tropics

The first named storm of the 2010 Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season, Alex, is now moving westward across the Yucatan Peninsula and should be back over warm seawater by early Monday.  That's when it will likely regain strength, perhaps even becoming a hurricane before making landfall somewhere along the coast of NE Mexico.  During its passage over the Yucatan, prolonged downpours there and over Belize, Honduras and northern Guatemala, could dump 4 to 8 inches of rain and trigger life-threatening flash floods and mudslides. Here in Alabama we're getting (in many cases) lots of rain from slow thunderstorms, but there are still areas where folks have been waiting quite a while for their lawns and gardens and crops to receive a beneficial soaking.  An approaching cold front may improve our conditions, however.  By midweek we might be enjoying a little drop in the humidity, and who could ask for more on a summer day in Dixie? --Dan Atkinson, Doppler 12 StormVision Meteorologist

Strong Thunderstorms Today

Strong thunderstorms and heavy rain will dominate the weather across Alabama on Sunday, Sunday night and Monday morning, as a cold front slowly pushes through the state during the next two days. The cold front stalled across the Mississippi River on Saturday, causing lots of flooding and strong thunderstorms across Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas and Missouri. Several tornadoes were also spotted Saturday causing scattered damage throughout the Mid-South. That storm system will slowly push into Alabama today. Rain and thunderstorms will become more numerous across the state as the day continues, with just about everyone getting rain and thunderstorms by sunset, especially if you live west of Interstate 65 in the northern half of Alabama. A few of the storms today and tonight could create tornadoes, but you can expect heavy rain and gusty winds with just about every thunderstorm. Please stay alert to changing weather conditions and be prepared to take shelter from the storms if needed. The cold front will push east during the day on Monday, pushing the rain and thunderstorms into Georgia and southeast Alabama by Monday afternoon. A few isolated showers may linger into Tuesday, but most of us will see partly cloudy skies by late Monday afternoon. This cold front will not bring us any cooler temperatures. In fact, once the skies clear, our temperatures this week will soar into the mid and upper 80's each afternoon. We won't get a break from the heat until next weekend, when another cold front comes through on Friday. Temperatures behind the front on Saturday and Sunday will be down in the 50's for lows and 70's for highs. Please visit www.MyFoxStorm.com to sign up for our FREE severe weather alerts and get continuing weather updates. You can also get weather updates on your mobile device at m.myfoxal.com. Dennis Washington

Flash Flooding Forecast for Parts of Alabama

Much of our attention is rightly focused on the conditions to our south, where the oil spill in the Gulf is being pushed toward shore by strong and persistent winds out of the southeast.  At the same time, however, there's weather action to our west that also requires our attention.  It is a strengthening cold front that's creeping toward Alabama, and which will likely produce heavy rain for most of the state from late Sunday afternoon until Monday evening.  In light of the anticipated rainfall in the range of 4-to-7 inches, the National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for central and northern Alabama that covers the period from 7 PM Sunday until 7 PM Monday.  If you live in a flood-prone area, be sure to stay alert for rising water and/or Flash Flood Warnings.  Above all, do not attempt to drive through flooded areas.  The approaching storm system coming now across the Lower Mississippi Valley is pulling tons of moist and unstable air northward from the Gulf, not only setting the stage for severe thunderstorms but also moving the massive oil spill closer and closer to landfall in coastal areas from the Mississippi Delta eastward.  Mobile Bay and the popular beach resorts like Destin, Fort Walton, Pensacola and Gulf Shores are bracing for the arrival of the wind-driven oil in just a day or two.  It may be the end of the week before the winds begin coming from the west and/or the north, pushing some of the spill back out to sea. --Dan Atkinson, Doppler 12 StormVision Meteorologist

Dry for Just a Short While

The same powerful storm that brought 2-to-3 inches of rain to much of our area on Friday and dumped record snowfall on the mid-Atlantic continued on Saturday to generate windy conditions for us even as it departed off the East Coast.  The steep pressure gradient between that exiting low-pressure area and the incoming high-pressure resulted in winds gusting above 30 mph here in Alabama.  It's cold and dry air that's invading the Southeast, so look for the clouds to slowly diminish overnight and through the day on Sunday. By Monday we should find the wind flowing in from the Gulf of Mexico, setting us up for a rainy Tuesday when a cold front will move through.  The leading edge of an arctic air mass, the cold front will likely drop us below freezing on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. With rivers, lakes and streams full to the brim, we don't need more rain at this point.  The ground is saturated and many yards will have standing water again when the wet weather moves in from the Gulf.  Right now it appears that rainfall amounts of up to one inch are possible.  It's also possible that we'll see the next round of precip as soon as Thursday night.  However, computer models right now are not very clear or consistent in defining what's coming our way. --Dan Atkinson, Doppler 12 StormVision Meteorologist

One Wet, Miserable Night

Rain will pick up tonight through early Friday, then end by late in the day as one more Gulf storm system passes through Alabama and Georgia.  Amounts will exceed an inch and could easily top 2″ in some areas. A cool air wedge will set up in Georgia as high pressure noses down the Piedmont.  Combined with the approaching surface low, the strong pressure difference will really kick up the winds tonight out of the east.  With temperatures in the 40s, it will be a chilly, blustery night across the valley. The low will come up through northern Florida and reform along the east coast, bringing a major snowstorm to parts of the mid-Atlantic Friday into Saturday. Our weekend looks to be dry, though we may have a hard time breaking through the overcast on Saturday as a cold northwest wind blows in the wake of the departing storm.  By early next week we’re likely to be tracking yet another storm system threatening the Southeast with more wet weather. kschmitz@wtvm.com