ABC 33/40 Weather Authority: James Spann's severe weather updates (2024)

Latest severe weather updates from ABC 33/40 Chief Meteorologist James Spann and The Weather Authority:

1:46 a.m.

The risk of severe weather has ended for Jefferson County.

1:39 a.m.

Heavier storms are shifting south and east of Birmingham and slowly weakening. Severe wx threat is slowly fading.

1:08 a.m.

Winds to 45 mph, torrential rain, some flooding likely with the storms moving into Birmingham.

1 a.m.

12:24 a.m.

Tornado watch issued for the following Alabama counties until 4 a.m. Wednesday: Autauga, Bibb, Chilton, Dallas, Hale, Jefferson, Lowndes, Marengo, Perry, Shelby and Tuscaloosa.

As the main line of storms passes your location, the severe weather threat will be over. That line extends from Central Winston to western Walker to western Tuscaloosa Counties. It is pushing eastward at about 30-35 mph.

12:21 a.m., Wednesday

Strong storms with torrential rain/gusty winds over Tuscaloosa and Jasper will be in the Birmingham metro around 1 a.m.

12 a.m., Wednesday

NWS ssues flash flood warning for Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker and Winston counties until 5:45 a.m. CST Wednesday.

11:40 p.m.

James Spann sasy the main threat of severe weather overnight will be damaging straight line winds.

11:30 p.m.

The risk of strong storms and flooding will continue during the next few hours.

11:18 p.m.

NWS cancels tornado warning for Pickens County.

11 p.m.

Tornado warning issued for Pickens County untiil 11:30 p.m. CST.

10:54 p.m.

NWS Birmingham cancels the tornado warning for Perry County.

10:39 p.m.

A tornado warning has been issued for Perry County until 11:30 p.m. CST<>>

10:02 p.m.

Tornado watch until 4 a.m. Wednesday

The watch includes counties along I-65 and to the west.

The watch includes Bibb, Chilton, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Shelby, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Autauga and Lowndes until 4:00 AM CST.

Watching a strong storm moving out of Hale County into Bibb County. It does have some rotation with it. It is not out of the question that we could see additional spin up tornadoes or damaging winds through the early morning hours as there is some instability and very strong wind shear.

There is still a tremendous amount of shower and thunderstorm activity extending back into southeastern Louisiana at this hour. It will continue to push slowly eastward, not clearing the I-59 corridor until after 3 a.m.

Heavy rainfall will also be a problem. Only 0.72 inches at Birmingham, but 1-3 inches.

9:45 p.m.

The tornado watch will likely be extended past 10 p.m. for at least some of the counties.

Beginning to get concerned about flooding, especially across parts of Lamar, Marion, Fayette and Winston Counties. An areal flood advisory has been issued for parts of the aforementioned counties.

Ahead of the main rain area, which extends out of eastern Mississippi across Northwest Alabama, an area of confluence is funneling heavy showers noth northeastward from Southwest Alabama all the way through the Birmingham Metro area and on into Northeast Alabama.

There is still 500-750 joules of instability over Pickens and Tuscaloosa Counties, with less than 250 joules elsewhere across almost all of North and Central Alabama. But shear values continue to be off the charts with over 300 m2/s2 of low level helicity. Bulk shear is high as well, at over 50 knots. And we are watching an increasing low level jet ramping up over eastern Mississippi and Northwest Alabama. All this keeps us concerned that there could be isolated tornadoes and a damaging wind threat.

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A new severe thunderstorm warning was just issued for Noxubee, Neshoba and Winston Counties.

A tornado was reported at 8:15 p.m. just south of Beaverton in Lamar County. Trees are down across that area.

8:42 p.m.

We are tracking a strong storm near Steens MS, south of Calendonia, that has had rotation with it.

A tornado warning was in effect for Lowndes County, MS, but it has since expired. The cell will rotate up into Lamar County, passing near Melborne and Star, but likely staying west of Fernbank.

The rotation has weakened, but we continue to closely monitor the storm.

To the southwest, additional strong storms are occurring near Philadelphia MS. There are a couple of severe thunderstorm warnings on these storms. They will eventually move into Pickens and Lamar Counties in West Alabama.

Rainfall amounts have totaled 1-3 inches across West Alabama from northern Pickens through much of Lamar, Fayette and into Marion and Winston Counties. Additional rainfall amounts may cause some localized flooding.

8:40 p.m.

Edward Burch shares video update on the heavy rain in Jasper:

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8:25 p.m.

NWS cancels tornado warning for Lamar and Marion counties.

8:15 p.m.

NWS issues tornado warning for Marion and Lamar Counties until 9 p.m. CST

7 p.m.

Things have calmed considerably this evening across Alabama and the Southeast.

The only warning in Alabama right now is a severe thunderstorm warning for Lawrence County, and only four severe thunderstorm warnings are in effect across the Southeast. There are two severe thunderstorm warnings are in effect for Mississippi and one for Tennessee.

A tornado watch continues for much of North and central Alabama until 10 p.m. A new tornado watch has been issued for parts of Central and southern Mississippi and Southwest Alabama.

RADAR UPDATE

A long line of showers and storms extends from southern Tennessee through northwestern Alabama into Central and southern Mississippi. The area of rain and storms is merging into a thin squall line that is just ahead of the cold front. It will become a wide line of showers and storms that will cross the states of Mississippi and Alabama overnight.

There is a good bit of lightning and thunder in the activity over West and Northwest Alabama.

Scattered showers and storms are over southern Mississippi and southwestern Alabama. This activity will continue to move to the northeast and will merge into the larger rain mass with time.

INSTABILITY ON THE WANE

CAPE Values have dropped below 500 joules/kg across all of Alabama except for Sumter and Choctaw Counties. So there is little fuel for the storms, but there is a good bit of wind shear, so we will have to continue to respect any storms that do get going. 0-1 km helicity values are off the charts, running 300-500 m2/s2 across much of Alabama.

REMAINING THREAT

The main threat for the rest of the night should be damaging winds.

TIMING

The main line of rain and storms will hang around in the same areas through 11 p.m. before it starts to move. It should extend from Tuscaloosa to Cullman around 2 a.m. It should be in the Birmingham area between 3 and 4 p.m.

That front is over western Mississippi right now. Dewpoints drop sharply behind it. At Greenville MS, the dewpoint dropped from 66F at 4 p.m. to 49F this hour. It should be through Pell City and Talladega by 4 a.m. and then through Anniston by 5 a.m.

HEAVY RAIN THREAT

High moisture content air is still being pulled into the system over Mississippi and western Alabama. One hour rainfall rates with the heavier storms will be over one inch. Flash flood and flood warnings cover a good bit of Central parts of North Mississippi.

5:50 p.m.

Tornado warning issued for Fayette County until 7 p.m. CST.

5:45 p.m.

City of Fayette residents should be in their safe place

5:40 p.m.

Tornado warnings for Pickens and Lamar counties canceled.

5:02 p.m.

An extremely powerful tornado is on the ground in Pickens County.

It is passing west of downtown Carrollton. It will be crossing US-82 around 515 p.m. It is moving directly toward Reform!

People in the path of the tornado along and west of AL-17 must be in safe shelter NOW!

This storm is be in Reform by 5:20.

There is spotter video of major damage near Aliceville. The warning does not include Northport, Tuscaloosa or the University of Alabama.

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4:57 p.m.

Tornado emergency for Carrollton, Alabama!

4:45 p.m.

Tornado confirmed eight miles west of Aliceville in Pickens County:

4:20 p.m.

NWS issues Tornado Warning for Pickens, Sumter counties until 5:30 p.m. #alwx

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FORCENTRAL PICKENS COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA NORTHWESTERN SUMTER COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA UNTIL 530 PM CST

* AT 422 PM CSTA TORNADO PRODUCING STORM WAS LOCATED OVER COOKSVILLEOR 17 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ALICEVILLEMOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

4:16 p.m.

Strong tornado signature north of Scooba, MS. Storm crosses into far West Alabama soon keep an eye on it #alwx

4:02 p.m.

Storms with possible tornadoes are nearing the Alabama state line... they are moving northeast. Please see the blog for the latest:

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3:51 p.m.

3:36 p.m.

Severe storms in East MS are approaching Alabama's western border

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3:13 p.m.

Tornado watch issued for much of north and central Alabama until 10 p.m. CST.

Counties in the watch include Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Dallas, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lamar, Marengo, Marion, Perry, Pickens, Shelby, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Walker and Winston.

2:45 p.m.

2:44 p.m.

Just a reminder, if tornado warnings are issued for any of our TV market counties, I will be over on the TV side with long form coverage. You can watch on the 33/40 app, or on the web. http://www.abc3340.com

2:41 p.m.

Strong indication of a tornado on radar west of Starkville, on US 82... moving northeast into Clay County, Mississippi. Take cover if you are in the path of this storm!

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2:30 p.m.

Multiple tornado warning polygons are up over Central/East Mississippi... those storms move into West Alabama later this afternoon/early tonight.

2:12 p.m.

James Spann's 2 p.m. update on the severe weather threat in Alabama:

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ABC 33/40 Weather Authority:  James Spann's severe weather updates (2024)
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