RADAR CHECK: Clusters of showers and strong thunderstorms continue to move northward through Alabama this afternoon. Heavier storms are capable of producing hail and strong winds; a marginal risk (level 1 out of 5) of severe thunderstorms remains defined for all of Alabama through tonight.Unsettled weather will continue through Thursday night as an unstable, tropical air mass remains parked across the state and an upper trough/cold front combo approaches. Expect occasional showers and thunderstorms with additional rain amounts of 1-3 inches likely. The Storm Prediction Center maintains a marginal risk of severe storms statewide Wednesday and Thursday. The main threats are hail and strong, gusty winds. However, a low-end tornado threat could develop Thursday as shear values are increasing.
Highs will be between 75 and 80 degrees with only a limited amount of sun; showers and storms will end from west to east Thursday night as a cold front pushes through the state. The sky becomes partly sunny Friday as dry air works into the state; any showers will be confined to areas near the Tennessee state line. The high will be between 74 and 78, about 10 degrees below average for late May in Alabama.
HOLIDAY WEEKEND: We expect sunny, warm days and fair, pleasant nights for the three-day Memorial Day weekend. The high will be in the low 80s Saturday, followed by upper 80s Sunday and near 90 Monday. Lows will be mostly in the 60s, but cooler spots will drop into the 50s Saturday morning.
REST OF NEXT WEEK: An upper ridge will keep the weather quiet and mostly dry next week; highs will be close to 90 degrees with just a few spotty showers around by Thursday and Friday.ON THIS DATE IN 1973: An F4 tornado tore through the small town of Union City, Oklahoma, killing two and injuring four others. This tornado was the first storm to be studied in detail by the National Severe Storms Laboratory Doppler Radar Unit at Norman, Oklahoma, and an armada of researchers in the field. Research of the radar data from the storm would lead to the discovery of a tornado vortex signature (TVS). The presence of a TVS on Doppler radar data is a very strong indication of tornadic potential in a severe thunderstorm.
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Look for a partly to mostly sunny sky Friday with a high between 75 and 80 degrees.
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