WVTM 13 LIVE DOPPLER RADAR | UPLOAD YOUR WEATHER PHOTOS | TURN ON WEATHER NOTIFICATIONS Widespread storms on Friday bring heavy rain and intense lightning as a cold front moves into the state. Check the video forecast for the latest.IMPACT WEATHER FRIDAYFriday is another “Impact Day.” We designate “Impact Days” when weather may be an inconvenience. TIMINGA round of slow-moving thunderstorms will develop Friday morning in Mississippi and northwestern Alabama, and they will slowly move southeast through the day. The best chance of rain will start around 10 a.m. and go through 8 p.m. Friday.The radar by early afternoon will look something like this with numerous storms scattered across the northwestern part of the state.Those storms will move southeast through early evening. While some of us will get soaked, others will not get much at all. Storms will be approaching Tuscaloosa and Birmingham by the afternoon rush on Friday. IMPACTSStorms will be more organized and widespread Friday, and some of them could briefly become severe with gusty winds over 60 mph, hail up to the size of a quarter, heavy rain and frequent lightning. Some flash flooding will be possible as individual thunderstorms could drop more than 1 to 2 inches of rain in less than 90 minutes. That kind of rain will not be very widespread because the storms themselves will be widely spaced and bring uneven amounts of rainfall.Short-term, high-resolution guidance like this shows how rainfall could end up by Friday night. Some get a lot while others get very little.WEEKEND FORECASTThe chance of daily thunderstorms will decrease for the weekend, but they will not completely go away for Saturday and Sunday.A weak cool front will move into the state from the northwest on Saturday morning. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop along it through afternoon and evening. Between those downpours, it will be very warm and humid with high temperatures climbing into the middle 80s.Remember, any storms that produce lightning pose a serious threat if you are out in the open. Lightning does not make a storm “severe” by the formal definition, but if lightning is happening within 10 miles of where you are standing, it is time to move inside until the threat passes.Behind the front, some slightly less humid air slides in for Sunday, and that should limit the stormy weather to the southwestern part of the state. Even with the drier air, we will still have enough moisture that a passing upper-air disturbance could spark some spotty thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. We will keep an eye on that for the race at the Talladega Superspeedway Sunday afternoon, but the chance of rain is only around 10 to 20 percent for eastern Alabama for that timeframe.NEXT WEEK’S OUTLOOKGet ready for more warm, muggy late April weather next week.There will not be a big weather change from day to day. The only exception to that will be whether or not you are the one getting the brief showers and storms. There will be more hit-or-miss downpours next week, but they will not be quite as widespread as they have been over the past few days.A south breeze will keep Gulf moisture flowing northbound all the way through next Friday. That steamy air will run into a southbound cold front by Thursday and Friday, and that will increase the chance of scattered thunderstorms by the end of the week. After we wrap up this stretch of summer-like downpours – expected to linger into next week – our final shot of “cold” this season is likely to arrive around the first weekend of May.After we wrap up this stretch of summer-like downpours – expected to linger into next week – our final shot of “cold” this season is likely to arrive around the first weekend of May.Frost? Unlikely in Alabama. Instead, expect some cooler mornings with lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s and 70s, a bit below normal for this time of year. Frosty or freezing conditions don’t appear likely in the European forecast model’s outlined cold air region, except for mountainous areas.By this time of year, cold snaps lose the impact they had a month ago. While early May may bring a few chilly mornings, there’s no significant threat of a late-season frost or freeze in Alabama or nearby states.Is this “blackberry winter” for you? It depends. In North Alabama, blackberries bloom in early May, while farther south, they’ve already bloomed or even started producing. Of course, those terms are more for fun than science.STAY WEATHER-AWAREFor the latest weather coverage for your area, click here. And stay updated with alerts in the WVTM 13 app. You can download it here.For the latest Birmingham weather information and Central Alabama’s certified most accurate forecast, watch WVTM 13 News.Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram.
WVTM 13 LIVE DOPPLER RADAR | UPLOAD YOUR WEATHER PHOTOS | TURN ON WEATHER NOTIFICATIONS
Widespread storms on Friday bring heavy rain and intense lightning as a cold front moves into the state. Check the video forecast for the latest.
IMPACT WEATHER FRIDAY
Friday is another “Impact Day.” We designate “Impact Days” when weather may be an inconvenience.
TIMING
A round of slow-moving thunderstorms will develop Friday morning in Mississippi and northwestern Alabama, and they will slowly move southeast through the day.
The best chance of rain will start around 10 a.m. and go through 8 p.m. Friday.
The radar by early afternoon will look something like this with numerous storms scattered across the northwestern part of the state.
Those storms will move southeast through early evening. While some of us will get soaked, others will not get much at all. Storms will be approaching Tuscaloosa and Birmingham by the afternoon rush on Friday.
IMPACTS
Storms will be more organized and widespread Friday, and some of them could briefly become severe with gusty winds over 60 mph, hail up to the size of a quarter, heavy rain and frequent lightning.
Some flash flooding will be possible as individual thunderstorms could drop more than 1 to 2 inches of rain in less than 90 minutes. That kind of rain will not be very widespread because the storms themselves will be widely spaced and bring uneven amounts of rainfall.
Short-term, high-resolution guidance like this shows how rainfall could end up by Friday night. Some get a lot while others get very little.
WEEKEND FORECAST
The chance of daily thunderstorms will decrease for the weekend, but they will not completely go away for Saturday and Sunday.
A weak cool front will move into the state from the northwest on Saturday morning.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop along it through afternoon and evening. Between those downpours, it will be very warm and humid with high temperatures climbing into the middle 80s.
Remember, any storms that produce lightning pose a serious threat if you are out in the open. Lightning does not make a storm “severe” by the formal definition, but if lightning is happening within 10 miles of where you are standing, it is time to move inside until the threat passes.
Behind the front, some slightly less humid air slides in for Sunday, and that should limit the stormy weather to the southwestern part of the state.
Even with the drier air, we will still have enough moisture that a passing upper-air disturbance could spark some spotty thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening.
We will keep an eye on that for the race at the Talladega Superspeedway Sunday afternoon, but the chance of rain is only around 10 to 20 percent for eastern Alabama for that timeframe.
NEXT WEEK’S OUTLOOK
Get ready for more warm, muggy late April weather next week.
There will not be a big weather change from day to day. The only exception to that will be whether or not you are the one getting the brief showers and storms. There will be more hit-or-miss downpours next week, but they will not be quite as widespread as they have been over the past few days.
A south breeze will keep Gulf moisture flowing northbound all the way through next Friday.
That steamy air will run into a southbound cold front by Thursday and Friday, and that will increase the chance of scattered thunderstorms by the end of the week.
After we wrap up this stretch of summer-like downpours – expected to linger into next week – our final shot of “cold” this season is likely to arrive around the first weekend of May.
After we wrap up this stretch of summer-like downpours – expected to linger into next week – our final shot of “cold” this season is likely to arrive around the first weekend of May.
Frost? Unlikely in Alabama. Instead, expect some cooler mornings with lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s and 70s, a bit below normal for this time of year. Frosty or freezing conditions don’t appear likely in the European forecast model’s outlined cold air region, except for mountainous areas.
By this time of year, cold snaps lose the impact they had a month ago. While early May may bring a few chilly mornings, there’s no significant threat of a late-season frost or freeze in Alabama or nearby states.
Is this “blackberry winter” for you? It depends. In North Alabama, blackberries bloom in early May, while farther south, they’ve already bloomed or even started producing. Of course, those terms are more for fun than science.
STAY WEATHER-AWARE
For the latest weather coverage for your area, click here. And stay updated with alerts in the WVTM 13 app. You can download it here.
For the latest Birmingham weather information and Central Alabama’s certified most accurate forecast, watch WVTM 13 News.
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram.
