First Alert: Risk for strong storms next week

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Let this article serve as an early heads up for the potential for heavy rain and thunderstorms next Tuesday and Wednesday. There will also be a chance of some strong to possibly severe storms depending on how the system evolves.

Currently there is no official severe weather threat zone being highlighted for either Tuesday or Wednesday. However, the ingredients for strong to severe thunderstorms will be present -- at least to some degree -- across Alabama and neighboring states each of those two days.

I’d suspect parts of Alabama will be included in future severe weather outlook areas by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) for Tuesday and/or Wednesday. Once long-range forecast models come into better agreement that will become a real possibility. Of course if the SPC places our area in a severe risk zone we will pass that information along as soon as it becomes available.

There has already been a severe weather threat zone highlighted by the SPC for Monday and Monday night. That includes a large part of the South from eastern Texas to western Kentucky and southern Indiana.

That area was delineated because there is higher confidence in a severe weather risk in those locations Monday and Monday night. The overall threat will probably increase from where it currently stands as Monday gets closer for parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.

With no official severe weather risk zone for Central and South Alabama at this time we went ahead and outlined an area that has a chance of seeing strong thunderstorms next Tuesday and Wednesday. Some of the stronger storms could become severe if things end up lining up right.

The risk zone for Tuesday and Tuesday night based on the latest forecast guidance includes much of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, the Florida Panhandle, and western parts of Georgia.

It’s very possible the SPC highlights part of this area in a future severe weather outlook. Time will tell regarding that, but if forecast models continue showing what they have been of late then the risk of at least a few severe thunderstorms is evident.

Wednesday’s zone of potential strong storms includes much of Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and northern Florida. Again, there is no official severe weather outlook for Wednesday at this time. This is just an area that we are watching given the ingredients that could be in place.

Should the current forecast models be correct, then a risk for some strong to possibly severe thunderstorms would exist in Alabama next Wednesday.

The main threats -- as is usually the case in the winter -- with next week’s storms across the South would likely be strong to damaging wind gusts and a threat for some tornadoes. Right now the day with the highest risk of severe weather is Monday, though the risk for Tuesday and Wednesday could rise in the coming days. Stay tuned!

Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? Get news alerts FASTER and FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store!

Copyright 2022 WSFA. All rights reserved.