Potential for Severe Weather Today

***The Storm Prediction Center will be upgrading portions of Central Alabama (mainly along and North of I-59) to a Moderate Risk for Tornadoes***

A strong storm system will move through Central Alabama today bringing us the potential for severe weather. Hello, I'm Meteorologist, Lauren Whisenhunt.

A warm front is lifting northward this morning, pulling in lots of moist, unstable air from the Gulf of Mexico. A strong cold front will approach us this afternoon and bring with it the possibility for severe weather. The Storm Prediction Center will be upgrading portions of Central Alabama (mainly along and North of I-59) to a Moderate Risk for Tornadoes.

As the leading edge of this warm, unstable air moves across the CBS 42 viewing area, it will enhance the possibility of isolated severe thunderstorms through the morning hours. Then, as the cold front moves in later on Thursday into Thursday night, another line of strong to severe storms will move across our state.

Any severe thunderstorms that form will have the potential to produce large hail, damaging winds, frequent lightning and isolated tornadoes.

Stay with CBS 42 as we monitor these storms for you on Thursday.

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF TORNADOES...DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...ARE LIKELY TODAY AND TONIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA.

FOR AREAS GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM ONEONTA TO SELMA...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. STORMS WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY BETWEEN 10 AM AND NOON...WITH A FEW BECOMING SEVERE THROUGH 5 PM. ISOLATED STORMS WILL HAVE THE HIGHEST LIKELIHOOD OF PRODUCING TORNADOES DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. A SQUALL LINE WILL DEVELOP BETWEEN 3 PM AND 5 PM...WITH THE STORMS HAVING A HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL THROUGH 8 PM.

LOCALIZED RAINFALL MAY BE AS HIGH AS TWO INCHES IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. FOR AREAS GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE FROM ONEONTA TO SELMA...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE MORNINGS HOURS...BUT WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY AND COVERAGE FROM NOON TO 3 PM. SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE MAINLY AFTER 3 PM WITH THE POTENTIAL LASTING UNTIL 2AM. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...BUT ANISOLATED TORNADO CAN NOT BE RULED OUT. THE SQUALL LINE WILL PUSH EASTWARD AND EXIT INTO GEORGIA AFTER MIDNIGHT. SOME WEAKENING OF THE LINE IS ANTICIPATED AS THE STORMS APPROACH THE GEORGIA LINE.