First Alert: Severe storms possible Thursday

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - What a few months we’ve had in Alabama. Multiple episodes of tornadoes and damaging wind, historic cold for Christmas, then more tornadoes. And now Thursday approaches, with another chance of severe thunderstorms. And yes, this next setup is capable of producing isolated tornadoes, damaging wind and some hail.

First things first, though, tonight is a winner. Clouds will slowly increase and some spotty rain is possible after midnight, mainly west and northwest of Montgomery. Temperatures will only drop into the mid to upper 50s. We’ll warm quickly into the 70s on Wednesday with a lingering small chance of spotty rain through the day. If it does rain, it won’t last long and we won’t have any severe weather issues Wednesday.

That all changes Thursday afternoon. A powerful cold front sweeps through the lower Mississippi Valley, rolling into Alabama late Thursday evening.

Ahead of and along this front, warm air and ample wind shear will create an environment capable of producing isolated tornadoes, wind and hail. Here’s the county-by-county timing breakdown - expect some adjustments to these tonight and tomorrow, as new data becomes available.

The rain and storms exit the state very early Friday; colder air will rush in and temperatures will stay in the upper 40s to mid 50s all day. A cutting northwest breeze will make it feel even colder. The wind dies down Friday night, allowing temperatures to plunge into the 26-34 degree range across the southern half of the state.

We’ll stay cool through the weekend, but a quick warm-up is in the cards for next Monday and Tuesday. Spring isn’t here yet, but it’s getting closer each day!

As always, remember to download the free WSFA 12 News First Alert Weather app. That way you can gain the latest weather information from the First Alert Weather Team wherever you go. Just search WSFA Weather in the Apple App Store or Google Play store today.

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