First Alert: Above average warmth ahead of potential severe storms Thursday

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - If you thought this week has been mild so far, just wait! We have a warm Wednesday and Thursday ahead of us... and all this above average warmth could help fuel our next cold front, bringing with it the chance for strong and even severe thunderstorms. The setup for our next system is capable of producing isolated tornadoes, damaging wind and some hail so now is the time to get prepared.

All of Alabama will warm quickly into the 70s later on this afternoon; most will see overcast conditions with a lingering chance of light rain shower through the day, otherwise we have limited sunshine. If it does end up raining where you live, 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.

New data in this morning... Amanda's walking you through the forecast hour-by-hour ahead of Thursday's severe threat!

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, but make sure you check back for updates because some adjustments will need to be made as new model data guides our thoughts on the forecast.

First Alert: Severe thunderstorms are possible Thursday — First Alert: Severe thunderstorms are possible Thursday(WSFA 12 News)

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, but the wind calms a bit by Friday night and that allows temperatures to plunge into the 26°-34° range across the southern half of the state.

We will remain cool (but comfortable and seasonable) through the weekend, but a quick warm-up is in the cards for next Monday and Tuesday.

Warm ahead of our next chance for showers and storms, then a big drop in temperature ahead of... — Warm ahead of our next chance for showers and storms, then a big drop in temperature ahead of the weekend!(WSFA 12 News)

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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