Parts of west and south Alabama faced the possibility of isolated severe thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon and evening, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center placed the region under a Level 1 out of 5 “marginal” risk for severe weather.
What a Level 1 Risk Means
A Level 1, or marginal, risk is the lowest rung on the Storm Prediction Center’s five-tier severe weather scale, which also includes slight, enhanced, moderate and high risk categories. For Tuesday, the designation meant isolated severe storms were possible, though not widespread or highly likely, across the affected areas. Forecasters said the strongest storms that did develop could produce winds as high as 60 mph along with heavy rainfall.
The Storm Prediction Center monitored storms developing over the state through the afternoon but said, as of Tuesday afternoon, that a severe thunderstorm watch was most likely not going to be needed. A small number of severe storms remained possible into the evening across south and west Alabama, with forecasters noting that the activity was sinking slowly to the south and was expected to lose strength later that night.
Heat Advisories Added to the Mix
The severe weather threat arrived alongside another round of dangerous summer heat. Many of the same west and south Alabama counties under the marginal severe weather risk were also placed under heat advisories for the day, with the National Weather Service forecasting temperatures could again peak near 100 degrees. The combination of high heat and the potential for strong, gusty thunderstorms created a stretch of active and uncomfortable weather for residents across the region.
South Alabama’s late-summer stretch has been marked by exactly this pattern in recent weeks: hot, humid afternoons that build enough instability in the atmosphere for isolated thunderstorms to form, some of which can turn strong or severe before losing energy overnight. While Tuesday’s risk was rated marginal — the least severe classification the Storm Prediction Center issues — forecasters still urged residents in the affected areas to stay weather-aware through the evening hours.
Staying Prepared
Even at the lowest end of the severe weather scale, isolated storms capable of producing winds up to 60 mph can down tree limbs, cause brief power outages and create hazardous conditions for anyone caught outdoors. Residents in west and south Alabama were encouraged to keep an eye on local forecasts through the evening, move indoors if thunder was heard and use caution while driving in areas that could see sudden, heavy downpours.
The Storm Prediction Center and National Weather Service continue to monitor conditions across the region as the summer season progresses, with both heat advisories and pop-up severe weather remaining a recurring feature of the forecast for south Alabama through the coming weeks.