Severe weather expected Tuesday night
Published 2:47 pm Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow Tuesday, but Chilton County residents had more pressing weather-related matters to worry about.
Chilton County was included in a hazardous weather outlook issued by the National Weather Service.
Isolated severe storms are possible as early as 3 p.m. Tuesday across the western portions of Central Alabama, according to the outlook.
The second and primary threat is Tuesday night along a squall line that is expected to develop ahead of a surface front.
The line is expected to move into the western counties after 9 p.m. Tuesday and progress across Central Alabama during the overnight hours.
As the line progresses eastward during the late-night hours toward sunrise, storms should weaken.
“Overall, the severe threat will be along and west of a Wedowee-to-Troy line with the best severe threat along and west of a Gadsden-to-Clanton-to-Selma line,” the hazardous weather outlook stated.
Threats will include a chance of damaging straight-line winds and tornadoes.
There is also a threat for flash flooding Tuesday evening and overnight due to heavy rainfall along the slow-moving line of strong to severe thunderstorms.
Additionally, gusty winds around 30-35 mph are possible outside the rain areas Tuesday afternoon and night.
The threat of storms overshadowed Groundhog Day. With Phil deemed to have not seen his shadow, an early spring was forecasted.
The forecast was verified by General Beau Lee in Georgia, Staten Island Chuck in New York and Shubenacadie Sam in Canada.
As for a more short-term forecast, showers and thunderstorms are likely Wednesday morning before giving way to sunshine in the afternoon.
Wednesday night will see a low of about 37 degrees.
High temperatures for the next several days will be in the low- to mid-50s, with lows in the mid- to low-30s.