Severe Thunderstorm Warning 1, NWS Birmingham, AL

ALZ001>069-GAZ089-090-102-120-FLZ001>015-181700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
500 AM CST (400 AM EST) THU JAN 18 1996

...DRASTIC WEATHER CHANGES AHEAD FOR ALABAMA...NORTHWEST
FLORIDA...AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA DURING THE NEXT 36 HOURS....

A STORM SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPING IN THE CENTRAL PLAINS WILL MOVE
ACROSS THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TODAY WILL BRING RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS TO ALABAMA...NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND WEST CENTRAL
GEORGIA.  THE FIRST CHANGES HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED ACROSS ALABAMA
OVERNIGHT AS BRISK SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH CONTINUED MUCH OF
THE NIGHT.  HOWEVER THE WINDS WILL INCREASE EVEN MORE TODAY AND WILL
LIKELY REACH 20 TO 30 MPH BY AFTERNOON OVER MUCH OF THE AREA.  SOME
AREAS IN THE TENNESSEE VALLEY MAY SEE EVEN HIGHER WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH.
A LAKE WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA TODAY.

THE NEXT WEATHER PROBLEM WILL BE THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
DURING THE AFTERNOON A STRONG COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM
SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN ALABAMA.  GIVEN THE ALREADY STRONG
SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THIS FRONT...THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY
THIS AFTERNOON BEGINNING IN WESTERN ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON AND
EAST ALABAMA AND MUCH OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA THIS EVENING.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND POSSIBLE
TORNADOS.  THE GREATEST RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER REMAINS OVER
SOUTH ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

THE LAST WEATHER PROBLEM WILL OCCUR TONIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY
MORNING BEHIND THE COLD FRONT.  TEMPERATURES WILL FALL RAPIDLY FROM
THE WEST TONIGHT.  AT THIS TIME...ENOUGH MOISTURE WILL LINGER
OVER NORTH ALABAMA WHICH WILL COMBINE WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES TO
CAUSE SNOW FLURRIES MAINLY ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA LATE TONIGHT.
COLD TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY WITH HIGHS ACROSS THE STATE
ONLY IN THE UPPER 20S NORTH TO THE 30S MOST OTHER AREAS...EXCEPT
LOWER 40S COASTAL SECTIONS.  THE IMPACT OF THIS COLD AIR WILL SEEM
EVEN MORE DRAMATIC GIVEN THE VERY WARM CONDITIONS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST
U.S. THE LAST FEW DAYS.

RESIDENTS OF ALABAMA...WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA
ARE ADVISED TO STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL BROADCAST
MEDIA FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER
SITUATION.

ALZ001>069-GAZ089-090-102-120-FLZ001>015-190300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1115 AM CST (1215 AM EST) THU JAN 18 1996

...DRASTIC WEATHER CHANGES CONTINUE FOR ALABAMA...NORTHWEST
FLORIDA...AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS....

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING CLOSER TO ALABAMA LATE
THIS MORNING. CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS
ALABAMA...NORTHWEST FLORIDA...AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA THROUGH THE
REST OF THIS AFTERNOON. WESTERN ALABAMA WILL LIKELY EXPERIENCE THE
FIRST SEVERE WEATHER DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. THE VERY STRONG
COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO MOVE
INTO NORTHWEST ALABAMA BY EARLY EVENING.

FOLLOWING THIS COLD FRONT RAPID TEMPERATURE FALLS ARE EXPECTED
ACROSS THE STATE TONIGHT AND RESIDENTS OF ALABAMA WILL AWAKE FRIDAY
TO VERY COLD AND WINDY CONDITIONS. CURRENTLY WINDS CHILL FORECAST
FOR FRIDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON RANGE FROM ZERO DEGREES OVER THE
TENNESSEE VALLEY TO SINGLE DIGITS ACROSS CENTRAL AND READINGS IN THE
TEENS ARE LIKELY ACROSS SOUTH ALABAMA...NORTHWEST FLORIDA...AND WEST
CENTRAL GEORGIA. SNOW FLURRIES REMAIN POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT ACROSS
NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA BUT THE FAST MOVING SYSTEM IS NOT EXPECTED
TO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATION.

RESIDENTS OF ALABAMA...WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA
ARE ADVISED TO STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL BROADCAST
MEDIA FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER
SITUATION.