Severe Thunderstorm Warning 162, NWS Birmingham, AL

ALZ001>069-GAZ089-090-102-120-082135-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
630 AM CDT WED APR 8 1998

...INGREDIENTS COMING TOGETHER FOR AN EXTENDED SEVERE
   THUNDERSTORM EPISODE OVER MOST OF ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL
   GEORGIA TODAY AND TONIGHT...

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA HAS PLACED MOST OF
NORTHERN ALABAMA UNDER A HIGH RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR
TODAY AND TONIGHT.  MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND INTERIOR SOUTHWEST
SECTIONS OF ALABAMA...AS WELL AS WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA...ARE UNDER A
MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

A COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY APPROACH ALABAMA FROM THE WEST
TODAY...MOVING INTO AND ACROSS THE STATE OVERNIGHT.  IN ADVANCE OF
THIS FRONT...THE AIRMASS OVER ALABAMA WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY
UNSTABLE BY AFTERNOON AS ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IS PUMPED
NORTHWARD OUT OF THE GULF.  IN THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE
ATMOSPHERE...A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL ALSO APPROACH THE
SOUTHEAST U.S. BY TONIGHT.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED OVER EXTREME
NORTHWEST AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA DURING THE PRE DAWN HOURS.  THESE
STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO WEAKEN LATER THIS MORNING...AND ARE UNLIKELY
TO PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER.

HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALREADY DEVELOPING
ALONG THE COLD FRONT OVER EASTERN TEXAS THIS MORNING...AND ARE
EXPECTED TO MOVE RAPIDLY TOWARD ALABAMA TODAY.  OTHER SCATTERED
STORMS MAY ALSO DEVELOP OVER THE AREA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...WELL
AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT.  MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON
SHOULD REMAIN WEST OF A HUNTSVILLE TO BIRMINGHAM TO DEMOPOLIS LINE.
THE STORMS SHOULD SPREAD EASTWARD AND SOUTHWARD DURING THE LATE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS...AFFECTING CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALABAMA
BEFORE MIDNIGHT.  STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE
IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA...ESPECIALLY DURING THE LATE EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT HOURS TONIGHT.

THE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY EXPECTED TO BE PRESENT THIS
AFTERNOON...COUPLED WITH A FAVORABLE WIND STRUCTURE IN THE
ATMOSPHERE...WILL LIKELY LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERCELL
THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT.  SUPERCELLS OFTEN PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WINDS...AND STRONG TORNADOES.

THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.  PERSONS
THROUGHOUT THE AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT...REVIEW THEIR SAFETY RULES...
AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIOR OR TV FOR
LATER STATEMENTS...WATCHES OR WARNINGS.

ALZ001>069-GAZ089-090-102-120-082135-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
630 AM CDT WED APR 8 1998

...INGREDIENTS COMING TOGETHER FOR AN EXTENDED SEVERE
   THUNDERSTORM EPISODE OVER MOST OF ALABAMA AND WEST CENTRAL
   GEORGIA TODAY AND TONIGHT...

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA HAS PLACED MOST OF
NORTHERN ALABAMA UNDER A HIGH RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR
TODAY AND TONIGHT.  MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND INTERIOR SOUTHWEST
SECTIONS OF ALABAMA...AS WELL AS WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA...ARE UNDER A
MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

A COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY APPROACH ALABAMA FROM THE WEST
TODAY...MOVING INTO AND ACROSS THE STATE OVERNIGHT.  IN ADVANCE OF
THIS FRONT...THE AIRMASS OVER ALABAMA WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY
UNSTABLE BY AFTERNOON AS ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IS PUMPED
NORTHWARD OUT OF THE GULF.  IN THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE
ATMOSPHERE...A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL ALSO APPROACH THE
SOUTHEAST U.S. BY TONIGHT.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED OVER EXTREME
NORTHWEST AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA DURING THE PRE DAWN HOURS.  THESE
STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO WEAKEN LATER THIS MORNING...AND ARE UNLIKELY
TO PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER.

HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALREADY DEVELOPING
ALONG THE COLD FRONT OVER EASTERN TEXAS THIS MORNING...AND ARE
EXPECTED TO MOVE RAPIDLY TOWARD ALABAMA TODAY.  OTHER SCATTERED
STORMS MAY ALSO DEVELOP OVER THE AREA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...WELL
AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT.  MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON
SHOULD REMAIN WEST OF A HUNTSVILLE TO BIRMINGHAM TO DEMOPOLIS LINE.
THE STORMS SHOULD SPREAD EASTWARD AND SOUTHWARD DURING THE LATE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS...AFFECTING CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALABAMA
BEFORE MIDNIGHT.  STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE
IN WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA...ESPECIALLY DURING THE LATE EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT HOURS TONIGHT.

THE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY EXPECTED TO BE PRESENT THIS
AFTERNOON...COUPLED WITH A FAVORABLE WIND STRUCTURE IN THE
ATMOSPHERE...WILL LIKELY LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERCELL
THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT.  SUPERCELLS OFTEN PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WINDS...AND STRONG TORNADOES.

THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.  PERSONS
THROUGHOUT THE AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT...REVIEW THEIR SAFETY RULES...
AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIOR OR TV FOR
LATER STATEMENTS...WATCHES OR WARNINGS.

ALZ001>050-GAZ089-090-102-120-090245-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
FOR NORTH/CENTRAL AL AND WEST CENTRAL GA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
946 AM CDT WED APR 8 1998

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI
AND WILL APPROACH THE WESTERN ALABAMA BORDER BEFORE NOON TODAY.
ADDITIONAL STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS
SOUTHERN ALABAMA SOUTH OF MONTGOMERY AND WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE HAIL
AND HIGH WINDS AS THEY MOVE NORTHEASTWARD FROM THE GULF.

AS THE AFTERNOON APPROACHES...NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA WILL BECOME
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND WATCHES WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED
WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.  ALSO...SOUTHERN ALABAMA WILL CONTINUE TO
EXPERIENCE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AND THESE STORMS WILL
AS WELL HAVE SEVERE POTENTIAL.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD MONITOR
THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION
THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR
SOUTHWEST ALABAMA... SEE PRODUCT BHMSPSMOB. FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...
LOOK AT MIASPSTLH.  FOR MORE WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT OUR INTERNET
SITE ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT
HTTP://WWW.ACESAG.AUBURN.EDU/DEPARTMENT/NWS/

ALZ001>050-GAZ089-090-102-120-090245-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
FOR NORTH/CENTRAL AL AND WEST CENTRAL GA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
946 AM CDT WED APR 8 1998

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI
AND WILL APPROACH THE WESTERN ALABAMA BORDER BEFORE NOON TODAY.
ADDITIONAL STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS
SOUTHERN ALABAMA SOUTH OF MONTGOMERY AND WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE HAIL
AND HIGH WINDS AS THEY MOVE NORTHEASTWARD FROM THE GULF.

AS THE AFTERNOON APPROACHES...NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA WILL BECOME
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND WATCHES WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED
WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.  ALSO...SOUTHERN ALABAMA WILL CONTINUE TO
EXPERIENCE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AND THESE STORMS WILL
AS WELL HAVE SEVERE POTENTIAL.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD MONITOR
THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION
THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR
SOUTHWEST ALABAMA... SEE PRODUCT BHMSPSMOB. FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...
LOOK AT MIASPSTLH.  FOR MORE WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT OUR INTERNET
SITE ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT
HTTP://WWW.ACESAG.AUBURN.EDU/DEPARTMENT/NWS/