Severe Thunderstorm Warning 313, NWS Birmingham, AL

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, AL
309 PM CDT THU JUL 20 2000

MCS...SQUALL LINE...WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  SEVERE WEATHER THREAT CONTINUES WITH
THIS SQUALL LINE AT THIS TIME.  OTHER SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE
BEEN DEVELOPING ACROSS SUMTER COUNTY.  AIR MASS VERY UNSTABLE OVER
MS AND WESTERN AL.  LOOKS LIKE AN ACTIVE UPCOMING EVENING SHIFT.

ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED ON FRIDAY...AS ETA MODEL
INDICATES ANOTHER VORT MAX/MCS ROLLING DOWN THE EAST SIDE OF THE
UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE.  UPPER-LEVEL PATTERN STILL EXPECTED TO CHANGE
SIGNIFICANTLY NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...AS THE RIDGE BUILDS WESTWARD AND
A TROUGH BECOMES WELL ESTABLISHED OVER THE EASTERN PART OF THE
COUNTRY.  AIR MASS WILL REMAIN MOIST AND UNSTABLE OVER MOST OF
CWFA UNTIL SURFACE LOW AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT MOVES EAST OF THE
AREA ON SUNDAY...ACCORDING TO AVN MODEL. (70)
0
HSV 069/093 072/090 6323
BHM 071/096 072/093 6324
MGM 072/100 073/096 4425

.BHM...NONE.

ALZ001>038-040>050-202330-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1245 PM CDT THU JUL 20 2000

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA.

A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX OVER EASTERN ARKANSAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...
WILL MOVE RAPIDLY ACROSS NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI...AND COULD REACH THE
EXTREME NORTHWEST CORNER OF ALABAMA...AS EARLY AS 3 PM THIS
AFTERNOON. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS PLACED MUCH OF NORTHWEST
ALABAMA...UNDER A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH
INCLUDES THE CITIES OF FLORENCE...DECATUR...JASPER...TUSCALOOSA...
HAMILTON AND FAYETTE.  THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE
DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

TEMPERATURES WILL ONCE AGAIN REACH NEAR 100 DEGREES...ACROSS MUCH
OF SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...THIS AFTERNOON.   COMBINED WITH THE HIGH
HUMIDITY...HEAT INDICES WILL CLIMB TO THE 105 TO 100 DEGREE RANGE.

THE COMBINATION OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND SPARSE RAINFALL
DURING THE PAST FEW WEEKS HAS CREATED IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR
WILDFIRES.  THE ALABAMA FORESTRY COMMISSION HAS PLACED ALL OF
ALABAMA UNDER A FIRE ALERT.  VARIABLE GUSTY WINDS WILL MAKE IT
DIFFICULT TO CONTAIN EXISTING WILDFIRES.  NO SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL
IS FORECAST TODAY...EXCEPT NORTHWEST ALABAMA...WHERE RAIN
COULD MOVE INTO THE AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...
MAY BE REQUIRED FOR THE NORTHWEST COUNTIES.