Severe Thunderstorm Warning 536, NWS Birmingham, AL

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, AL
300 AM CST SAT DEC 16 2000

RAPIDLY MOVING THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING THROUGH THE NW HALF OF THE
FORECAST AREA ALREADY. THIS IS ALONG  THE WAA AND LIFT IN THE AREA
ALREADY. AT THE SAME TIME ANOTHER AREA OF SHOWERS AND TSTMS IS
MOVING INTO EASTERN MS. MAIN THREAT FROM THIS IS THE LARGE HAIL WHICH
HAS ALREADY BEEN REPORTED. WITH THIS AND THE SLIGHT RISK FROM SPC
WILL MENTION SEVERE IN ALL THE ZONES FOR TODAY. TSTMS SHOULD INCREASE
INTO THE AFTERNOON. SURFACE WINDS WILL BE A PROBLEM FOR TODAY BUT
BELIEVE WILL REMAIN BELOW CRITERIA FOR WIND ADVISORY.

BIG CHANGE IN STORE FOR TONIGHT AS MUCH COLDER AIR COMES IN BEHIND
THE FRONT. WILL USE WORDING OF CHANCE OF SNOW OR FLURRIES. STILL
UNCERTAIN OF EXACT TIMING WHEN THE MOISTURE WILL DECREASE ENOUGH TO
END THE RISK OF SNOW. PRESENTLY DO NOT EXPECT SIGNIFICANT
ACCUMULATIONS. WILL EXTEND THE MENTION OF SNOW INTO SUNDAY FOR THE
TENNESSEE VALLEY BECAUSE OF SOME WRAP AROUND MOISTURE FROM THE LOW
MOVING TOWARD THE EAST COAST.

IN EXTENDED IT LOOKS LIKE A BREAK IN THE WEATHER ON MONDAY AND A
RETURN TO  RAIN TUESDAY AS ANOTHER FAST MOVING SYSTEM GOES THROUGHf
THE FORECAST AREA. DRIER WEATHER ON WED THROUGH FRI.

HSV 063/026 031/020 833
BHM 065/027 032/021 651
MGM 072/029 040/023 8-0

.BHM...NONE.

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
109 PM CST SAT DEC 16 2000

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1235 PM    RIPLEY                    AL   TORNADO
12/16/00   LIMESTONE                      TORNADO ON GROUND
                                          REPORTED BY EMA

100 PM     HALLS/ENGLEWOOD           AL   TORNADO
12/16/00   TUSCALOOSA                     *** 1 DEAD ***
                                          TORNADO REPORTED BY
                                          NUMEROUS SPOTTERS AND
                                          LOCAL NEWS TV LIVE-CAM
                                          PRELIMINARY REPORTS OF 1
                                          FATALITY

ALZ001>038-040>050-162104-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
119 PM CST SAT DEC 16 2000

...DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER EVENT ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...

...TORNADOES...DAMAGING WINDS...AND LARGE HAIL ALL POSSIBLE ACROSS
THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

A VERY STRONG COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS PARTS OF
MISSISSIPPI AND TENNESSEE TOWARDS THE AREA.  STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD
FRONT.  DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND TORNADOES WILL ALL BE
POSSIBLE AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT.
BECAUSE OF THIS THREAT...THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS PLACED ALL
OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA UNDER A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS.

THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF TORNADOES ACROSS PARTS OF WEST
CENTRAL AND NORTH ALABAMA.

PLEASE TAKE ACTIONS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE STORMS.

WHEN STORMS APPROACH OR A WARNING IS ISSUED...SEEK SHELTER IN AN
INTERIOR ROOM...SUCH AS A CLOSET...INTERIOR BATHROOM...OR HALLWAY.
CLOSE ALL DOORS. USE BLANKETS...QUILTS...OR PILLOWS TO COVER
YOURSELF. TORNADOES MAY BE OBSCURED BY RAIN...AND MAY NOT BE VISIBLE.
PLEASE DO NOT VENTURE OUTDOORS TO WATCH THE STORMS.

ONCE THE LEADING EDGE OF THE COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THE NIGHT...TEMPERATURES WILL PLUNGE.  YOU CAN
EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO FALL FROM THE BALMY 60S THIS AFTERNOON...INTO
THE 20S BY TONIGHT. WITH STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH...AND
EVEN HIGHER GUSTS...WIND CHILLS WILL BE DANGEROUSLY LOW OVERNIGHT.

REMEMBER...OUTDOOR PETS ARE SUSPECT TO THE EXTREME COLD.  TRY TO KEEP
PETS INDOORS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND TOMORROW.  IF THIS IS
NOT POSSIBLE...MAKE SURE OUTDOOR PETS HAVE WARM DRY SHELTER...AND
PROVIDE SUFFICIENT FOOD AND FRESH UNFROZEN WATER.

ALSO...TO PREVENT FREEZING AND POSSIBLE BURSTING OF OUTDOOR WATER
PIPES...PIPES SHOULD BE WRAPPED...DRAINED...OR ALLOWED TO DRIP
SLOWLY.  THOSE THAT HAVE IN-GROUND SPRINKLER SYSTEMS SHOULD DRAIN
THEIR SYSTEMS...OR COVER ANY ABOVE-GROUND PIPES TO PROTECT THEM FROM
FREEZING.

TO TOP THE NIGHT OFF...THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF SEEING SOME SNOW
FLAKES LATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL ALABAMA.  IT APPEARS THERE COULD BE SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS
ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING.   AREAS
FURTHER SOUTH WILL JUST EXPERIENCE A FEW FLURRIES TONIGHT AND
SUNDAY MORNING.

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