Damaging Wind in Alabama, May 3, 2002

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, AL
300 PM CDT FRI MAY 03 2002

FRONT HAS STALLED ALONG A LINE BETWEEN HSV AND BHM. IT WILL LIKLEY
STAY IN THAT POSITION UNTIL LATE THIS EVENING WHEN A SHORT WAVE COMES
ACROSS THE NORTH PART OF THE STATE AND STARTS TO MOVE THE FRONT
SLOWLY TO THE SOUTH THROUGH THE NIGHT. ALL HEAVY RAIN TODAY HAS BEEN
OVER THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. ADDITIONAL RAIN WILL OCCUR THROUGH THE
NIGHT BUT NOT LIKELY TO TRAIN OVER AN AREA LIKE IT HAS BEEN DURING
THE DAY. WILL NOT EXTEND THE FLAST FLOOD WATCH. WILL MENTION THE
CHANGE FOR SEVERE...WITH HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE. WILL
CONTINUE A CHANCE OF RAIN INTO SATURDAY. NO REAL CHANGES TO THE
EXTENDED.

HSV 062/074 060/081 +30
BHM 063/079 059/085 630
MGM 066/084 061/086 430

.BHM...NONE.

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1241 PM CDT FRI MAY 03 2002

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

1150 AM    GOOD HOPE                 AL   0.88 IN HAIL
05/03/02   CULLMAN                        REPORTED BY CULLMAN
                                          COUNTY EMA. NICKEL SIZE
                                          HAIL NEAR GOOD HOPE.

1158 AM    CULLMAN                   AL   1.00 IN HAIL
05/03/02   CULLMAN                        REPORTED BY CULLMAN
                                          COUNTY EMA. QUARTER SIZE
                                          HAIL 8 MILES SOUTH OF
                                          CULLMAN.

1225 PM    SUSAN MOORE               AL   0.75 IN HAIL
05/03/02   BLOUNT                         REPORTED BY BLOUNT COUNTY
                                          EMA. DIME SIZE HAIL WEST
                                          OF SUSAN MOORE.

ALZ001>050-032100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
129 PM CDT FRI MAY 03 2002

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA.

A NEARLY STATIONARY COLD FRONT EXTENDS ACROSS NORTHERN ALABAMA EARLY
THIS AFTERNOON...FROM NEAR COLUMBUS MISSISSIPPI...TO CULLMAN TO NEAR
GADSDEN.  SOUTH OF THE FRONT...THE ATMOSPHERE REMAINS WARM AND
FAIRLY UNSTABLE...WHILE COOLER...MORE STABLE CONDITIONS PERSIST
ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. THIS PATTERN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE
REST OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS
ALL OF NORTHERN ALABAMA THROUGH THIS EVENING.  HOWEVER...THE BEST
CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL REMAIN CONFINED TO AREAS ALONG AND JUST
SOUTH OF THE STATIONARY FRONT...PRIMARILY DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS.
THIS INCLUDES AREAS FROM TUSCALOOSA AND BIRMINGHAM...EASTWARD THROUGH
THE CLANTON...TALLADEGA...ROANOKE AND ANNISTON AREAS.  STRONG
WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE STORMS.

ALONG AND NORTH OF THE FRONT...HEAVY RAINFALL HAS FALLEN THIS MORNING
IN A BAND FROM MARION AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES...EASTWARD THROUGH
WINSTON AND CULLMAN COUNTIES.  ADDITIONAL LIGHTER RAINFALL WILL
OCCUR OVER THESE AREAS...AND THROUGHOUT EXTREME NORTHERN ALABAMA
TODAY AND EARLY TONIGHT.  THE GROUND IS BECOMING SATURATED IN SOME
OF THESE AREAS...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL REMAIN A MODERATE THREAT
THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS.

FURTHER SOUTH...THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BE LIMITED THIS AFTERNOON
ACROSS THE SELMA...MONTGOMERY...AUBURN AND TROY AREAS DUE TO WARM
TEMPERATURES ALOFT.  WHILE A FEW STORMS MAY BE ABLE TO FORM LATER
TODAY...NO WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS ACROSS
NORTHERN ALABAMA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER
CONDITIONS AND BE READY FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION...ESPECIALLY THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.