Tornado in Alabama, December 7, 2004

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
255 AM CST TUE DEC 7 2004

.SHORT-TERM DISCUSSION UPDATE

A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS RAPIDLY APPROACHING THE
NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE CWA.  BEST TWO HOUR SURFACE PRESSURE
FALLS EXTENDED FROM CENTRAL TN INTO NORTHWEST AL.  MOST UNSTABLE
CAPES WERE ON THE ORDER OF 500 TO 750 J/KG...WHILE 0-3 KM SR
HELICITY VALUES WERE ABOVE 350 M2/S2.  EXPECT THE STRONGEST HELICITY
VALUES WILL LIFT NORTHWARD WITH TIME.

SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT LIGHTNING WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
STORMS OVER WINSTON COUNTY...MISSISSIPPI...AND SCOTT
COUNTY...MISSISSIPPI.

SO FAR HAVE SEEN SEVERAL BOWS WRAP UP INTO COMMA HEAD SHAPES OVER
MISSISSIPPI.  EXPECT SEVERE WEATHER THREAT TO MOVE INTO MARION...AND
LAMAR COUNTIES AFTER 300 AM.

03

&&

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
138 PM CST MON DEC 6 2004

ALZ011>015-017>050-071330-
AUTAUGA AL-BARBOUR AL-BIBB AL-BLOUNT AL-BULLOCK AL-CALHOUN AL-
CHAMBERS AL-CHEROKEE AL-CHILTON AL-CLAY AL-CLEBURNE AL-COOSA AL-
DALLAS AL-ELMORE AL-ETOWAH AL-FAYETTE AL-GREENE AL-HALE AL-
JEFFERSON AL-LAMAR AL-LEE AL-LOWNDES AL-MACON AL-MARENGO AL-
MARION AL-MONTGOMERY AL-PERRY AL-PICKENS AL-PIKE AL-RANDOLPH AL-
RUSSELL AL-SHELBY AL-ST. CLAIR AL-SUMTER AL-TALLADEGA AL-
TALLAPOOSA AL-TUSCALOOSA AL-WALKER AL-WINSTON AL-
138 PM CST MON DEC 6 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

.DAY ONE...(THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT)

A BAND OR LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE
INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES LATE TONIGHT.  THESE
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD START TO MOVE INTO WESTERN ALABAMA DURING THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS ON TUESDAY...BETWEEN 3 AND 6 AM.  THE MAIN THREAT
FROM THIS LINE OF STORMS IS EXPECTED TO BE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE
WINDS.  HOWEVER...ISOLATED TORNADOES CANNOT BE RULED OUT...EITHER IN
STORMS THAT SHOULD DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE LINE OR IN BRIEF SPIN-UPS
WITHIN THE LINE ITSELF.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BRING A THREAT OF LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL...WHICH COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING AND RIVER FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY)

THE ONGOING SEVERE WEATHER THREAT TONIGHT WILL CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY
AFTERNOON...WITH A SQUALL LINE WITH DAMAGING WINDS LIKELY TO CONTINUE
TO MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE FIRST
SQUALL LINE WILL WEAKEN. IF THIS HAPPENS...THEN PARTS OF EASTERN
ALABAMA SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 85 COULD SEE A REDEVELOPMENT OF
THUNDERSTORMS AS CONDITIONS DESTABILIZE ONCE AGAIN TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO BRING MORE RAIN AND POSSIBLE
THUNDERSTORMS ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.  RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH THIS
SYSTEM COULD AGGRAVATE ANY ONGOING FLOODING CAUSED BY THE RAIN
EARLIER IN THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD PREPARE FOR
ACTIVATION DUE TO THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT TONIGHT AND TUESDAY.