Damaging winds and severe thunderstorms expected today
Some thunderstorms locally could turn severe today and tornado development remains a possibility, but the threat of hazardous weather appears low in the Madison area, according to a National Weather Service meteorologist.
“Damaging winds and large hail are the biggest threats right now if we get severe weather,” Andy Kula of the weather service’s Huntsville office said. “And that’s ‘if’ we get severe weather.”
Still, emergency management specialists said residents should stay weather alert today.
“We’re still expecting a line of thunderstorms to develop,” said forecaster Dan Dixon of the weather service. “The greatest severe weather threat from the storm … is just going to be damaging straight-line winds up to 60 mph. We certainly cannot rule out the possibility of a tornado also.”
Dixon said that the thunderstorms will develop between noon and 4 p.m. today.
“The winds won’t be as intense as they were last week, but we’re still looking at wind speeds of over 50 mph,” Dixon said.
On Tuesday lightning struck a flea market in Lacey’s Spring south of Huntsville, causing a fire that gutted the building. Multiple agencies responded the fire in the 1000 block of U.S. 231, according to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office.
Kula said the latest round of stormy weather will result from a cold front moving in.
Daphne Ellison, emergency management specialist with Limestone County EMA, said residents need to find a way to receive multiple weather alerts and make sure they have a way to charge their cellphones.
“If we have power outages, people need to have their phones fully charged,” Ellison said. “Any power radios and flashlights, you need to make sure you have good batteries.”
Ellison also encouraged residents to tie down large objects on their property, like trampolines.
“(Trampolines) are usually the ones that go flying through the air and into power lines or trees,” Ellison said.
Potential for frost
Dixon said temperatures today will reach a high of around 75 degrees and drop to 43 degrees in the evening. He said high temperatures throughout the rest of the week will be between 50 and 60 degrees except for Sunday, where they will be in the upper 60s or low 70s.
Kula said the lows for the rest of the week will be 44 on Thursday, 42 on Friday, 35 on Saturday, and 37 on Sunday. He said there could be a potential for frost on Sunday morning if wind speeds decrease.
