HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — If you have outdoor plans this Memorial Day Weekend, make sure you are staying weather-aware as storms will be possible during the afternoon and evening hours.
The Weather Authority has issued an Impact Day for Sunday from 12 pm until 7 pm due to the threat of strong to severe storms. This storm threat will be associated with a mesoscale convective system, or MCS, that will track southeast into the area from Arkansas.
The Storm Prediction Center has highlighted the area under a ‘Slight Risk’ (level 2 out of 5) for the development of strong to severe storms.
Following lingering showers and isolated storms Saturday night, the area looks to turn dry early Sunday morning. IF we see a lack of rain activity Sunday morning, it will increase the energy for afternoon storms during the afternoon.
The MCS will begin to enter NW Alabama by midday and then push southeast through the Tennessee Valley. Embedded in the cluster of storms, there will be a chance for isolated strong to severe storms. That storm threat will continue through the early evening hours.
The MCS will form in Arkansas and then move into the Tennessee Valley. An MCS is a complex of storms on a larger scale that can travel for miles. The formation can be linear or round. The system that will move through the area Sunday will be round in formation as it tracks into NW Alabama before breaking down into a line segment.
Storms that can develop on Sunday will be able to produce damaging winds over 50 mph, large hail, frequent lightning, and heavy rainfall. With high values of wind shear, or rotation of the winds, there will be a low-end risk of tornadoes, especially in NW Alabama.
If you have outdoor plans, you must have multiple ways to receive weather alerts and be weather-aware. Stick with The Weather Authority for the latest on Sunday’s storm threat.
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