It is Tuesday April 2, 2024. A potential for strong to severe storms is lurking just to our west, poised to move into West Alabama in the late afternoon through mid-evening hours.

The Storm Prediction Center has bumped up the threat advisory to an Enhanced (3 in 5) Risk and increased the coverage area to include all of Tuscaloosa, Pickens, Greene, Hale and Bibb counties northward. Most of Sumter and Marengo counties remain in a Slight (2 in 5) Risk area.

Damaging winds to 70mph, ping pong ball size hair and a possible tornado the forecast in the Enhanced Risk area. Damaging winds to 60mph, quarter size hail and a lesser rick for tornadoes exist in the Slight Risk area.

Embedded supercells are possible within a line of strong to severe thunderstorms that will move through the area during late afternoon and early evening hours. EF2 (Winds 111 to 132mph) or higher tornadoes are possible in the Enhanced Risk area.

The Forecast:

Today
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 1pm and 4pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then a slight chance of showers. Low around 49. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 43. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 65. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Thursday Night
Clear, with a low around 39.
Friday
Sunny, with a high near 66.
Friday Night

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On a 3-to-1 vote the Northport City Council appointed Amwar Aiken to be the vacant 5th District council seat last night. The seated was left empty by the resignation of former council president Jeff Hogg who resigned amid alleged threats made again him and his family over the controversial University Beach project.

The lone dissenting vote came from the 4th District's Jamie Dykes who believes a special election should have been called. Aiken is the second appoint council member this term.
Aiken and his wife run a Northport business called the Grant Event.

A statement of the Saban center website has announced a "strategic alliance" between the center and five prominent architectural and cultural planning firms. The statement quotes Terry Saban as believing, "with the alliance and expertise of these architectural and planning firms, a brighter future for everyone in Alabama is not just possible, but inevitable."

The mission of The Saban Center will be a hub for education training, arts participation and academic support for teachers and families alike.


The threat for severe weather this afternoon has prompted Jasper City Schools to shutdown at 1:00pm and cancel all after-school activities for today. Walker County schools will also dismiss at 1:00pm and cancel all after-school programs and activities.


A bill sponsored by Chris Sells, R-Greenville, would add the June 19 holiday, which celebrates the end of slavery, to the current list of 13 days Alabama officially celebrates.  It would not be another holiday for state employees though. An employ would select between Confederate President Jefferson Davis' birthday and Juneteenth.

Tuscaloosa Democrat Rep. Chris England has introduced a bill that would replace Davis’ birthday with Juneteenth as an official holiday.


 

Whitfield Regional Hospital in Demopolis spent part of Monday on lockdown according to Demopolis authorities.

Police say it is protocol to lockdown the facility when a shooting victim is transported to the hospital.


Topping Sports News:

Alabama basketball guard Latrell Wrightsell, Jr. is hoping to return to practice this week as the Tide prepares for its Final Four game with top ranked UConn Saturday night in Phoenix, AZ.
He suffered his second concussion of the season last week during a collision with a opposing team player in a Sweet 16 game against Grand Canyon.
Alabama Coach Nate Oats says Wrightsell must clear protocol before he can be cleared to play.


The 11th-ranked Crimson Tide Baseball Team will meet the Samford Bulldogs at 4 p.m. today in matchup at Joe Lee Griffin Field in Birmingham. The game will air on ESPN+ as well as Tide 100.9 on radio. The contest was originally scheduled for a 6 p.m. start but was moved up due to the threat of thunderstorms later this evening.


Alabama Softball's game with Jacksonville State was postponed by on February 28th due to rain, now the rescheduled game for today faces the threat of thunderstorm activity. First pitch is set for 6:00pm on ESPM+ and The Crimson Tide Sports Network at 97.5 FM in Tuscaloosa | nick975.com.


Have a terrific Tuesday. Stay safe, monitor the approaching severe weather and have a way to receive later potential watches and warnings. Listen to Operation Storm Watch on Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa stations and click on TuscaloosaThread.com for updates.