National Outlook

It's 3 pm where in the middle of the afternoon just the right time for severe weather to begin to fire up. And a few have just started to fire up, I just looked one the weather channel and heard that a severe tornadoes blew through a school in Enterprise, Alabama. The SPC called this storm many hours ago (8:30 am est) Below is the Watch box for the area produced earlier in the day.

Source: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/watch/ww0044.html

This is following Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) was issued md 238 at 11:48 which stated this supercell (storm system which can produces tornadoes) is very powerful and strong to severe tornadoes could be could go from Alabama to Georgia.

Lets take a look at how big the storm system is, attached is the Enhanced Infrared satellite image. The area we are talking about is should clearly with the coldest clouds tops the red over Alabama. This system stretches from Neb to the east coast from New York to Florida.

This situation will only continue today into tonight, the most active time for tornado development is during the late afternoon into the evening. I wouldn't be surprised if this tornado outbreak becomes even larger into the evening. The atmosphere down south is very unstable and the ingredients are right for severe weather development very quickly.

Below is the outlook for today from the SPC:

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 1108 AM CST THU MAR 01 2007 ...

A MAJOR SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK IS LIKELY ACROSS THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY...LOWER AND MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...EASTWARD ACROSS THE GULF AND SOUTH ATLANTIC COASTAL STATES. THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS ALSO FORECASTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TORNADOES...SOME WHICH MAY BE STRONG AND LONG TRACKED...ESPECIALLY ACROSS EASTERN MISSISSIPPI...ALABAMA...AND CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN GEORGIA. THIS AREA IS IN A HIGH RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER. THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE ALABAMA CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN GEORGIA EASTERN MISSISSIPPI SURROUNDING THE HIGH RISK AREA...THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF THE LOWER HALF OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND GULF/SOUTH ATLANTIC COASTAL STATES.

A POWERFUL UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL TRANSLATE EASTWARD FROM THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY INTO THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE COUNTRY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL ACCOMPANY THIS SYSTEM...ALONG WITH VERY STRONG JET LEVEL WINDS. AT THE SAME TIME...STRENGTHENING SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE RAPIDLY TRANSPORTING MOISTURE NORTHWARD AHEAD OF THE FRONT.

SEVERE STORMS ARE ALREADY ONGOING THIS MORNING ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI AND TENNESSEE VALLEYS...AND WITH DAYTIME HEATING...THE COVERAGE OF SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE. THE MOST INTENSE STORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM EASTERN MISSISSIPPI ACROSS ALABAMA INTO GEORGIA. THESE STORMS WILL BE IN A VERY FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT STORMS TO ROTATE AND SPAWN LONG TRACKED...DAMAGING TORNADOES. STRONG TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE LATER TODAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF TENNESSEE....WHILE WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY. THE SEVERE STORM THREAT WILL PROGRESS EASTWARD TOWARD THE MIDDLE AND SOUTHERN ATLANTIC COAST LATER TONIGHT WITH POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THIS IS POTENTIALLY A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

THOSE IN THE THREATENED AREA ARE URGED TO REVIEW SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY RULES AND TO LISTEN TO RADIO...TELEVISION...AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR POSSIBLE WATCHES...WARNINGS...AND STATEMENTS LATER TODAY. ..WEISS/HALES.. 03/01/2007