BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — A band of showers and thunderstorms is moving into northwest Alabama this Saturday evening, and while no severe weather is expected, the timing is creating a specific concern for thousands of people attending major concerts tonight in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Huntsville — lightning delays are very possible as the storm band pushes through the region after 4 PM.
Radar from Columbus AFB at 4:18 PM Saturday is showing a continuous line of yellow, orange, and red storm cores moving northeast from Mississippi through Tupelo and Hamilton toward northwest Alabama — with the leading edge approaching the Russellville corridor and tracking toward Huntsville and Decatur through the evening hours. Birmingham and Tuscaloosa are watching the southern end of this same band push in from the west.
Alabama Communities Watching Tonight’s Showers
- Alabama: Huntsville, Decatur, Athens — in the direct path of the approaching storm band from the northwest through the evening
- Alabama: Tuscaloosa — on the southern edge of the shower corridor with lightning possible through the concert hours
- Alabama: Birmingham, Hoover, Trussville — watching the band approach with lightning potential through the metro area tonight
- Alabama: Russellville, Hamilton — already seeing the leading edge of the storm band on radar at 4:18 PM
- Alabama: Florence, Muscle Shoals — in the northern corridor as the band tracks northeast from Mississippi
- Mississippi: Tupelo, New Albany, Corinth — already inside the active storm band on radar with orange and yellow cores visible
Concert Warning for Tonight Across North Alabama
Tonight’s major concerts in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Huntsville are happening directly in the path of this evening’s storm band — and lightning delays are a very real possibility for outdoor events or events with outdoor staging and queuing areas.
Concert organizers and attendees across north Alabama tonight need to be aware that the storm band moving through could produce lightning even without severe thunderstorm warnings. Standard lightning safety protocols — 30 minutes after the last lightning strike before resuming outdoor activity — could create significant delays for events scheduled during the 6 PM to 10 PM window across Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Huntsville…