BIRMINGHAM, AL — A widespread rain event was forecast to sweep across North and Central Alabama beginning Friday afternoon and intensifying through Friday night into Saturday sunrise, delivering half an inch to one inch of rainfall across communities near and south of Interstate 20 with no severe weather threat accompanying the system across the region.
FutureCast imagery valid at 5:00 AM Saturday showed intense precipitation coverage blanketing a broad stretch of Alabama from Tuscaloosa and Birmingham southward through Clanton, Montgomery, and beyond, with the heaviest rainfall concentrated across the I-20 corridor and southern communities through the overnight hours.
Heaviest Rain Falls Near and South of Interstate 20
The most significant rainfall accumulations of half an inch to one inch were forecast for communities near and south of Interstate 20, covering Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Shelby County, Pell City, Clanton, Anniston, Talladega, Montgomery, Auburn, and Selma. This corridor represented the primary rainfall zone for the Friday night through Saturday sunrise event, with the overnight hours delivering the best rain and thunder across the region.
Despite the active overnight precipitation, no severe weather threat was anticipated across North and Central Alabama with this system, keeping the event within the category of a beneficial and non-threatening rainfall event for the affected communities.
Northern Alabama Sees Lighter Accumulations
Communities north of the Interstate 20 corridor were forecast to receive lighter rainfall accumulations ranging from one-tenth to half an inch during the event. Jasper, Cullman, Gadsden, Centre, and Oneonta fell within this lighter rainfall zone, with amounts staying below the more significant totals expected further south…