HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Rain activity for the Tennessee Valley has been very isolated in coverage recently, but that will change for the second half of the week.
With the threat of localized heavy rain to end the week, the National Weather Service has issued an Areal Flood Watch. This watch will go into effect at 7 p.m. Wednesday and remain in effect through 7 p.m. Friday.
Counties included in the alert are Cullman, DeKalb, Jackson, Madison, Marshall, and Morgan counties in Alabama, along with Lincoln County in Tennessee.
A cold front tracking through on Wednesday will stall over the region, increasing the chance for rain activity. The location where the front stalls will be is key into determing a sharp cutoff in rain totals. As of Wednesday morning, the heaviest rain is expected along and east of I-65.
The Weather Prediction Center has highlighted a portion of the area under a ‘Marginal’ and ‘Slight’ risk for excessive rainfall. With plenty of moisture in place, any activity will be able to tap into it, leading to a local heavy rain threat. The multiple rounds of showers and storms along the boundary will support the threat of heavy rain.
Flood Watch vs. Warning
It’s important to know the difference between a watch and a warning. When a watch is issued, it means conditions are favorable for flooding to occur. This is the time to prepare and ensure you have multiple ways to receive alerts. When a warning is issued, it means flash flooding is occurring or is imminent…