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Weather in Francine leads to school closures and delays across Alabama

Full list: School closures and delays in Alabama due to Francine

TODAY IS A WARNING DAY. AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WE WILL OFTEN PUT THAT WARNING SYMBOL ON MANY OF OUR GRAPHICS WHEN WE THINK THE WEATHER COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. AND WE WILL SEE MANY IMPACTS OF TROPICAL STORM FRANCINE ALL DAY. IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN AND THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME FLOODING, STRONG WINDS THAT WILL NOT LEAD TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS, WITH SPEEDS OF 25, MAYBE EVEN UP TO 30 KM PER HOUR, AND THEN SOME Isolate TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL. AND SO IT'S REALLY A WAY FOR US TO GET YOUR ATTENTION AND SAY, HEY, YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE WEATHER ALL DAY TODAY. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SOME WAYS TO GET ALERTS OR WARNINGS WHEN THEY ARE ISSUED. NOW WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW. THE CURRENT GUSTS ARE NOT BAD. I MEAN, THE WIND IS BLOWING TO BIRMINGHAM. WE'VE HAD A GUST OF UP TO 28 MILES PER HOUR SO FAR, AND WE'VE GOT SOME STRONGER RAINBANDS COMING FROM HAMILTON AND FINALLY MOVING TOWARDS SCOTTSVILLE. HALEYVILLE HACKLEBURG NEAR JASPER ALONG THE INTERSTATE AND THEN DOWN THROUGH TUSCALOOSA. WE ACTUALLY HAVE A RAINBAND THAT CAN PROVIDE TUSCALOOSA NORTHPORT WITH SOME HEAVY RAIN IN THOSE AREAS. THIS IS THE LATEST ON FRANCINE WINDSOR AT 45 MILES PER HOUR. SO WE ARE JUST MAINTAINING TROPICAL STORM STATUS. AND HERE'S THE FORECAST AS WE TAKE YOU THROUGH THE DAY TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY AND WATCH WHAT HAPPENS AS WE MOVE NORTH IN TIME. THAT'S MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY. SEE HOW LITTLE IT'S MOVING. WE'RE JUST A LOW PRESSURE AREA, SO IT'S WEAKENED. THE WIND HAS WEAKENED, BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH IT. AND THAT'S GOING TO MEANT FOR US SEVERAL DAYS IN A ROW OF SOME RAIN AND STORMS AND HEAVY DROPS AS WELL. I WANT TO SHOW YOU THE STORM FUEL FOR TODAY AND FRIDAY. THAT'S WHAT WE CALL INSTABILITY. WE LOOK AT THAT PARAMETER WHEN WE FORECAST THE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER, AND FOR US IT'S STILL ON THE LOW END. HOWEVER, WITH SO MUCH WIND SHEAR, IT DOESN'T TAKE VERY MUCH INSTABILITY TO GET SOME ISOLATED TROPICAL TORNADOES. THEY ARE VERY FAST. THEY OCCUR QUICKLY, USUALLY WITHIN A FEW RADAR SCANS. AND SO YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED. THIS AFTERNOON. WE BELIEVE THE GREATEST DANGER WILL BE TODAY FROM ABOUT NOON TO 9 AM. AND THEN LOOK AT FRIDAY, THE INSTABILITY LEVELS WILL INCREASE THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON, THE WIND SHEARS WILL NOT BE AS HIGH, BUT THERE WILL BE A SMALL TORNADO THREAT ON FRIDAY AS WELL. BRYLEE, WE HAVE SPOKEN TORNADOES, BUT ALSO WIND, AND A SMALL CHANCE OF FLOODING AS WELL. YES, STEPH, THERE ARE SEVERAL HAZARDS TODAY, AND OTHER THAN SEVERE WEATHER, THE DOWNHILL WINDS WILL BE VERY STRONG, WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 15 TO 25 AND THEN GUSTS NEAR 50 UNTIL THIS AFTERNOON. THERE IS A WIND WARNING FOR ALL OF US IN CENTRAL ALABAMA RIGHT NOW, AND I BELIEVE THE STRONGEST WINDS FOR SOUTHWEST ALABAMA WILL OCCUR THIS MORNING AS FRANCINE WORKS NORTH. So we're going to have a weather fix from 4 a.m. to noon, roughly for areas like Tuscaloosa and Pickens County down to Green Hill, Demopolis Clanton, even southwest Birmingham, and then throughout the afternoon, roughly around noon, into the later hours into this evening. It's more for places in north Alabama like Jasper, Hamilton and Cullman, Double Springs Warrior, places like Gadsden, Talladega, Anniston. Later in the afternoon, there's going to be more wind as the storm moves north, and with the rain coverage, it's kind of the same. But there's going to be a couple heavier bands of rain this afternoon, even into tomorrow. THERE'S ALSO A FLOOD WARNING. WE'VE GOT A DRY SEASON AND THAT'S GOING TO HELP MITIGATE SOME OF THE FLOODING. BUT IT'S STILL POSSIBLE TO GET SOME OF THESE HEAVIER RAINBANDS AS YOU'LL SEE THIS MORNING AT 10 AM. HERE WE'LL START THE CLOCK UNTIL THE AFTERNOON. YOU'LL NOTICE THE COVERAGE LOOKS A LITTLE LIGHTER, BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS IT'S MORE OF THESE OUTER RAINBANDS OF FRANCINE THAT WILL BE AFFECTING THE STATE. AND AS STEPHANIE MENTIONED, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF INSTABILITY TO SEE A TORNADO OR SEVERE STORMS. DON'T LEAVE YOUR CAUTION LESS, BUT. Our ingredients are not really enhanced in terms of severe weather this afternoon into this evening, more isolated storms, but they're kind of in line with those outer bands of Francine. And we've got to watch for some tornadoes spinning there. Usually fairly weak, but sometimes they're just so deep that radar can't even pick them up. So a couple inches of rain, 2 to 4 inches, is the consensus across central Alabama, that's what we need. Impact day is tomorrow. Still some isolated storms in the area. We'll keep you updated throughout the duration.

Full list: School closures and delays in Alabama due to Francine

WARNING DAY FORECAST | WVTM 13 LIVE DOPPLER RADAR | LATEST MAPS & MODELS | POWER OUTAGES | SCHOOL DELAYS & CLOSURES | HOW TO GET WEATHER ALERTS | PREPARING IN ALABAMA | UPLOAD YOUR WEATHER PHOTOS Video above: The latest forecast from WVTM 13 meteorologists. School districts will be closed Thursday because of Francine. Thursday has been declared a warning day by WVTM 13 meteorologists. “Warning day” means the weather could be life-threatening and you need to have multiple ways to get weather alerts to stay safe.>> TRACK FRANCINE: The latest maps and models. Closings and delays by county include: Fayette CountyAll county schools closed ThursdayMarengo CountyAll schools will be open virtually ThursdayMarion CountyAll county schools will be closed ThursdayMobile CountyAll county and Catholic schools will be closed ThursdayChickasaw City Schools will be closed ThursdayGreene CountyAll county schools and offices will open with a two-hour delay on ThursdayHale CountyAll county schools and offices will open with a two-hour delay on Thursday. Buses will run two hours later than normal.Walker CountyCounty schools will be virtual on ThursdayJasper City Schools will remain closed.This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.Do you have an organization, city or government closure? Email [email protected].

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama —

WARNING DAY FORECAST | WVTM 13 LIVE DOPPLER RADAR | LATEST MAPS AND MODELS | POWER OUTAGES | SCHOOL DELAYS AND CLOSURES | HOW TO GET WEATHER ALERT | PREPARING IN ALABAMA | UPLOAD YOUR WEATHER PHOTOS

Video above: The latest forecast from WVTM 13 meteorologists

School districts will be closed Thursday because of Francine.

Thursday was declared a warning day by the meteorologists of WVTM 13. “Warning Day” means the weather could be life-threatening and you need to have multiple ways to receive weather alerts to stay safe.

>> TRACKING FRANCINE: The latest maps and models

County closures and delays include:

Fayette County

  • All schools in the district closed on Thursday

Marengo County

  • All schools are virtual on Thursday

Marion County

  • All schools in the district closed on Thursday

Mobile County

  • All district and Catholic schools closed on Thursday
  • Chickasaw City Schools closed on Thursday

Greene County

  • In all schools and offices in the district, operations will be delayed by two hours on Thursday.

Hale County

  • There will be a two-hour delay in all schools and offices in the district. Buses will run two hours later than normal.

Walker County

  • The district’s schools will be virtual on Thursday
  • The schools in the city of Jasper remain closed.

This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.

Do organizations, cities or agencies need to close? Email [email protected].

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