Tag Archives: weather

Saf-T-Net premium service now free for Alabama residents

Posted on February 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

AlaSAF-T-NetLogo_150x150_Web This afternoon, Governor Bentley announced that Baron Services of Huntsville will provide its premium SAF-T-Net® service at no cost to all Alabama residents.

The premium version of the service normally offered by the company costs $3.99 per month or $45 for the year and provides National Weather Service polygon based tornado, severe thunderstorm, and flash flood warnings for up to four user-defined locations (including your smartphone) via phone, email, or text messaging. While a free version of the service is available, it only allows you to receive those warnings for one location and the types of warnings available are limited.

The service also provides updates from area media partners as they are available.

Currently residents are being encouraged to sign up for the service via any of the media partners in the state, including locally (all links to sign-up pages):

The Birmingham News/al.com
CBS 42
Fox 6

They may also visit www.alabamasaftnet.com and sign up directly with Baron Services. The company has provided an infographic via PDF explaining just how the service works (or you can watch the video available for viewing on the site’s media page).

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Posted in Statewide, weather

Tagged Alabama, alert, Baron Services, Free, Huntsville, Saf-T-Net, service, Statewide, weather

It’s Tornado Awareness Day in Alabama

Posted on February 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

This morning owners of weather radios may have noticed an alert go out at 9 a.m. It was only a test, but it was an important part of the state’s Severe Weather Awareness Week. The 10 a.m. tornado siren will go off. The 9:30 a.m. siren you may have noticed was part of a statewide tornado drill.

The folks at The Weather Channel provide some staggering stats about our 2011 tornado totals, including those associated with the devastation suffered in the region on April 27. They also provide some information about creating a safety plan. There are already predictions for an above average season this year as well.

If you still don’t possess a weather radio, we’re pretty sure you’ve got an opportunity to get one coming your way soon (like maybe even a chance tonight in Pelham).

There will be another opportunity to focus on preparedness next month – according to the National Weather Service, Alabama is observing Flood Awareness Week March 12 – 16.

Photo: nssl0310. Dr. Mike Coniglio, VORTEX II, NOAA/Flickr

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Posted in weather

Tagged Alabama, preparedness, tornado awareness, weather

It’s a little hot in the Magic City this week

Posted on May 31, 2011 | Comments Off

Daytime highs in metro Birmingham will hover in the upper 90s (with heat indices near 100°) for most of the week. The first significant chance for rain currently looks like it won’t arrive until next Sunday.

Luckily there are some options for relief in the city, including possibly cooling off at one of the city’s seventeen swimming pools. Luckily for the folks in Crestwood, theirs is among the ones open on Tuesday.

We’d offer some additional suggestions (as former Timetable contributor Charles Buchanan did back in 2008) but it probably makes more sense to find out what you’re planning to do by having you answer today’s Magic City Question.

Then again, we could always look to our sister city across the pond and see what they’re telling their residents to do (they’ve even got a video cued up about summer safety)…

Photo: Crestwood Park – Pool. Dystopos/Flickr.

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Posted in weather

Tagged Alabama, Birmingham, heatwave, hot, options, weather

Random Shots: Wind and Rain

Posted on November 11, 2009 | Leave a comment

wind and rain. Bob Farley/f8Photo

Liz Harris, left, and Nancy Wagnon, right, both with Wagnon and Associates fight the wind and rain Tuesday to bring in part of their display to the Birmingham Business Journal Business Growth Expo at the BJCC Tuesday morning. Birmingham was getting hit with the wind and rain brought here by the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

Wednesday’s forecast by comparison will be 64° and mostly sunny.

Photo: Bob Farley/f8Photo

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Posted in Random Shots

Tagged Birmingham Business Journal, Business Growth Expo, photo, Random Shots, weather

Following the storms in Birmingham online

Posted on February 18, 2009 | 1 comment

If there’s nothing that we’ve learned in the last two years, its the impact that online access has had on the coverage of severe storms. Here’s a guide to how to track severe weather here in Birmingham, AL. We’ll add more as needed (and suggested).

Twitter:
@ewarn – severe weather updates via ABC 33/40
@CBS42 – The folks are tweeting for Prater (one day he’ll have his own – though we don’t know if the 1-word forecast would move…)
@richardjacks – NBC 13 meteorologist sharing (also @NBC13)

Online:
Fox 6 – My Fox Storm coverage
NBC 13 – Live stream carries digital weather stream
CBS 42 – Their live stream connection carrying TV coverage
ABC 33/40 – live video coverage streamed on AL.com (RealPlayer required)

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Posted in Media, Online

Tagged AL, Alabama, Birmingham, Online, resources, severe weather, tools, weather

Last Car, 29.2009

Posted on January 29, 2009 | Leave a comment

The economic stimulus bill passed its first hurdle this evening, but do you want to see what the makeup of it was prior to its passage (and removal of $6 billion)? Check out this interactive map courtesy of ProPublica.

The Blazers got beat by Tulsa on a buzzer beater, 75-74. And if you thought you were going to that Samford vs. Davidson game on Saturday (like I did), you better have a ticket, cause they’re all gone.

The folks at Mayfield Ice Cream say it’s still safe to eat any of their products made with peanut butter.

Speaking of peanut butter, Mike’s saying there’s a chance we may see snow on Monday – only a chance, mind you…

Photo: absolutely no parking. briantmurphy/Flickr.

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Posted in Last car

Tagged Alabama, Birmingham, Brian Murphy, Davidson, Last car, Mayfield Ice Cream, Samford, sell-out, Tulsa, UAB, weather