The end of 2020 is a cause of celebration for many, but revelers should keep an eye on the weather on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day due to the potential for severe storms and strong winds. 

Katie Magee, meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Huntsville office, said forecasters are predicting periods of moderate to heavy rainfall with the potential for strong storms and damaging wind gusts of up to 60 mph for North Alabama Thursday night into Friday afternoon. 

With the potential for severe storms, there is also an unlikely but possible chance for an isolated tornado, so people should be prepared in case that does happen, she said. 

With many people celebrating New Year’s, that may not be on the forefront of their minds, but people should have a plan in place and multiple ways to receive warnings in the event that the storms take a turn for the worse, Magee said. 

“We want to make sure they’re reviewing their safety plans so they are prepared in case there is a warning issued,” she said. 

Magee said there isn’t yet a precise timeline for when the storms may reach Cullman County, but she anticipates the area to see the most impact somewhere between midnight Thursday and noon on Friday. 

With the potential for storms happening overnight, it is important for everyone to keep their phones nearby and audible, as well as making sure their weather radios have batteries so they can be woken up if a warning is issued while they are in bed, she said. 

Even if there are no severe storms in the area, the sustained winds and strong gusts expected Thursday and Friday combined with the saturated ground may cause tree roots to lose their grip on the ground, Magee said.

“Even if you’re not in a severe thunderstorm warning, we could still have some trees fall down just because of that rainfall and because there will be persistent gusty winds leaning against them all day and applying that pressure,” she said.