Story by Staff Reports

With the potential for severe weather in the early morning forecast, DeKalb County Schools, Fort Payne City Schools, and Cornerstone Christian Academy will operate on a three-hour delay Monday, March 31.

The DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency reported Sunday that a line of strong to severe thunderstorms is expected to enter the northwest corner of Alabama around 2 a.m.-3 a.m. Monday, then move southward through the morning hours.

“While an isolated brief tornado or two can’t be ruled out, the main threat will come from strong, potentially damaging straight-line winds. Some hail is possible as well,” DCEMA said in a Facebook post.

Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) values remain relatively low across the area throughout the event, indicating lower amounts of the ingredients needed to produce widespread severe storms.

According to the National Weather Service website, CAPE “is the amount of fuel available to a developing thunderstorm. More specifically, it describes the instability of the atmosphere and provides an approximation of updraft strength within a thunderstorm.  A higher value of CAPE means the atmosphere is more unstable and would therefore produce a stronger updraft.”

According to DCEMA, the most likely scenarios would be isolated severe storms between 5 .a.m. and 10 a.m. Monday.

Everyone is urged to stay weather-aware through the night, to know how to get weather warnings and to have a plan for what to do if a warning is issued.