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The Covington County Emergency Management Agency is tracking several storms that could impact the area over the coming days with the most severe likely to come on Saturday.

On Thursday, Covington County is in the “marginal” area of impact for a storm that could bring damaging winds up to 60 miles per hour and large hail. The National Weather Service in Mobile reports that confidence is low on the coverage and severity of these thunderstorms. These storms will primarily affect southern Alabama and the northern Florida panhandle.

A second round of storms is possible beginning late Friday between 10 p.m. and Saturday at 6 a.m. The NWS said isolated thunderstorms could develop and be capable of producing damaging winds and large hail. Tornado activity cannot be ruled out. Forecasters said the primary areas for the activity is west of I-65 and north of Hwy. 85, impacting southwest Alabama and southeast Mississippi. While confidence is low on the severe weather through Friday night and the expectation is low for a lot of storms, the NWS said anything that does develop would have the potential to become severe quickly.

The Covington County area is most likely to see the strongest weather beginning Saturday afternoon. The NWS said isolated supercells will develop late that morning through the afternoon ahead of a squall line that will swing across the area from west to east. There is a possibility for strong tornadoes, strong winds, and large hail. Officials said confidence is increasing regarding the potential for severe thunderstorms Saturday afternoon.

Officials said the timing and coverage of thunderstorms Friday night into Saturday morning will impact the severe potential later in the day. If storms don’t develop or end before sunrise, the threat of severe thunderstorms will increase. If storms develop and linger on Saturday morning, this could contaminate the environment leading into Saturday, making the later storms less severe.