4 Things You Need To Know for Your Rainy Tuesday in West AL

1) There is a slight risk for strong to severe thunderstorms exists for all of West and Central Alabama from noon to roughly 5 or 6 p.m. ABC 33/40' chief meteorologist James Spann is cautioning that the bullseye may be on our area of the state.

"Currently the area with the highest severe storm and tornado potential is Tuscaloosa and southward," Spann said. "However, there is a potential across all of the state."

Showers are moving into West Alabama at this hour and a wind advisory will be in effect from 1 to 9 p.m.

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2) Walker County Schools will close at noon today due to the threat of severe weather today and Tech or Treat scheduled for the Tuscaloosa Gateway tonight has been rescheduled to Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m.

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3) The Tuscaloosa City Council tonight will consider a resolution that would suspend the issuance of additional short-term rental licenses in city claiming traditional neighborhoods are being threatened by rapid growth of short-term variances. The resolution will be presented a day after Clyde Biggs spoke at the Zoning Board of Adjustment for residents of Freemont Drive against a proposed license for a neighbor’s home, “Looks like my neighborhood is turning into a rental property. I bought the house 20 years ago thinking I was going to live in a nice, quiet subdivision. But in 20 years it has changed,” Biggs lamented. But he told ZBA members he understands why – money!

Bigg’s comments reflect the feeling of other residents from other neighborhoods where neighbors want a variance to lease their home.

A proposal for a short-term lease variance in the old-line, upscale Highland's neighborhood forced ZBA Chair Bob Ennis to resign effective immediately. Ennis told the ZBA, city council and Mayor Maddox if you are going to allow short-term leases in some neighborhoods, you should, out of fairness, allow them in all neighborhoods.

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4) On a 4-1 vote the Northport City Council has approved a highly controversial townhome development off of Hunter Creek Road. Numerous public hearings were held sparking often contentious debate.