Sitting in the Atlanta Airport this afternoon heading to Norfolk for the National Weather Association annual meeting. It will be a fun week of learning and networking.

Birmingham will host this same event in October 2011, and we can’t wait to show the weather world a great time!

You will be part of the action this week as I will have frequent blog updates and live Tweets straight from the meeting.

In addition, National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read will join me Monday night for WeatherBrains. It promises to be a fun show!

But first things first, the weather at hand over Alabama is pretty miserable for an October day. Skies are mostly cloudy, temperatures struggled to get out of the 40s and there has been a steady northwesterly wind all da averaging 10-20 mph and occasionally gusting over 25 mph.

In addition, pesky showers are putting down an annoying rain over eastern Alabama from Anniston southward through Clay and Randolph Counties into Coosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa, Macon, Camber and Lee Counties.

This activity is moving southward.

The National Weather Service continues a Lake Wind Advisory until 6 p.m. for Central Alabama.

In addition, they have issued a freeze watch for Sunday night and Monday morning generally for an area north of a line from Carrollton to Alabaster to Roanoke. Temperatures tomorrow night may run 2-3 degrees colder than we earlier expected. With light winds, there will be a widespread frost and the possibility of the first freeze of the season. Protect an tender vegetation that would be affected by a freeze.

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WWUS74 KBMX 171953
NPWBMX

URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
253 PM CDT SAT OCT 17 2009

…BREEZY WIND THIS AFTERNOON WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES SUNDAY
NIGHT…

ALZ011>015-017>029-180400-
/O.NEW.KBMX.FZ.A.0003.091019T0800Z-091019T1300Z/
/O.CON.KBMX.LW.Y.0030.000000T0000Z-091017T2300Z/
MARION-LAMAR-FAYETTE-WINSTON-WALKER-BLOUNT-ETOWAH-CALHOUN-
CHEROKEE-CLEBURNE-PICKENS-TUSCALOOSA-JEFFERSON-SHELBY-ST. CLAIR-
TALLADEGA-CLAY-RANDOLPH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…HAMILTON…SULLIGENT…VERNON…
FAYETTE…DOUBLE SPRINGS…JASPER…ONEONTA…GADSDEN…
ANNISTON…CENTRE…HEFLIN…CARROLLTON…TUSCALOOSA…
BIRMINGHAM…HOOVER…COLUMBIANA…PELHAM…ALABASTER…
PELL CITY…MOODY…TALLADEGA…SYLACAUGA…ASHLAND…ROANOKE
253 PM CDT SAT OCT 17 2009

…LAKE WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS
EVENING…
…FREEZE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY
MORNING…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A FREEZE
WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY
MORNING. A LAKE WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT
THIS EVENING.

BREEZY NORTHWEST WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH THE AFTERNOON
HOURS. SUSTAINED WINDS WILL BE AROUND 15 MPH WITH A FEW GUSTS
AROUND 25 MPH.

TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO THE LOWER 30S SUNDAY NIGHT GENERALLY
ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM CARROLLTON TO ALABASTER TO ROANOKE.
NEAR FREEZING OR SUB FREEZING TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED AFTER 3
AM AND LAST BETWEEN ONE AND FOUR HOURS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A LAKE WIND ADVISORY INDICATES THAT WINDS WILL CAUSE ROUGH CHOP
ON AREA LAKES. SMALL BOATS WILL BE ESPECIALLY PRONE TO CAPSIZING.

A FREEZE WATCH MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE POSSIBLE.
THESE CONDITIONS COULD KILL CROPS AND OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION.

&&

12/SIRMON

$$

ALZ030>050-172300-
/O.CON.KBMX.LW.Y.0030.000000T0000Z-091017T2300Z/
SUMTER-GREENE-HALE-PERRY-BIBB-CHILTON-COOSA-TALLAPOOSA-CHAMBERS-
MARENGO-DALLAS-AUTAUGA-LOWNDES-ELMORE-MONTGOMERY-MACON-BULLOCK-
LEE-RUSSELL-PIKE-BARBOUR-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…LIVINGSTON…EUTAW…GREENSBORO…
MOUNDVILLE…MARION…CENTREVILLE…CLANTON…ROCKFORD…
ALEXANDER CITY…DADEVILLE…VALLEY…LANETT…LAFAYETTE…
DEMOPOLIS…LINDEN…SELMA…PRATTVILLE…FORT DEPOSIT…
HAYNEVILLE…WETUMPKA…TALLASSEE…MONTGOMERY…TUSKEGEE…
UNION SPRINGS…AUBURN…OPELIKA…PHENIX CITY…TROY…EUFAULA
253 PM CDT SAT OCT 17 2009

…LAKE WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS
EVENING…

A LAKE WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS
EVENING.

BREEZY NORTHWEST WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH THE AFTERNOON
HOURS. SUSTAINED WINDS WILL BE AROUND 15 MPH WITH A FEW GUSTS
AROUND 25 MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A LAKE WIND ADVISORY INDICATES THAT WINDS WILL CAUSE ROUGH CHOP
ON AREA LAKES. SMALL BOATS WILL BE ESPECIALLY PRONE TO CAPSIZING.

&&