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Slightly Cooler Today; Significant Changes Next Week

| December 7, 2012 @ 6:05 am

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THE WEDGE: Cooler air is slipping into Northeast Alabama this morning; this air originated over the Northeast U.S…. it has drained down the Appalachian Mountains in the classic CAD (cold air damming) effect. Crossville and Valley Head are at 50, while Tuscaloosa is at 61. Far East Alabama will be cooler today; some communities near the Georgia border won’t get past the 50s, while those near the Mississippi border will enjoy a high closer to 70. The sky will be generally cloudy today, but showers should be very hard to find.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: The wedge breaks down, and everybody will enjoy a high in the low 70s tomorrow and Sunday. The record high for Birmingham tomorrow is 79 (set in 1978), but Sunday’s record high is 74 (set in 1946), and we will be very close to that. The sky will be occasionally cloudy both days, and a few showers could pop up, but they will remain widely spaced, and the sun should peek out at times. This will be the warmest weekend of the month, so enjoy it.

NEXT WEEK: A strong cold front will bring a round of showers and storms to our state Monday. Instability values look low and the severe weather threat is marginal, but a strong storm or two is certainly possible along the line with gusty winds. Rain amounts of 1/2 to 1 inch look likely as the front will move through rather slowly as it will be parallel to the upper air winds.

Much colder air invades the state Tuesday and Wednesday; we will struggle to get out of the 40s both days with a chilly north wind. Winds aloft will remain out of the southwest as the upper trough axis remains to the west, meaning the sky should be generally cloudy on these two days. I can’t rule out a touch of light rain in spots with this overrunning type pattern.

Sunshine returns Thursday, and the coldest morning should come early Thursday with mid 20s likely.

DEEPER INTO DECEMBER: The GFS shows another cold shot around December 20-21. This is not record type cold, but it will bring temperatures to below average levels for a few days. Like I have discussed in recent weeks, I firmly believe this winter won’t be nearly as mild as the winter of 2011-12, but not as cold and snowy as the winter of 2010-11. See the Weather Xtreme video for the details and graphics.

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Category: Alabama's Weather

About the Author ()

James Spann is one of the most recognized and trusted television meteorologists in the industry. He holds the AMS CCM designation and television seals from the AMS and NWA. He is a past winner of the Broadcast Meteorologist of the Year from both professional organizations.

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