Sunny, But Cold
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FRIGID MORNING: For many Alabama communities this is the coldest morning so far this season, but temperatures aren’t quite as cold as we forecast yesterday. But, with a breeze still going wind chill index are in the upper teens in a number of communities. Some 5:00 a.m. temperatures from our Skywatchers and NWS/FAA sites include:
Black Creek (just northeast of Gadsden) 20
Valley Head 23
Haleyville 24 (WCI 17)
Cullman 24
Fayette 24
Gadsden (Noccalula Falls) 26
Decatur 24 (WCI 18)
Concord 26
Birmingham Airport 27
Despite a sunny sky, we won’t get past the mid 40s today, and some places north of Birmingham will have a hard time getting out of the 30s. And, another cold night is ahead tonight with early morning temperatures back in the 20s at daybreak tomorrow.
The day tomorrow will be partly sunny with a high in the low 50s.
THURSDAY/FRIDAY: The sky becomes mostly cloudy Thursday as a warm front moves through. That warm front might even squeeze out a little light rain or a few sprinkles in spots. Temperature guidance Thursday is all over the board; the GFS is printing a high (for Birmingham) of 51, while the NAM is 16 degrees warmer with 67. As usual, the truth is probably somewhere in-between; we have upper 50s in our ongoing forecast for now.
A cold front will bring rain back to the state Friday. Doesn’t look like a really big rain event, with totals generally in the 1/4-1/2 inch range. Not much dynamic support, so I doubt if we hear much thunder, and there is no risk of severe weather. The latest deterministic GFS is a little faster with the rain, suggesting the main window for wet weather comes from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.
WEEKEND OUTLOOK: Another shot of colder air moves in here Friday night, but the GFS has been trending toward a progressive pattern with less amplitude, so while the high Saturday will drop into the mid to upper 40s, the core of the really cold air stays north of here. We should drop into the 20s early Sunday, but then we warm into the mid 50s Sunday afternoon. The weekend will be dry with a partly sunny sky both days.
NEXT WEEK: Lots of model inconsistencies here, so confidence in details is low, but there is a good chance at a decent mid-week rain event. The latest GFS shows the main rain days coming on Wednesday and Thursday, with colder and drier air returning at the end of the week Friday. The idea of any winter weather mischief is clearly off the table for now as Alabama will be in the warm sector of the storm system. See the Weather Xtreme video for the graphics, maps, and details.
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I will be doing a weather program this morning at Weaver Elementary School in Calhoun County… be looking for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 or so this afternoon. Enjoy the day!
Category: Alabama's Weather
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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.Subscribe
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