Storms Followed by Cold

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Stormy weather later today will be followed by a big chill later in the week. Central Alabama is under a flash flood watch as we expect a dual threat with flash flooding a possibility along with a marginal threat for severe weather mainly in the form of damaging straight line wind.

CAPE values go into the range of 700 to 1000 j/kg later today and into the evening hours, so the best threat for severe weather comes from about 4 pm to midnight or so. A closed low over the Texas Panhandle will be jetting out to the northeast today and tonight and going positively tilted, so it will help add to the overall lift across the area. The storms are likely to come as discrete cells this afternoon followed by a squall line with embedded strong storms. Be sure to have a way to get weather warnings.

The upper level closed low ejects as an open wave, but we see a major long wave trough being carved out of the Central and eastern US. This will bring us some rather chilly weather for the early portion of January. Come Wednesday and Thursday, I would not be surprised to find us having trouble getting out of the 30s. And those places that do are likely to only reach the lower 40s so it will be a raw day.

We should stay dry until late into next weekend when the next storm system begins to take shape as moisture returns to the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Highs by next Saturday will reach the lower 50s, colder than we typically see for early January.

The weather pattern stays active into week 2 with another cold looking trough around the 15th with still another short wave around the 18th. So I wouldn’t be putting away the winter coats for awhile.

I’m still in Santa Monica, CA, so the Weather Xtreme Videos will be posted a little later than usual due to the two hour time difference between Central Alabama and my location in California. Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 10:00 am or so on Sunday. Enjoy the day, but be safe!

-Brian-

Category: Alabama's Weather