Cooler Today; Rain By Sunday

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SUNNY, BUT COOL: A cold front passed through Alabama last night; many noticed the strong north winds that developed right behind the boundary. Thanks to that front today will be noticeably cooler with a high around 50 degrees; that is about 15 degrees cooler than the highs we enjoyed yesterday. We note Tuscaloosa soared to 72 degrees yesterday, not bad for late January in Alabama. The air over Alabama is very dry, and we expect sunshine in full supply today.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Dry weather continues Saturday with a partly sunny sky; we start the day in the 25-29 degree range, but rise into the mid 50s by afternoon. Clouds thicken late in the day and Saturday night, ahead of a storm system to the west. Then, rain returns Sunday with a surface low passing just northwest of Alabama. The rain should begin by mid-morning, and continue at times through Sunday night. A few thunderstorms could be in the mix, but with a stable airmass we don’t expect any severe weather problems. Rain amounts of 1/2 to 3/4 inch look likely, with isolated amounts to one inch.

NEXT WEEK: Sharply colder air moves into Alabama Monday following the rain, and we will continue to mention a chance of snow flurries Monday morning in the cold air. No impact, however, with temperatures above freezing at the surface, and the deeper moisture off to the east. Monday’s high will be in the low to mid 40s with a strong north wind to make it feel colder.

A pretty significant freeze is likely at daybreak Tuesday, with a low in the 20-25 degree range. Tuesday will be dry with a high close to 50 degrees.

Then, the next wave in the southern branch of the jet stream will bring the next chance of rain Wednesday; we don’t have model consistency in this feature; some global model runs keep the best chance of rain over South Alabama, others show a good wet-down for the entire state. And, the European model wants to hold off the best chance of rain until Wednesday night and maybe Thursday. For now we will just mention a chance of rain for the entire state Wednesday and we can make adjustments as needed.

Then, another shot of colder air moves in late in the week. See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.

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I have a weather program today at Bluff Park Elementary in Hoover… be looking for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 this afternoon. Enjoy the day!

Tags: cooler

Category: Alabama's Weather