Tag: "colder"
Rain Moving Out; Colder Air Moving In
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FALLING TEMPERATURES: As expected, temperatures have been going the wrong way over much of Northwest Alabama today… temperatures have actually fallen into the upper 40s around Hamilton, Haleyville, and Cullman, in the wake of a cold front moving through East Alabama.
A band of showers is along the front… I don’t think there has been any thunder over the northern half of the state today, and rain amounts have been generally light. The heavier totals have been over Northwest Alabama, where Haleyville reports 0.54″. But… Birmingham’s total is only 0.04″. The rain should be entirely out of the state by 6-7 p.m.
The sky will clear tonight, and most communities will see a low near 40 degrees early tomorrow, but the normally colder spots have a good chance of reaching the mid to upper 30s with a touch of light frost possible in scattered spots.
TOMORROW/FRIDAY: These two days look delightful, with ample sunshine and low humidity. The high tomorrow will be around 70, followed by mid 70s Friday.
MOIST AIR RETURNS FOR THE WEEKEND: The sky will be generally cloudy Saturday and Sunday, and we will mention a chance of showers both days as an unsettled weather pattern sets up. The rain won’t be continuous, but there could be a little thunder involved. We can’t give start/stop times of the rain, but just understand rain is possible at any hour of the day or night over the weekend. The high both days should be in the mid 70s.
NEXT WEEK: The showery weather continues for the first half of the week. Scattered showers will remain possible Monday through Wednesday, as afternoon temperatures rise into the upper 70s. Like the weekend, the rain won’t be continuous, but showers could come at any time. Then, later in the week, an organized band of showers and storms should move through the state Thursday ahead of a sharp cold front.
Colder and drier air moves into the state by Friday (May 3)… and at this point the following weekend looks dry and cool. In fact, we might make a run at record lows one morning that following weekend (May 4-5) thanks to a very deep upper trough over the eastern half of the nation. See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and details.
WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.
CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…
I really enjoyed my visit to Our Lady of Sorrows School in Homewood today… be looking for those kids on the Pepsi KIDCAM today at 5:00 on ABC 33/40 News! The next Weather Xtreme video will be posted by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow….
Cold, Snow, Rain, Storms
An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.
MUST BE MARCH IN ALABAMA: Quite the weather smorgasbord in the forecast this morning. Let’s take one event at a time…
SNOW/SLEET TONIGHT: The NWS in Birmingham has decided to issue a “winter weather advisory” for five counties in the far northern part of their CWA (County Warning Area)… Marion, Winston, Blount, Etowah, and Cherokee. Please note that Cullman, while in our (Birmingham) TV market, is in the Huntsville NWS CWA, and Huntsville has opted not to issue an advisory.
Not much change in our overall thinking. Precipitation will move into Alabama tonight, and the evaporative cooling effect should bring snow and some sleet to areas generally along and north of U.S. 278… or a line from Hamilton to Cullman to Gadsden. There could be enough snow for a little accumulation, mostly on grassy areas. And, with surface temperatures nearing freezing late tonight and early tomorrow, there might be a slick spot or two, but most places will hold in the mid 30s and widespread travel problems are not anticipated.
Down this way, a little sleet or a few snow flakes are possible as far south as Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Anniston, but it should be mostly light rain.
RAIN TOMORROW: The day tomorrow looks wet and chilly. Cloudy with periods of light rain; the high will be only in the low 50s. Rain amounts should be under one-half inch.
STORMS SATURDAY: SPC has introduced the standard “slight risk” of severe weather for the southern half of Alabama Saturday afternoon and Saturday night. A warm front will be moving northward during the day, and the position of that front will determine who will have the severe weather risk.
For now, it looks like the most unstable air will be south of a line from Livingston to Clanton to Roanoke, but we can’t rule out a severe storm farther north by Saturday evening. While bulk shear numbers are not overwhelming, values are high enough for an isolated tornado threat. Keep in mind this is Palm Sunday weekend, and many people will be traveling and “off the grid”, so try your best to stay in touch with weather developments.
COLDER SUNDAY: Finally getting some better clarity on Sunday. The day will be colder; some lingering light rain or drizzle is possible and the sky will be cloudy. Temperatures could very well fall into the 50-55 degree range during the day with a chilly north wind following the passage of a surface low Saturday night.
FREEZE POTENTIAL NEXT WEEK: The week will be dry, but cold for late March. We will have the potential for a freeze Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning. See the Weather Xtreme video for details, graphics, and maps.
AT THE BEACH: Dry today with ample sunshine, but a few showers or storms are possible tomorrow and Saturday; just a slight risk of a shower Sunday. Highs will be in the 60s along the immediate coast. Most of next week will be dry with sunny days and fair nights, but temperatures will be cool with a high around 60 degrees each afternoon. The sea water temperature at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab this morning is only 63 degrees.
WEATHER RADIO HELP: We will be at the Publix in Chelsea today evening from 3:30 until 6:30… if you need help with a weather radio, have questions, or need to buy one, then come see us. Every Alabama home and business needs one; Monday’s severe weather event was a great reminder of that.
ON THIS DATE IN 1932: At least 315 Alabamians were killed in our most deadly tornado outbreak on record (the death toll on April 27, 2011 was 252). Tornadoes touched down during at mid-afternoon near Demopolis. This was followed a short time later by a tornado near Linden and Faunsdale. Then a major F4 tornado hit Northport, killing 37 people along the 20 mile path. Cullman County felt the fury next, as 18 people died around Phelan, Bolti, Berlin and Fairview. The action shifted south next, with a disastrous tornado that killed 49 from Perry to Coosa County, hitting Chilton County hard. Columbiana was struck around 5:10 p.m., and 14 people died there. Another tornado paralleled the first Chilton County tornado, killing another 31 people. Near Plantersville, the Lathem family was nearly wiped out. Around 7 p.m, the activity shifted back southwest, with a tornado touch down near Greensboro. Shortly after that, people cleaning up from the first Faunsdale tornado watched in disbelief as another tornado passed nearby.
A deadly tornado targeted Gantt’s Quarry in Talladega County and then hit Sylacauga just after 7 p.m. 29 people died there. A second tornado passed near Sylacauga about an hour later. The event would hop to North Alabama, where deadly tornadoes skipped across Lawrence and Morgan Counties, then hit the Battle Ground area of Cullman county and finally wrapped up in a deadly way as a family of tornadoes killed 32 people mainly across rural Jackson County.
WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.
CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…
I will be doing a weather program this morning at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa… look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 this afternoon. Enjoy the day…
A Freeze Early Tomorrow Morning
An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.
COLD START TO SPRING: Welcome to spring; the vernal equinox was at 6:02 a.m. CDT. As expected, morning clouds have moved to the south, and the sky is generally sunny across the northern half of Alabama. Temperatures are mostly in the 59-62 degree range.
FREEZE TONIGHT: The GFS is now printing a low of 26 degrees for Birmingham early tomorrow; we figure most places will see a low somewhere between 25 and 30 degrees with a clear sky and light wind. Look for lots of sunshine tomorrow morning, but clouds will arrive late in the day.
SNOW/SLEET TOMORROW NIGHT? A disturbance will bring precipitation into Alabama tomorrow night. Due to the wet-bulb cooling effect, we still believe the atmosphere will be cold enough for snow along and north of U.S. 278… or north of a line from Hamilton to Cullman to Gadsden. The best chance of accumulating snow will be along and north of the Tennessee River, especially around Muscle Shoals. A dusting to around one inch is possible, mostly on grass, across Colbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan, Madison, and Jackson counties. A few slick spots could develop, but major, widespread travel problems are not expected.
Down this way, the precipitation will most likely begin as sleet (ice pellets), with a little snow possibly mixed in. Then, it changes to rain early Friday morning. No accumulation or travel issues are expected for Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Anniston.
Remember, we have limited skill in forecasting winter events in Alabama late in the season, so we will be watching for any potential surprises.
Friday will be cold and wet, with periods of light rain. Not sure we can get out of the 40s; a few spots could reach the low 50s.
SATURDAY SOAKER: Saturday still looks a very wet day. Rain much of the day, with some thunder possible as a warm front lifts slowly northward from the Gulf. There could be a few strong storms over South Alabama, south of the warm front… up our way the risk of severe weather for now looks pretty small. Rain amounts of one inch are likely.
SUNDAY: The GFS continues to look pretty dry. The model suggests the rain will end early in the day, perhaps even during the pre-dawn hours, with the sun breaking through during the day. A cold front will be passing through; it could very well be a day with the high temperature coming during the morning hours followed by falling afternoon temperatures. The chance of strong afternoon storms is fading with this scenario.
NEXT WEEK: The weather looks generally cold and dry. Highs only in the 50s; a good chance we go below freezing Tuesday, Wednesday, and possibly Thursday morning. It won’t feel like spring.
AT THE BEACH: Dry tomorrow, but a few showers or storms are possible Friday and Saturday; just a slight risk of a shower Sunday. Highs will be in the 60s along the immediate coast. Most of next week will be dry with sunny days and fair nights, but temperatures will be cool with a high around 60 degrees each afternoon. The sea water temperature at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab this afternoon is only 63 degrees.
WEATHER RADIO HELP: We will be at the Publix in Chelsea tomorrow evening from 3:30 until 6:30… if you need help with a weather radio, have questions, or need to buy one, then come see us. Every Alabama home and business needs one; Monday’s severe weather event was a great reminder of that.
WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. Great to have weather legend Chuck Doswell on with us this week… scroll down for the show notes.
CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…
Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow….
Snow For Extreme North Alabama Tomorrow Night
An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.
MUST BE MARCH IN ALABAMA: Long time Alabamians know anything goes this time of the year; this week we go from a severe weather event Monday to a freeze, and some snow before the week is over.
Today will be dry; we have some clouds this morning, but those should move out by midday, and the afternoon should be mostly sunny with a high in the low 60s.
FREEZE EARLY TOMORROW: We will begin the day in the 25-30 degree range for most places; NWS has issued a freeze warning (they do this late in the season for growers). It sure won’t feel like spring; the high tomorrow will only be in the low to mid 50s… almost 15 degrees below average for late March in Alabama.
SNOW/SLEET TOMORROW NIGHT? Confidence is actually pretty high in wintry precipitation over far North Alabama. Evaporative cooling should bring a favorable environment for snow over the Tennessee Valley region of North Alabama. The best chance of accumulating snow will be generally north of the Tennessee River; a dusting to one inch is possible mostly on grassy areas. Our friends up in Florence, Athens, Huntsville, and Scottsboro will have to watch for some slick spots on roads and bridges late tomorrow night and into early Friday morning, but temperatures should be generally in the mid 30s as the snow falls.
Down this way, precipitation will begin through a very dry low level column… and some sleet (ice pellets) are very possible as far south as Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Anniston (I-20). Sleet rarely causes driving issues, and temperatures should be above freezing, so I don’t expect any problems around here.
But, we all know late season winter systems can bring some surprises, so we will watch data closely as it gets closer.
FRIDAY: The day will be cold and wet, with periods of light rain. I seriously doubt if we can get out of the 40s with clouds and rain at times. It won’t rain all day, and rain amounts should rather light.
SATURDAY SOAKER: Unfortunately the weekend should begin with a very wet day. Rain is likely Saturday; the rain should be pretty widespread with amounts of one half to one inch likely. And, it could very well rain much of the day as a warm front slowly moves northward from the Gulf of Mexico. We should remain north of the warm front, so for now no severe weather is expected, but some elevated thunder is certainly possible.
If by chance the warm front gets north of here, strong storms are possible, but at this point that doesn’t look likely.
SUNDAY: This day remains a mystery; a dry slot in the mid levels will work into Alabama, and no doubt a pretty good part of the day will be dry with some sunshine. We should warm up into the mid 70s… which could open the door for some scattered afternoon storms. While the GFS is dry, a storm or two could very well form on a surface front, and if they do form, they could be pretty strong since the air will be unstable. We will continue to mention the risk of a storm in the afternoon, but if the models continue the dry look we will begin to phase that risk out of the forecast.
NEXT WEEK: The pattern looks generally cold and dry. I expect to see freezing temperatures on multiple mornings, and we will have a very hard time getting out of the 50s for most days.
AT THE BEACH: Dry weather is the story on the coast today and tomorrow, but showers and a few storms are possible Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Highs along the immediate coast will be in the 60s due to the influence of the cool ocean water; sea surface temperatures are mostly in the 60-65 degree range along the coast from Panama City west to Gulf Shores. Most of next week looks dry, but cool.
WEATHER RADIO HELP: We will be at the Publix in Chelsea tomorrow evening from 3:30 until 6:30… if you need help with a weather radio, have questions, or need to buy one, then come see us. Every Alabama home and business needs one; Monday’s severe weather event was a great reminder of that.
WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. Scroll down for the show notes on this week’s episode with Chuck Doswell.
CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…
Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 this afternoon…. enjoy the day….
Storms Moving Out; Windy And Colder
An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.
AN ICY WIND: The narrow band of showers and storms is exiting Alabama this afternoon, and a strong northwest wind is ushering in much colder air. Winds will average 25-40 mph in the wake of the storms this evening as temperatures fall steadily. Most places will wind up near 30 degrees early tomorrow morning.
Clouds will hang tough tonight; a few snow flurries are possible over the northeast counties of Alabama, but they shouldn’t pose any problems.
Tomorrow will be windy and cold day; the high will be close to 50, but northwest winds of 15-30 mph will make it feel colder. Clouds could very hang tough much of the day over Northeast Alabama, while the rest of the state should see a decent amount of sunshine.
THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND: After another freeze early Thursday, a nice warm-up begins during the day with a high in the upper 50s. Then, we reach the mid 60s Friday and upper 60s Saturday to kick off the weekend. All three of these days will be bright and sunny thanks to very dry air in place.
A good chance we reach the low 70s Sunday, but southerly winds will begin to increase and a few scattered clouds will show up.
NEXT WEEK: Both the GFS and the ECMWF are now in good agreement… our next round of showers and storms will come Monday. Not a classic severe weather look, but you have to watch any system that blows through here in March. Drier air returns for Tuesday and Wednesday.
WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. We will produce this week’s show tonight at 8:30 p.m. CST… you can watch it live here.
CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…
I had a great time today visiting the second graders at Vestavia Hills West Elementary School… be looking for them on the Pepsi KIDCAM today at 5:00 on ABC 33/40 News. The next Weather Xtreme video will be posted here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow…
