Storm Alert Xtreme Is Tomorrow!

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STORM ALERT XTREME: Want to be trained as a storm spotter? Want to join the ABC 33/40 Skywatcher team? Our annual training event, Storm Alert Xtreme, is tomorrow at the BJCC during the annual Birmingham International Auto Show. You will be trained by the best SKYWARN trainer in the nation, our own Brian Peters (he has trained over 6,000 Alabama storm spotters over the years), and learn from one of the most brilliant weather researchers in the country, our own Dr. Tim Coleman. We encourage all of our Skywatchers to attend this every year; you simply cannot get enough training. We will begin at 9:30, and be out by 3:30. And, everyone that attends Storm Alert Xtreme gets free admission to the Alabama International Auto Show. There is no admission charge, and no need to register. Just show up, but get there early for a good seat. We had a packed house last year.

BRING ON THE WEEKEND: Readers here over the past few days have known I have had great doubt about this system’s ability to produce significant rain over North Alabama. So far, very little rain over this part of Alabama today, and I still think rain amounts will be under one-half inch. Some spots will be lucky to get over a quarter of an inch during the next 24 hours.

Having said that, the NAM is still printing 1.23″ for Birmingham, while the GFS shows 0.91″. I hope they are right, but I sure wouldn’t expect that much.

TO THE SOUTH AND EAST: The air is rather unstable over South Alabama and the southern two-thirds of Georgia; surface based CAPE values are near 2,500 j/kg near the Alabama/Florida border around Geneva with surface temperatures hovering around 80 degrees. Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across the region during the next 6 to 8 hours, and SPC indicates they might pull the trigger on a severe thunderstorm watch for much of Central and South Georgia. We do not expect severe thunderstorms across the northern half of Alabama tonight.

All of this action to the south will only serve to disrupt the inflow to North Alabama and reduce our rain potential.

Still, we have a cold front due in here late tonight, and that should bring a band of showers, and possibly a thunderstorm. Most of this rain will be in here from midnight to 6:00 a.m.

COLD WEEKEND: The rain will end tomorrow morning, and much colder air rolls in here. Looks like temperatures will fall from the mid 50s at daybreak into the upper 40s by midday, and stay there through the afternoon. Clouds will most likely hang tough all day; in fact I would not be shocked if clouds lingered all the way down into South Alabama. This, along with a very chilly north wind, will make for a raw and uncomfortable day.

We will be close to freezing by daybreak Sunday; Monday morning will most likely serve up another light freeze. Sunshine will return in full force both Sunday and Monday as the air will be very dry.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the high school playoff games tonight, there could be some showers involved. On Saturday, Georgia will be at Auburn for an 11:30 kickoff televised by RayCom. The temperature will be near 50 at kickoff and windy with clearing weather during the game. Mississippi State will be in Tuscaloosa for a Saturday night game with Alabama on ESPN. It should be around 48 at kickoff, dropping to 40 before the final whistle and mostly clear.

NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND: A steady northerly flow will continue next week keeping temperatures below average, and the weather dry. For most of next week it looks like highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s. Interesting to note the 12Z GFS has taken the idea of a big cold air blast off the table in the November 20-24 time frame; the long wave upper trough over the east has vanished on the latest output, but I would not be shocked if it shows up again in future runs. Lots of cold air available over the northern part of the continent, with an increasing snow cover.

TWITTER: Don’t forget, you can follow our news and weather updates from ABC 33/40 on Twitter here. And, my personal Twitter feed is here if you want to keep up with my adventures in life. Twitter is a short messaging service you can receive via the web, cell phone, or IM.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 30 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. You can even listen here on the blog; look for the player on the top left.

I hope to see many of you at Storm Alert Xtreme tomorrow at the BJCC… my next Weather Xtreme video will be posted by Monday morning at 7:00. Enjoy the weekend!

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