Mostly Dry Weekend Ahead; Strong Storms Next Week
RADAR CHECK: Clouds cover much of Alabama this afternoon, but as expected, rain today has been very light and spotty. Most places haven’t seen enough rain to measure, and we are seeing just a few light showers over the southeast part of the state at mid-afternoon. Temperatures are in the upper 40s and low 50s; the average high for January 31 at Birmingham is 55.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: An upper trough will have the potential to squeeze out a few isolated showers across Alabama tomorrow morning, otherwise we expect clouds tomorrow morning to give way to some partial clearing by mid to late afternoon with a high in the mid 50s. Then, Sunday will be brighter and warmer… with a good supply of sunshine we project a high in the mid 60s.
NEXT WEEK: Monday will be a spring-like day; lots of sunshine with a high around 70 degrees. Clouds increase Monday night, and we will bring in the chance of showers Tuesday and Tuesday night. An approaching cold front will bring the chance of strong, possibly severe thunderstorms to Alabama by Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday night… SPC has a decent part of the state in a severe weather risk in their “Day 6” severe weather outlook…
It is simply too early to define the magnitude of the threat, or specific timing…. just something to watch for now. Thursday will be cooler with lingering light rain, followed by a dry day Friday. Highs drop back into the 50-55 degree range on those two days… See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.
RAIN UPDATE: Birmingham’s rain total for the month of January as of early this morning is 7.82?, 3.15? above average. South Alabama has been much drier, however… Mobile’s total is 4.43?, 1.03? below average.
ON THIS DATE IN 1989: The barometric pressure at Norway, Alaska reached 31.85 inches (1078.4 mb) establishing an all-time record for the North American Continent. The temperature at the time of the record was about 46 degrees below zero. Severe arctic cold began to invade the north central U.S. The temperature at Grand Fall, Montana plunged 85 degrees in 36 hours. Valentine, Nebraska plummeted from a record high of 70 degrees to zero in just nine hours. Northwest winds gusted to 86 mph at Lander WY, and wind chill readings of 80 degrees below zero were reported in Montana. Sixty-four cities in the central U.S. reported record highs for the date as readings reached the 60s in Michigan and the 80s in Kansas.
STORM SPOTTER TRAINING: Our annual storm spotter training is Saturday, February 8 at the Hoover Met. It begins at 9:30; and there is no cost. We will offer both the basic and advanced training sessions… we expect to wrap up by 2:30. No need to register; just show up with a curious mind. We need more trained storm spotters! Help us make the warning process better!
BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.
WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute show anytime on your favorite podcast app. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.
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Look for my next Weather Xtreme video here by 7:00 a.m. Monday… enjoy the weekend!
Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Weather Xtreme Videos
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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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