In the Middle of the Night

Well, here we are into the first hour of our second day of winter. It is a cold, blustery, wet time of night and that will be the story all day on this Wednesday.

Can’t call it scattered showers
Certainly not widely scattered or isolated showers

Instead, it is an old-fashioned cold winter rain. Please don’t ask me what a “new-fashioned” rain would be like.

At 12:55 am, a good 90% of the state was getting a steady rain. Part of Extreme SW Alabama was getting a temporary break, from about Monroe County SW to North Mobile County.

Some of the heaviest rain now across North Central Alabama from about Tuscaloosa NE to Huntsville.

Latest surface map shows that the Gulf of Mexico low (from whence comes most of our rain) was beginning to move ashore on the Louisiana-Mississippi Coast. It is expected to pick up forward speed today possibly reaching Kentucky tonight (Wednesday night)

There was still virtually no lightning in Alabama but there was a surplus over the North Gulf of Mexico.

FLASH FLOOD PROBLEMS
A Flash Flood Watch continues for about 30 South Alabama Counties today, generally about as far north as Wilcox, Dallas and Montgomery County. A Coastal Flood Warning continues for Lower Mobile and Baldwin County.

WIND ADVISORY
It is in effect today for a lot of counties until 6 pm. Winds generally 15-20 mph with occasional gusts to 35. A cold wind at that as temperatures were in the 40s over most of the state early this morning.

SEVERE WEATHER THREAT
In their updated outlook about midnight, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has posted a “slight risk” for today in these areas:

* Southeast third of Alabama from about Mobile, Montgomery and Lafayette southward.
* Almost all of Florida
* Most of Georgia except Extreme North
* East part of both Carolinas

RADAR ESTIMATES OF RAIN AMOUNTS
Mobile radar shows over seven inches over the North Gulf some 100 miles south of the coast.
Birmingham radar suggests the heaviest amount over Sumter and South Greene County in West Alabama

SKYWATCHER AMOUNTS
0.48 Concord-Hueytown
0.30 Muscadine
0.55 Jemison

SPOT REPORTS FROM LATEST OBSERVATIONS
* Cheaha Skycam…39 degrees, rain, pressure falling rapidly, wind east 26, gusts 41, 0.74 rain so far
* Dauphin Island Skycam…wind SW, gusts 46
* Clanton Skycam…44 degrees, rain, pressure falling rapidly, wind NE, gusts 23, 0.81 rain so far
* Tuscaloosa Airport…49 degrees, steady rain, wind east 10, 0.60 rain so far
* Birmingham…46, steady rain, wind east 13, gusts 22, rain so far o.53
* Shelby County Airport…45 with heavy rain, wind NE 10, gusts 17, 0.89 rain so far
* Anniston Airport…44 light rain, wind NE 10, 0.34 so far
* Alexandra City…48, heavy rain, wind east 12, gusts 20
* Mobile…49, cloudy, wind light and variable, 0.97 rain so far.

Shall I start a fresh pot of coffee???

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