Sunday Weather Briefing Video: A Few Showers Today, an Early Week Freeze, Rain and Storms for Friday

Saturday just looked like the perfect Iron Bowl day weatherwise. I was reminded of some of those great ABC telecasts from the Bear Bryant and Shug Jordan eras. And the forecast was pretty much on track from all week. Let’s see if we can keep that momentum going into a new longer work week.

ON THE WEATHER MAPS: Early on this Sunday morning at the upper levels of the atmosphere over the United States, we find a strong trough moving through the Midwest. That disturbance will dig out a deep trough over the eastern United States into midweek, which will mean cool weather ahead for Alabama. The system will trigger a few showers today, but much of the week ahead will be dry. Things will be turning wet by Friday.

FOR YOUR SUNDAY: A few lucky folks, mainly over northeastern sections of the area, have enjoyed a brief look at the sun this morning. But most everyone else is cloudy and everyone will be cloudy soon. Showers have been massing to the west and those will be moving across the area during the morning hours. They should be mainly east of I-65 by 1 p.m. Low temperatures this morning were in the upper 30s Northwest, with 40s across the rest of North and Central Alabama. Temperatures by afternoon were rise into the middle and upper 50s across the northern half of the state with readings in the lower 60s across South Central Alabama. Slow clearing will begin tonight, and lows will be chillier, in the 30s across the northern half of the state, with lower 40s South. There could be a light freeze over northwestern counties.

NEW WORK WEEK: The clearing trend will continue into Monday along with the trend toward cooler temperatures. In fact, North Alabama highs may struggle to get out of the 40s with a chilly northwest wind. Highs Monday afternoon will range from 46-49F over North Alabama, with lower and middle 50s over Central Alabama. Expect a fairly widespread freeze across the northern half of the area, with frost possible across much of North and Central Alabama. Tuesday highs will range from 49-51F across the Tennessee Valley and 52-56F across Central Alabama.

SAILING THROUGH MIDWEEK: High pressure will remain in control of Alabama weather as we slide through Wednesday into Thursday. Expect a statewide freeze Wednesday morning, with perhaps only areas near the Bay and Gulf in Mobile and Baldwin counties escaping unscathed. On Thursday, we see a low developing showers and storms off to our west, which will be headed in our general direction, but at this point, we’ll remain dry with sunny skies. Clouds will begin to build during the evening and overnight hours. Highs in the upper 50s to the mid 60s.

FLIPPING THE CALENDAR: It is hard to believe that November is just about over. By Friday morning, low pressure will be moving from Oklahoma into Arkansas, with a warm front lifting northeastward across Southwest Alabama. Showers and storms will enter the state Friday morning, and the timing could affect whether there is any chance for severe weather. The GFS is a little faster, and keeps the instability south of US-82. The slower Euro allows a little more instability into North Central Alabama, which could lend itself to stronger convection. It looks like there could be a fairly strong low level jet and the accompanying threat for severe weather. Lots of time between now and then to iron out the threat, if there will be one at all. Highs on Friday will be in the 60s south of i-22 and US-280, or southwest of the front. The rain should mostly move out before the high school semifinal playoff games.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS: It looks like Friday’s front could be a pretty decent weather maker, which is music to our ears. QPFs are around 1-2 inches across the area.

THE WEEKEND: Highs will be in the 60s still on Saturday even though winds will be shifting around to the northwest. Saturday night lows will be in the 40s area wide. Highs will be in the upper 50s North and lower and middle 60s on Sunday.

IN THE TROPICS: It looks like my prediction of putting a fork in the North Atlantic Hurricane Season was not premature after all. The NHC now says tropical cyclone development is not expected over the next seven days. The season ends Thursday.

AT THE BEACH: It will be chilly along the beautiful beaches of Alabama and Northwest Florida, at least through Thursday. Things will warm up in time for the weekend, but along with that will come the rain and storms. Week two looks kinda similar. Water temperature are in the middle 60s. The rip current risk looks low to moderate over the next four days. Get the latest weather and rip current forecasts for the beaches from Dauphin Island, AL, to Panama City Beach, FL, on our Beach Forecast Center page. There, you can select the forecast of the region that you are interested in.

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ON THIS DATE IN 1703: Four hundred windmills were destroyed by the greatest gale in the history of England. Many of the huge structures burned down from fires which started as their blades turned wildly in the 80 mph winds. In London, roofs blew off and chimneys were toppled. The famed Eddystone Lighthouse was toppled by heavy seas. Over one hundred people died on land, and another 8,000 died at sea as hundreds of vessels from the British fleet were lost, including four Men-Of-War. It was all caused by an extremely intense 950 millibar low pressure system that passed north of London.

Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Severe Weather