Still Dry Today; Wet Weekend Ahead
ONE MORE DRY DAY: Alabama’s weather will stay dry today… with a partly sunny sky we project a high in the 60-67 degree range for most communities this afternoon. The sky becomes mostly cloudy tomorrow, and a few showers could reach the state late in the day and tomorrow night ahead of a cold front. But, for most places, the day tomorrow will still be dry.
WET WEEKEND: The front will become stationary across Alabama, setting the stage for a wet weekend. Look for occasional rain and a few thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday with highs between 67 and 72 degrees. The most heaviest and most widespread rain Saturday will be over the northern half of the state, and on Sunday over Central and South Alabama.
Rain will continue on Monday, and there could be a few strong thunderstorms involved as a surface low moves to the north across Tennessee. But, for now the risk of severe storms looks low with very limited surface based instability. Rain amounts between tomorrow night and Monday will be in the 2-3 inch range over North/Central Alabama, and around one inch for the southern counties. A few flooding issues can’t be ruled out along the way, but all of this rain will likely knock out the remaining drought across Alabama.
REST OF NEXT WEEK: The rest of next week looks cool and dry with highs mostly in the 50s and lows in the 30s, very close to seasonal averages. Global models suggest we will deal with yet another wet weekend on February 17/18. See the video briefing for maps, graphics, and more details.
LONG RANGE: The new CPC 8-14 day outlook issued today for the period February 15-21 shows temperatures below average over the eastern and southern U.S. How cold? We really don’t know now. But keep in mind a day with a high of 50 and low of 30 is below average in mid-February.
Snow? Don’t get your hopes up; using ensemble output from the reliable European global model there is basically no chance of snow greater than one inch across Alabama through February 22. Of course, this could change.
ON THIS DATE IN 1956: From February 1-8, heavy snow fell over the Panhandle of Texas. Snowfall amounts include 43 inches in Vega, 24 inches in Hereford, and 14 inches in Amarillo. The storm caused 23 deaths and numerous injuries. It snowed continuously for 92 hours in some locations.
ON THIS DATE IN 2010: Snow developed rapidly across northern portions of Alabama. A narrow band of snow moved eastward across the area…from Lauderdale and Colbert Counties…through Limestone, Madison, and into Jackson Counties. Some locations in eastern Lauderdale County received upwards of 6 inches of snow in just a few hours.
Look for the next video briefing here by 3:00 this afternoon… enjoy the day!
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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