Warmer Days Ahead; Some Rain Late Thursday/Thursday Night
WARMING TREND: We have a sub-freezing start today for the northern 2/3 of Alabama with temperatures in the 22-32 degree range… Mobile reports 34 at 5a CT. Today will be sunny with a high in the upper 50s and low 60s for most places.
The warming trend continues through mid week, and afternoon temperatures will peak at around 70 degrees Wednesday and Thursday. A cold front will bring some rain to the northern 2/3 of the state late Thursday and Thursday night, but with limited moisture rain amounts will be under 1/2 inch. No risk of severe storms, and probably very little thunder.
FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: Dry air returns, and we expect mostly sunny pleasant days and fair nights Friday through the weekend. Highs will be mostly in the 60s Friday and Saturday, followed by low 70s Sunday.
NEXT WEEK: It looks like the warmest week so far this year with highs mostly in the 70s through Wednesday. A disturbance will bring some rain to the state Tuesday and Tuesday night, otherwise the rest of the week looks mostly dry. Highs back down a bit into the 60s Thursday and Friday.
Still no sign of any high impact weather event (ice, snow, severe cold, heavy rain, severe storms, tornadoes) for the Deep South for the next ten days… See the video briefing for maps, graphics, and more details.
ON THIS DATE IN 1884: Perhaps one of the “generational outbreaks” in United States history, the true extent of the tornado outbreak of February 19-20, 1884, is a mystery. Owing to sparce populations and damage reports across the South, the true number of tornadoes and the final death toll are unknown. Thus, this event has been dubbed the “Enigma Outbreak.” Amid an outbreak spanning from Mississippi to North Carolina over the course of several hours, at least seven significant tornadoes struck parts of Central and North Alabama.
These tornadoes affected at least eight separate counties across Alabama from around midday until late evening, resulting in at least 39 fatalities and 116 injuries. One long-track, violent tornado devastated six communities in eastern Alabama. The tornado began about 2:30 pm north of Jacksonville, moving across Calhoun and Cherokee counties before ending in Floyd County, Georgia. The total path length was 35 miles, most of which was in Alabama. The path width was 400 yards. At least 30 people were killed and over 100 others were injured. After moving through the Germania tanning yard, the tornado passed just north of Cross Plains (present-day Piedmont), where ten people were killed. Another 14 people were killed in Goshen. Other areas that were struck included Grantville, Ladiga, Adelia, Amberson, and Rock Run. A schoolhouse in Goshen was destroyed, resulting in the death of the schoolmaster and leaving all 25 students injured. Some homes in the area “literally vanished” and bales of cotton were reportedly thrown a half mile.
Look for the next video briefing here by 3:00 this afternoon… enjoy the day!
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