Midday Nowcast: Rain Returns This Weekend, Then We Go Into The Deep Freeze Next Week
We continue to see dry and sunny weather today with temperatures right where they should be this time of year; highs in the low to mid 50s. An “Alberta Clipper” system is moving through the state today and will bring colder air to the state tonight and tomorrow. Lows tonight will fall into the 20s.
BIRMINGHAM ALMANAC: For January 3rd, the average high for Birmingham is 54° and the average low is 36°. The record high is 74° set in 2005, while the record low is 8° set in 1928. We average 0.16” of precipitation on this date and the record value is 2.01” set in 1982.
ACROSS THE USA: A major winter storm will produce widespread significant impacts from the central Plains across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, and into the Mid-Atlantic region this weekend into Monday. Areas between central Kansas and Indiana, especially along and north of Interstate 70, are likely to receive heavy snowfall. Icing is likely from eastern Kansas into the southern Appalachians.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Tomorrow will be sunny and colder with highs holding in the 40s. Tomorrow night, clouds increase ahead of a dynamic storm system that will bring rain and storms back to Alabama. Sunday will be a cloudy, windy, and rain will be moving in through the day. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) maintains a risk of severe thunderstorms to the west of Alabama across the ARKLAMISS, however, for most of Alabama, surface based instability will be low, and the overall threat of severe storms here remains very limited.
Rain amounts will be around one inch for the northern half of the state. Gradient winds (not related to thunderstorms) are expected Sunday and Sunday night, possibly gusting to 30/40 mph at times, and these can cause tree and power issues.
INTO THE DEEP FREEZE: The rain will end early Monday, and then a strong, icy northerly wind will bring very cold air to Alabama as highs will hold in the 30s and wind chill values will likely be below freezing all day. Even a few snow flurries are possible as the moisture departs on Monday. Everything shaded in blue is where the Climate Prediction Center is forecasting temperatures well-below average over the 6-10 day forecast period. The darker the shade of blue, the higher the confidence in below average temperatures and this matches model output data.
We are all need to be prepared to deal with a very cold couple of weeks stretch.
Tuesday through Thursday will be sunny and cold with highs in the 30s and lows in the teens and lower 20s.
For the end of the week, Friday into Saturday, the global models continue to hint at a surface low in the northern Gulf of Mexico with the potential for some winter weather mischief for parts of Alabama. Still too early to know if we have any snow or ice, but we should begin to get better clarity through this weekend.
WORLD TEMPERATURE EXTREMES: Over the last 24 hours, the highest observation outside the U.S. was 114.3F at Augrabies Falls, South Africa. The lowest observation was -67.0F at Batamaj, Russia.
CONTIGUOUS TEMPERATURE EXTREMES: Over the last 24 hours, the highest observation was 88F at Pala, CA. The lowest observation was -20F at Northgate, ND.
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Macon, Georgia Television Chief Meteorologist, Birmingham native, and long time Contributor on AlabamaWX. Stormchaser. I did not choose Weather, it chose Me. College Football Fanatic. @Ryan_StinnetSubscribe
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