In Search of Clouds
Skies are completely clear across the entire state of Alabama early on this Sunday afternoon. On the weather maps, every station in the state has an empty circle at the center of its observational plot, indicating clear skies.
If you go north, you would have to go all the way to station CYAM to find clouds. Know where that is? Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in Canada!
If you went northeast, you don’t encounter anything but empty circles until you get to KIAD. That station? Dulles Airport in the D.C. area.
If you went east, you would find yourself in the Atlantic Ocean at KMYR, or Myrtle Beach long before encountering a cloud.
Heading southeast, no clouds on the obs until KDAB. That would be Daytona Beach. There stratocumulus clouds in the northeasterly flow off the Atlantic. Those are really ocean effect clouds, with warmer, more moist air picked up from the ocean causing some weak instability under colder air aloft.
A southerly or southwesterly trek in search of clouds would put you on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
To the west, all of the station circles are empty until you get to KABQ, or Albuquerque, although there are high clouds over the Texas Panhandle and eastern New Mexico that aren’t showing up on the observations.
Finally, to the northwest, there are high clouds over parts of Nebraska but the station obs show clear all the way to KAPA, which is Centennial Airport in Denver.
Temperatures across the state range from 52F at Gadsden to 58F at Mobile. It’s 55F at Birmingham and 57F at Tuscaloosa.
A freeze warning is in effect for tonight for Central Alabama for the third night in a row. Lows will range from 28F in parts of East Alabama to 31-32F in West Alabama the normally warmer urban areas. Some valley locations will make the middle 20s.
A real warming trend will start in earnest tomorrow, with highs expected to be in the upper 60s across the area. A few spots will even hit 70F.
Category: Alabama's Weather
About the Author (Author Profile)
Bill Murray is the President of The Weather Factory. He is the site's official weather historian and a weekend forecaster. He also anchors the site's severe weather coverage. Bill Murray is the proud holder of National Weather Association Digital Seal #0001 @wxhistorianSubscribe
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