The Frozen Tundra Of Alabama

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TOO COLD: Here are some select observations at 5:00 this morning…

Cullman… temp 18, wind chill 6, snow flurries
Albertville… temp 19, wind chill 4, snow flurries
Birmingham… temp 23, wind chill 9, cloudy

The weekend forecast went pretty much as expected; lots of snow flurries yesterday, but the only accumulation was across the high terrain of Northeast Alabama, especially up on Lookout Mountain where a dusting to one inch has been reported. There are some icy spots on roads up on those mountains, and schools in DeKalb and Cherokee Counties are closed today due to this. Everybody else is in pretty good shape.

TODAY: Most places north of Birmingham won’t make it out of the 20s. The lingering clouds and snow flurries over East Alabama should move out by midday, but afternoon sun won’t help very much. Strong winds will keep the wind chill index down in the teens most of the afternoon. Places like Tuscaloosa and Clanton should reach the low 30s.

TONIGHT: The wind dies down late tonight, and with a clear sky the stage is set for good radiational cooling. The average low early tomorrow will be close to 14, but the colder pockets (valleys and protected areas) will wind up in the single digits. It will be very interesting to see the lows for places like Valley Head, Collinsville, and Broomtown in Northeast Alabama.

TOMORROW: Lots of sunshine, but still cold. Looks like we won’t make it past the mid 30s as the Arctic air stays in place and really doesn’t modify very much. At least the wind will be relatively light.

WINTER WEATHER ISSUES WEDNESDAY? The fun and games continue. Moist air rides up and over the shallow layer of cold air near the surface Wednesday, and this overrunning setup has the potential to bring some freezing rain to North and East Alabama. Freezing rain is not the same as sleet (ice pellets)… freezing rain is liquid that falls with surface temperatures are at or below 32 degrees. See the Weather Xtreme video for details… looks like some freezing rain is possible generally north of a line from Millport to Brent to Roanoke… anytime from about 7:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The precipitation won’t be heavy, but with the ground and infrastructure very cold, there is a very real chance of enough ice on bridges and overpasses for some travel problems over North and East Alabama Wednesday. Just be aware of this possibility, and we will be much more specific tomorrow. It is a close call.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: The day will be much warmer as the surface warm front will be to the north. We warm well into the 50s with periods of rain still possible. Friday looks dry but cooler.

WEEKEND PEEK: More forecast issues… a short wave spins up a surface low in the northern Gulf of Mexico Saturday. This is a favorable position for North Alabama snow IF cold air is in place, but at this point the thermal values look a little too warm for snow this time. For now we will just mention periods of rain on Saturday with a high in the upper 40s… followed by colder air on Sunday with a clearing sky. The Gulf system could bring some very good snow to the mountains of East Tennessee/Western North Carolina… and set up a nor easter for the East Coast Sunday into Monday. It will be interesting to watch this unfold.

LONG RANGE: The AO (Arctic Oscillation, a cousin of the North Atlantic Oscillation) remains strongly negative through the latter half of December… and we have seen a few operational GFS runs suggest very cold weather at Christmas. But, that remains to be seen… we won’t be able to be specific about Christmas until late this week. Watch the Weather Xtreme video for more long range ideas.

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I have a weather program this morning at Elvin Hill Elementary in Columbiana… look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:30 this afternoon. Enjoy the day and STAY WARM!

Tags: cold, flurries

Category: Alabama's Weather