Big Rain Event Ahead
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THE WEDGE: Cooler air will flow into Alabama from the east today. Temperatures are in the 20s this morning over parts of Virginia and North Carolina, and it will be a day where communities near the Georgia border won’t get out of the 50s; other parts of the state will see a high in the low to mid 60s, a good bit cooler than yesterday. And, the sky will be mostly cloudy with developing showers.
GOOD SOAKING: The rain will be widespread tonight and tomorrow, and heavy at times. A few thunderstorms will be involved, but severe weather parameters are very weak with little surface based instability. SPC has a slight risk (their standard risk) of severe weather up tomorrow for the immediate Gulf Coast… places like New Orleans, Mobile, and Pensacola, where instability values are a little higher… even there the risk is somewhat marginal.
HOW MUCH RAIN? I think everybody will see two inches of rain during the next 36 hours, with isolated amounts to four inches. The NAM is printing 2.64″ for Birmingham… the RPM is even more aggressive with amounts of 3-4 inches for parts of Central Alabama. The ground is not saturated and hopefully we will get away with no serious flash flooding issues, but we note that flash flood watches are up from Memphis to Buffalo, just northwest of here.
TIMING: There will be times when it isn’t raining, but rain is likely just about all night tonight and all day tomorrow. The heaviest rain, most likely, will come tomorrow afternoon and tomorrow night. It sure doesn’t look good for anything outdoors tomorrow.
SUNDAY/MONDAY: The rain will end late Saturday night, and Sunday will feature a clearing sky with cooler temperatures. The high Sunday will be in the mid 50s, and by early Monday morning widespread frost is likely, with lows in the 25-35 degree range. Then, we warm up nicely Monday with a high in the low to mid 60s.
REST OF NEXT WEEK: Another cold front will bring the next chance of showers and storms at mid-week… looks like the best chance of rain and storms will come Wednesday night, and we will be monitoring that for potential for damaging winds with the squall line as it passes through. Cooler and drier air follows for Thursday and Friday.
LONG RANGE: Still no sign of any super serious cold air outbreak through mid-month… but there will be several mornings with potential for a light freeze, like Monday and Thursday of next week. See the Weather Xtreme video for more details.
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FOLLOW ALONG: Here are our weather team Twitter accounts….
| James Spann | Jason Simpson | Ashley Brand |
| J. B. Elliott | Bill Murray | Brian Peters |
| Dr. Tim Coleman | WeatherBrains Podcast | E-Warn (AL wx watches/warnings) |
Another busy day today… I have stops at Berry Middle School in Hoover, and Trinity United Methodist Church in Homewood. Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:30 or so this afternoon… enjoy the day!
Category: Alabama's Weather
About the Author (Author Profile)
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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