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Brighter, Cooler, Calmer Day

| April 5, 2011 @ 5:45 am | 4 Replies

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A COOL CHANGE: The storms are long gone… as expected with a unidirectional wind profile, we had no tornado problems last night with the squall line, but there were plenty of other issues, including large hail, damaging wind, lots of lighting, and some flooding. A tree blew into a house in Hueytown last night, and we understand one person was injured. There were many other reports of trees and power lines down, and at one point shortly before 10:00 Alabama Power reported 51,000 people with no power statewide.

Today will be sunny but much cooler with a high only in the low 60s along with a cool breeze.

COVER THOSE PLANTS: Our annual late season cold snap comes early tomorrow. We are projecting average lows in the mid 30s, and with a clear sky and calm wind (and wet ground), that is certainly cold enough for frost. And, we all know we have a huge range on a morning like this. Colder valleys and protected areas have a good chance of reaching the freezing mark; I expect some of the really cold spots like Broomtown and Valley Head could see a low in the 20s. The ridges will be warmest; elevations about 800 feet might not drop below 40. But, cold snaps don’t last long this late in the season, and we rise quickly into the low 70s by afternoon.

And yes, after tomorrow morning I think it is pretty safe to plant. A significant frost/freeze threat past the first week of April in Alabama is very, very rare. Not impossible, but rare. And, we see nothing in modeling to suggest any really cold air for the next 15 days.

REST OF THE WEEK: Thursday will be sunny with a high in the upper 70s. On Friday moist air returns, and we warm into the low 80s. The combination of daytime heating and low level moisture could lead to a few scattered showers by afternoon, much like a summer day. But, the rain won’t be especially widespread or heavy.

WARM WEEKEND AHEAD: The weekend will be more like summer. Highs in the 80-85 degree range with fairly high humidity levels. A warm ridge will cover the Gulf Coast states, and the warm air aloft with the ridge should keep us generally dry Saturday and Sunday, although we will probably mention a slight risk of a shower both days during the afternoon hours.

But, a strong upper trough will approach late Sunday night, suppressing the ridge and allowing a surface cold front through. See the Weather Xtreme video and you will see the 00Z GFS shows the surface low far to the north, near Duluth, Minnesota, and a setup somewhat similar to last night. So, a squall line could very well blow through at some point late Sunday night or Monday morning with potential for strong winds. SPC has the northwest part of Alabama in a risk of severe weather for late Sunday night; way too early to be specific on the timing of this event. Other runs have shown it to be a daytime event Monday.

Drier air moves into the state by Monday afternoon, and the middle of next week looks pleasant.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 30 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. We did record a few episode last night… great to have Mike Mogil on with us as our guest.

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)

I have a weather program this morning at Wedowee Elementary in Randolph County… be looking for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:30 this afternoon. Enjoy the day!

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Category: Alabama's Weather

About the Author ()

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.

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