Cold And Wet With Some Snow
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This is one of those mornings when it makes good sense to watch the Weather Xtreme video… often the pictures and graphics do a much better job telling the weather story. But, we have a cold core upper low coming through, and you know those things are a “weatherman’s woe”…
TODAY: Some 5:00 a.m. temperatures around Alabama include 36 at Haleyville, 41 in Tuscaloosa, 44 in Birmingham, and 49 in Anniston. We won’t get out of the 40s today, and some places in far Northwest Alabama might have a hard time getting out of the 30s. We will stay socked in with low clouds, and there will be periods of light rain and drizzle as a deep upper low moves slowly toward the northwest corner of the state.
TONIGHT/TOMORROW: This is where some winter fun and games will come in. Dynamic cooling associated with the intense upper low will bring snow to parts of the Deep South. The NWS in Memphis has issued a winter storm warning for parts of Northeast Mississippi and southern middle Tennessee, where over 3 inches of snow is expected. Below is the graphic I used last night here on the blog, and is still very valid this morning…
There is no doubt there will be bands of heavy, wet snow falling under the cold core. I have 1-4 inches in the “bullseye” but I would not be shocked if there was a spot or two with 5 inches. A similar system in 1997 brought almost 8 inches in Mississippi under the cold core ULL.
JUST IN… The NWS in Birmingham has decided to issue a “winter weather advisory” for potential for light snow accumulation on grassy areas in this part of Alabama…
In Alabama, the greatest risk of any travel issues will be up around Muscle Shoals, but some of those heavier bands could impact places like Russellville, Red Bay, and maybe even as far south as Hamilton and Haleyville. We will simply have to watch radar trends closely tonight and adjust the forecast as needed. But, the good news is that the ground is warm, and surface temperatures even up in Northwest Alabama are expected to remain above freezing, so the roads will be mainly wet and slushy.
FARTHER SOUTH: Some snow will likely fall as far south as I-20, and there might be a few spots where there is a little light dusting on grassy areas, but accumulation is not likely for places like Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Anniston. We will have to watch Gadsden and points north where there might be a little enhancement in spots across higher terrain, but again, for now, widespread accumulation or travel issues are not expected.
The best chance of getting snow in Alabama will come from about 9:00 p.m. tonight through 9:00 a.m. tomorrow.
REMEMBER: These systems are very difficult to forecast, and will almost always bring surprises, so keep an eye on the blog for possible forecast changes later today and tonight.
The rain and snow will taper off during the day tomorrow as the upper low moves northwest away from Alabama.
WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY: The weather will be brighter and warmer. The sun returns during the day Wednesday, but still the high will be only around 50 degrees. Then, expect upper 50s Thursday and low 60s Friday as a warming trend kicks in along with a good supply of sunshine both days.
WEEKEND PEEK: At this point the weekend looks dry with seasonal temperatures… highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s. For now looks like our next chance of rain comes early next week.
WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 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 will record this week’s episode tonight at 8:30 p.m…
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I will be doing a weather program this morning at Floyd Elementary School in Gadsden… look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:30 or so this afternoon. Enjoy the day, and stay tuned for updates…
Category: Alabama's Weather
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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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