Some Snow/Sleet Possible Tonight Over North Alabama
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ON THE MAPS: A broad upper trough over the eastern U.S. continues to bring colder air down into the Deep South. Temperatures this afternoon are only in the low 40s over the Tennessee Valley… Birmingham reports 48 degrees at 2:00. We should be in the upper 60s this time of the year. Clouds are increasing ahead of a disturbance approaching from the northwest.
Precipitation will move into the state tonight, and with the wet-bulb cooling process it should begin initially as sleet or snow over parts of North Alabama. Not much change in our overall thinking… the best chance of seeing some snow tonight will be generally north of a line from Hamilton to Oneonta to Anniston to Ranburne. Best chance of snow will come from about 11:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m., and there could be a little light accumulation on grassy areas. Over far Northeast Alabama, there might be a slick spot or two with temperatures nearing the freezing mark, but for most places where snow falls the surface temperatures should be in the mid 30s and no travel issues are expected.
For Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, a little sleet is likely as the precipitation begins tonight, but after that it will be mostly light rain with maybe a snow flake or two. No travel issues.
But, a reminder, late season systems like this can bring a surprise, so we will watch radar trends and surface observations very closely.
Tomorrow will be cold and wet with periods of rain and a high only around 50 degrees.
SATURDAY: A warm front will be moving northward out of the Gulf of Mexico, and the placement of that boundary will determine who will have a severe weather risk. SPC maintains the standard “slight risk” of severe weather for the southern half of Alabama, and the 12Z model runs confirm this. Hardly any surface based instability over North Alabama… any severe storms Saturday should be along and south of a line from Livingston to Clanton to Roanoke. Shear values are marginal, so the main threat will be from hail and straight line winds, although an isolated tornado is not out of the question over South Alabama.
We also note the 12Z runs are a little drier during the day Saturday, holding off the really widespread, soaking rains until late in the day and Saturday night as a surface low gets closer. South of the warm front, temperatures will rise into the 70s, but north of the front, over the northern counties of the state, the high will be closer to 60 degrees. Rain amounts of around one inch are likely by early Sunday.
SUNDAY: A cold front passes through and the rain will diminish during the morning. The day looks cloudy, breezy, and cooler; temperatures could very well fall from the 60s Sunday morning into the 50s Sunday afternoon. Some parts of North Alabama might even drop into the 40s with a chilly north breeze.
NEXT WEEK: The weather looks cold and dry with sunny days and fair nights. A good chance we see a freeze on at least two mornings (Tuesday and Wednesday), but a freeze will be possible just about every morning through the week except Friday. Highs will be only in the 50s, and on Tuesday some places might not get out of the 40s. I get the idea the coldest morning will come early Wednesday with lows in the 20s. See the Weather Xtreme video for the maps, details, and graphics.
AT THE BEACH: Dry today with ample sunshine, but a few showers or storms are possible tomorrow and Saturday; just a slight risk of a shower Sunday. Highs will be in the 60s along the immediate coast. Most of next week will be dry with sunny days and fair nights, but temperatures will be cool with a high around 60 degrees each afternoon. The sea water temperature at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab this morning is only 63 degrees.
WEATHER RADIO HELP: We will be at the Publix in Chelsea this evening from 3:30 until 6:30… if you need help with a weather radio, have questions, or need to buy one, then come see us. Every Alabama home and business needs one; Monday’s severe weather event was a great reminder of that.
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.
CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…
Heading out to the Publix in Chelsea… enjoyed being at Shelton State in Tuscaloosa earlier today. Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow…
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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