Weekend Warm-Up Ahead
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COLD START: Vic Bell, our Skywatcher at Black Creek (just northeast of Gadsden), reports 16 degrees at daybreak; up the road Fort Payne is at 19. Most of the larger cities along I-20 are in the mid 20s with a clear sky.
The day ahead will feature a partly sunny sky with a high in the upper 50s.
SOME RAIN TONIGHT: A short wave along with a surface warm front will bring the risk of showers to Alabama tonight. The high resolution NAM hints the best chance of showers will come from 6:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m.; the moisture will be pretty limited, so rain amounts should be rather light and spotty.
WARMER WEEKEND: We head for the mid 60s tomorrow, followed by low to mid 70s Sunday as the warm-up begins and we kick off meteorological spring. The weekend looks dry with a mix of sun and clouds. However, clouds will thicken Sunday night, and rain could advance into the state ahead of the next storm system.
Sure looks like the main window for rain will come from about midnight Sunday night through noon Monday. The last few model runs have been a little drier, hinting at around 1/2 inch of rain for North-Central Alabama. Some thunder is possible, but severe weather is not expected.
NEXT WEEK: After the rain moves out Monday afternoon, colder air moves back into the state, but the GFS and the ECMWF have continued to back off on the intensity of the cold air for Alabama. We will drop into the upper 20s early Tuesday, followed by a high in the low to mid 50s Tuesday afternoon. A high near 60 degrees is possible Wednesday as the seriously cold air stays north of Alabama.
And, that is a good thing since models show a significant Gulf of Mexico low pressure center impacting our state with a big rain event Thursday. If we had cold air in place, that could have been a setup for a big late season snow. But, thickness values support all rain for Alabama.
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I will be at Vincent Elementary School in Shelby County today for Read Across America Day… look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 this afternoon. Enjoy the day!
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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