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MID-WEEK: Tonight will be clear and cold, and we expect lows in the 25 to 30 degree range at daybreak tomorrow. Then, we warm into the mid 50s tomorrow afternoon with a sunny sky. Thursday will stay dry, although clouds will increase through the day. We should warm to near 60 degrees Thursday afternoon, but very cold air is lurking just to the north, and our friends along the I-40 corridor are about to be spanked hard by ole man winter.
CLOSE CALL: All of the 12Z data suggests our ongoing forecast is right on track. For Alabama, rain will become widespread Friday, with potential for 1 to 2 inches during the day. We might even see some thunder over the southern half of the state. We should note that some sleet, or even a few snow flakes are possible late Thursday and early Friday over extreme North Alabama, near the Tennessee border, but that should not pose any serious travel issues for the Tennessee Valley.
Just north of Alabama, a major ice/snow event will unfold for Arkansas and Tennessee Friday, with potential for heavy snow north of I-40, and enough ice along and just south of I-40 for the possibility of power outages. Winter storm warnings will be needed for most of Arkansas and Tennessee for Thursday night and Friday.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Colder air will drop down into the northern half of Alabama, and there will be a window when the rain will change over to a wintry mix of freezing rain, sleet, and possibly some light snow as far south as I-20. This will be on the back side of the departing system, and precipitation amounts Friday night should be light. But, it is possible that we drop to freezing as some of this falls, meaning some risk of a little bridge icing. So, if you are traveling Friday night, just be aware of this possibility. For now it does not look like a major threat.
COLD WEEKEND: Saturday will be a very cold day, with temperatures holding in the 30s all day with wind chill index values below freezing, and the chance of a few morning snow flurries. We will drop down into the low 20s early Sunday with a clear sky and diminishing wind, followed by a decent warm-up Sunday afternoon with a high around 50 under a bright, sunny sky.
Understand we are still a few days out on this end of the week system, and forecast changes are very possible, so stay tuned. Be sure and watch the Weather Xtreme video to see all of the graphics that go with this discussion; that will help you if you are trying to travel up into ice storm/snow storm country this weekend.
NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND: The next wave impacts Alabama on Tuesday with a good chance of rain statewide. And, into February it looks like we will have occasional shots of cold air, with a very active southern stream continuing, much like you expect during an El Nino cycle. The month looks active and interesting.
STORM ALERT 2010 BEGINS THURSDAY: Our annual severe weather tour across Alabama kicks off this Thursday evening, January 28 in Winfield at First Baptist Church. You can meet the ABC 33/40 Weather team, see some amazing Alabama weather stories, learn how to keep your family safe this tornado season, and win some cool stuff. The show begins at 7:00; be sure and get there early to get a good seat. See the entire tour schedule here!
LIVE CHAT: We are now offering a real time chat here on the blog… open blog comments will stay in place, of course, but this will allow a more immediate method of communication for weather geeks. We do have moderators posted over there, so be sure and play nice. Members of our weather team will be there from time to time to answer questions; we will post those times we are available here on the blog.
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. You can even listen here on the blog; look for the player on the top left. Scroll down for the show notes on this week’s new episode; we had a great time having radar legend Les Lemon on the show last night.
I had a wonderful time today seeing the 6th graders at Piedmont Middle School in Calhoun County… be looking for them on the Pepsi KIDCAM today at 5:00 on ABC 33/40 News! The next Weather Xtreme video will be posted bright and early tomorrow morning by 7:00 a.m.
