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TODAY: A very ugly winter storm will unfold for the I-40 corridor today across New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and Oklahoma with lots of snow and ice. The RPM is hinting at almost two feet of snow for Amarillo, with potential for enough ice over parts of Oklahoma for widespread power outages. But, in contrast, we warm nicely around here today with a high around 60 degrees with a partly sunny sky. But, after today, things go downhill.
TOMORROW/SATURDAY: The snow and ice will move east into Arkansas and Tennessee tonight and tomorrow, and a soaking rain moves into Alabama. The models continue to trend a little slower; we could see a few sprinkles tomorrow morning, but it looks like the bulk of the widespread rain will come in late tomorrow afternoon and tomorrow night. This should bring 1 to 2 inches of rain for much of North Alabama, and maybe even some thunder near the Gulf Coast.
Late tomorrow night and into early Saturday, the cold air drops south, and the rain could mix with some snow or sleet as far south as I-20 by daybreak. But, for Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Anniston temperatures should generally remain above freezing preventing any major bridge icing problems. But, to the north, some bridge icing is very possible across the Tennessee Valley, and there might even be some light ice and snow accumulation near the Tennessee border. So, if you are driving north early tomorrow, be aware of that potential issue. Conditions will deteriorate even more in Tennessee, of course.
Saturday will be breezy and sharply colder; we will have a hard time getting out of the 30s with the risk of morning snow flurries. The wind chill index will be below freezing much of the day, making it raw and uncomfortable.
SUNDAY: The coldest morning will come early Sunday, with low 20s likely, and potential for upper teens for the colder valleys across North Alabama. Then, with a strong late January sun, temperatures will rise into the mid to upper 40s Sunday afternoon as a warming trend begins.
REMEMBER: With any winter storm across the southern U.S., expect surprises. We will be watching things closely as our big system gets closer and understand there could be forecast changes. Our friends up in the Tennessee Valley (Huntsville, Muscle Shoals, Scottsboro) are very much on the fence with this system, and it is a challenging forecast for them.
NEXT WEEK: Some light rain seems likely with the next impulse Monday night into Tuesday morning. A stronger system shows up at the end of next week with potential for a good soaking by Thursday night and Friday.
VOODOO LAND: Watch the Weather Xtreme video and you will see the Arctic Oscillation spikes strongly negative out there in mid-February. Will February make us shiver? Could be, but the operational GFS is not on the bandwagon just yet. You sure get the idea an Arctic invasion could be in the cards… stay tuned.
STORM ALERT 2010 BEGINS TONIGHT: Our annual severe weather tour across Alabama kicks off tonight 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.
I have weather programs today at Briarwood High School, and Briarwood Elementary School… I should be able to crank out an afternoon edition of the Weather Xtreme video before we head to Winfield for tonight’s opening night of Storm Alert 2010. We hope to see many of you there!
