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Looks like a wonderful weekend for us before we get into another major rain event and we turn colder once again. And this is a big weekend, too, with lots of Christmas parades being held throughout Central Alabama. In fact, I’m going to be narrating the Christmas Parade for Helena to be held this afternoon at 1:30 pm. This is one of those great honors to be able to participate in a wonderful local event for my town. Usually the parade committee chair gives me grief about the weather, but she can’t do that this year with very mild conditions and no rain!!
But rain is coming along with cold air. It’s just that everything is moving at the speed of molasses right now. In the upper atmosphere we have a big trough over the Rockies that is going to be hanging there for the next couple of days before it finally comes out across the central US. That means that we have some very mild weather for early December as the associated ridge for the East is pumped up. Typical highs for early December run around 59 while lows run around 39. We should be considerably above those values for the next couple of days with highs in the 60s and lows climbing into the 50s by Monday and Tuesday.
With the slow movement of the whole system, clouds will increase today and especially on Sunday but the rain should hold off until late in the day on Monday. Once the rain sets in, though, look for wet weather to stay with us until early Wednesday. Rainfall amounts are likely to be the highest in the northwest sections of Alabama with another soaking 1 to 2 inches possible for much of the northern half of Alabama including Central Alabama.
The system should be pulling away from us on Wednesday with improving weather and a clearing sky by afternoon. The good but chilly weather sets in for the latter part of the week. But come Saturday we will be seeing another shot of cold air as another strong short wave rotates through the long wave trough. The big question for the moment will be the chances for precipitation with this system. For the moment, it sure appears that we’ll see only some clouds with whatever moisture comes with the trough. Because it will be cold, of course, there is the chance that we will see snow flurries. This type of system does not usually produce any kind of major event. We’ll need to watch the evolution of this system as it approaches to see what if any moisture it can bring with it or tap into. No matter what, though, it does promise a cold weekend for next weekend.
Tropics are quiet as the 2011 hurricane season came to a close last Wednesday. We’ll pick up on the tropics next year around the first of June as the 2012 season gets underway.
Looking further afield, the GFS suggests another round of not so cold weather around the 14th with another plunge into wet and cold coming around the 18th. Sure looks like the weather pattern is in a fairly progressive state with storm systems about every week or so.
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As I noted, I will be narrating the Helena Christmas Parade at 1:30 pm today. The parade features lots of local groups and floats and the Pelham High School Band. The parade runs from the intersection of 261/17/52 by Alabama Telco Credit Union north on 261 to Old Town Helena. Be sure to avoid traveling that way this afternoon unless you want to get stuck in some traffic. If you come out to the parade, be sure to say hello. I hope you have a great day and Godspeed.
-Brian-
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