Wow. The blog has taken it’s biggest pounding in terms of viewership since the April 27th outbreak today. It should stay stable the remainder of the event in this high traffic mode.
No real changes in the forecast based on the morning model runs.
The NWS in Birmingham has posted a Winter Weather Advisory starting at 6 p.m. for counties along and north of I-20, including: Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Etowah, Fayette, Jefferson, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Tuscaloosa, Walker and Winston valid untll 11 a.m. Monday.
It generally covers the area from Carrollton to Centreville to Roanoke and points north.
This is for the possibility of wintry precipitation tonight. While there will be some snow, the main threat appears to be the freezing rain and freezing drizzle as well as moisture flash freezing on surfaces because of the rapid drop in temperatures that is expected. There could be a dusting of snow as well in areas north of a line from Tuscaloosa to Alex City with one inch or more mainly over Northeast and North Alabama.
Travel may be a problem in the Winter Weather Advisory area starting this evening and continuing Monday. Check the latest forecasts and conditions if you have to drive in the advisory area after 6 p.m. tonight.
A Wind Chill Advisory is in effect for all of Central Alabama until Monday evening for wind chills that will be dangerously low, in the the -10F to 0F degree range. Winds will average 20-30 mph and gust to 35 mph all night tonight and much of the day tomorrow. A Wind Advisory is also in effect.
A Hard Freeze Warning is in effect until noon Tuesday for temperatures in the single digits tonight and teens tomorrow.
Frontal arrival times have not changed. Expect 7-8 p.m. in the I-59 corridor, earlier to the west and a little later to the east. Temperatures will fall to freezing within 2-3 hours of frontal passage, causing moisture on surface to freeze and precipitation to change to freezing rain, then sleet and snow.
Lows by morning will range from 9-16F and many areas will stay in the teens all day on Monday. Highs tomorrow will range from 14F to 24F.
Bitterly cold air will be the story Monday night, with lows ranging from 3F to 10F. Single digits are likely north and northeast of US-78/US-280. We stay below freezing all day Tuesday as well with lows Tuesday night in the 10F to 16F range. Finally, we should go above freezing late Wednesday morning after 60-65 hours in the deep freeze.
MIDWEEK AND BEYOND: Wednesday’s tropical heat wave will push highs into the lower 40s and Thursday will feel especially balmy with highs in the middle 40s. A frontal system will approach the area from the northwest starting Thursday and this will trigger a few showers. The precipitation could start as a little sleet or freezing rain on Thursday morning as we recover from freezing lows the night before again, and we will be monitoring closely to make sure there are no significant problems. We will deal with additional showers Friday and then it looks like a really wet weekend might be in store.
