Surface analysis this afternoon shows high pressure centered over Virginia and the Carolinas. This stubborn cold high pressure is holding its ground as a weak surface low moves northeast along the Texas Coast. Moisture moving up and over the high pressure system is producing overrunning rains over a wide area from Arkansas through western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, Alabama and into Georgia and South Carolina.
Heavy showers extend across southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi into South and South Central Alabama. Flash flood watches cover parts of southern Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana as well as much of Georgia. Winter weather alerts are in effect along the Appalachians from western North Carolina to Virginia and into Pennsylvania.
Temperatures are generally around 40F across North and Central Alabama. It is 37F in Haleyville and 37F in Alexander City.
The icing threat has diminished, even for Northeast Alabama’s higher elevations. There could be some sleet mixed in at times. I experienced a rain/sleet mix while running errands a short while ago in Trussville.
The shield of rain over North Central and North Alabama will continue pushing northward while the activity to the southwest continues to spread over South and South Central Alabama for the next few hours.
We may see a bit of a break across Central Alabama by later this evening, but more rain is likely to develop overnight. The rain will end from the west early Sunday morning. Tomorrow will be much warmer than today, with highs in the 60 degree range.
Monday will be even warmer with highs near 70F. Rain will return Monday night and last into Tuesday. There will be some storms involved, and a chance that a few of them could be strong. The threat looks relatively minor with the instability and stronger wind fields separated.
Colder air will return for the second half of the week.
