An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player below, and on iTunes…
RIGHT NOW: A few widely scattered showers continue on our radar screens; mainly over East and Central Alabama, south of a line from Heflin to Rockford to Selma. We picked up 0.12″ at ABC 33/40 during a passing shower around the lunch hour today, but the showers will remain few and far between during the evening hours.
TOMORROW/WEDNESDAY: We expect a general increase in the number of showers and thunderstorms late tomorrow and tomorrow night as a cold front approaches Alabama. The 12Z run of the NAM has really backed off on the amount of rain expected; it now prints only 0.15″ for Birmingham, while the GFS is a bit more aggressive with 0.78″. The truth is probably somewhere in-between; we figure most locations will see somewhere between 0.25 and 0.50″ from about 3:00 p.m. tomorrow through 8:00 a.m. Wednesday.
SPC now has roughly the northern quarter of Alabama in a slight severe weather risk for tomorrow night, but it is a marginal threat.
APRIL COLD SNAP: Much colder air will roll into Alabama during the latter half of the week. Our high on Wednesday will drop into the upper 60s, and by Thursday and Friday will have a hard time reaching the 60 degree mark with a cool north wind. We are still projecting lows in the 30s Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning. On all three mornings, the temperature will drop into the 30 to 37 degree range, and the coldest morning should come Easter Sunday, when a light freeze will be possible for the colder valley locations across North Alabama. The latest GFS (12Z run) is now projecting 33 for Birmingham early Sunday. You will need to dress warmly if you are planning on attending an Easter sunrise service.
LONG RANGE: The GFS continues to suggest a decent rain event for Alabama one week from tomorrow (around April 10), and it shows a potent severe weather look around April 16. Yep, that is out in voodoo country, but it sure is possible considering the pattern and the time of the year.
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I had a great time speaking to a big group from Southern Company this morning at Pine Tree Country Club; they are work in the Transmission Planning and Operations department. Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here posted by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow!
