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AFTERNOON UPDATE: Temperatures are above freezing now from downtown Birmingham south and west. However, to the north and east, we still have bridge icing and traffic issues. Icy travel (mainly on bridges) will continue for a few more hours over parts of Cullman, Blount, Etowah, Cherokee, Cleburne, Calhoun, and St. Clair Counties, and the counties up in the Tennessee Valley as well. The ice is especially think up on Lookout Mountain.
I thought this weather report from our Skywatcher atop Lookout Mountain near Collinsville, Vic Bell, was interesting:
Vic Bell_Lizard Lope_Lookout Mtn: High: 30.2, Low: 26.2, Currently: 28.2 with freezing rain, been below freezing for 82 hours. #alwx #3340wx
The fact that we had icy travel as far south as Selma and Troy this morning shows how we still have plenty of room for improvement in forecasting events like this, where synoptic scale models aren’t the best. The precipitation was much more widespread, and the lower 2,000 feet of the atmosphere was colder than depicted by computer models. There will always be surprises with winter weather events in Alabama.
TONIGHT: Temperatures will go the wrong way. We will see a steady warm-up all night, with most spots reaching the 50s by daybreak tomorrow. Still, we stress that it takes a long time to scour out the cold air over Northeast Alabama, and icy travel will be an issue until around 10:00 p.m. for some folks across Etowah, Cherokee, DeKalb, and Jackson Counties. Periods of light rain will continue overnight.
TOMORROW: A much warmer day. Areas south and west of Birmingham will see the low 60s; other parts of the state will see a high in the 50s. Clouds will hang tough, along with periods of rain.
FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: Colder air moves back into Alabama Friday as highs drop into the 40s. Friday will be cloudy, and there could be some light rain, but probably nothing really heavy or widespread. Then, a surface low develops over the northern Gulf Friday night, and moves northeast over extreme South Georgia. This poses yet another forecast challenge.
The surface low is in a position that often favors snow for North-Central Alabama, if the air is cold enough. The 12Z model runs keep the best moisture a little to the south, and the colder air a little to the north. While we will continue to forecast just a cold day with periods of rain, we will have to watch trends closely since somebody around here might wind up with a few snow flakes Saturday morning. We will keep an eye on the situation closely.
Sunday will be a day with a clearing sky and cold temperatures; the high will be only in the low 40s with an icy north wind.
CHRISTMAS WEEK: Watch the Weather Xtreme video for the day by day breakdown; but it beginning to look like we might turn pretty cold right around Christmas Day. Still too early for a specific forecast. But, ole Saint Nick just might feel right at home.
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I had a great time today visiting with the 3rd graders at Riverchase Elementary School in Hoover… be looking for them on the Pepsi KIDCAM today at 5:00 on ABC 33/40 News! The next Weather Xtreme video will be posted here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow…
