Cold Air Sets In

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FRIGID AIR: Most places are below freezing this morning, in some cases a 35 degree drop from temperatures at this same hour yesterday morning. Despite a mostly sunny sky today, we will struggle to reach the mid 40s as cold air advection continues. Low temperatures early tomorrow will be in the 22 to 28 degree range with a mostly fair sky. Then, clouds increase during the day tomorrow in advance of the next impulse in the very active southern stream.

WEEKEND RAIN: Rain will begin late tomorrow night, most likely after midnight, then becoming widespread Saturday. I continue to believe there will be a window for some freezing rain at the onset of that precipitation early Saturday morning, which also means the possibility of some bridge icing. Watch the Weather Xtreme video, and you will see the 1320 1000-850 thickness line down to near U.S. 278, which also opens up some risk of snow flakes mixed with the rain over the Tennessee Valley of extreme North Alabama. I don’t think this will be a major issue, but if you hit a patch of ice on a bridge and wreck your vehicle, it becomes a big deal to you. So, if you have driving plans early Saturday, take it easy out there.

Periods of rain are likely Saturday and Saturday night, and it will be a cold rain. Extreme North Alabama could hover in the 30s all day, with low to mid 40s down this way. Sunday will be warmer with the rain tapering off; we will rise into the 50s Sunday afternoon.

NEXT WEEK: After a brief break from the wet weather on Monday, rain returns Tuesday. Then, we actually have a shot at three dry days in a row for the latter part of next week (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday). The GFS hints that colder air returns at the end of the week on Friday.

VOODOO LAND: Again, watch the Weather Xtreme video and you will see the AO (Arctic Oscillation) spiking negative during the latter half of the month, and sure enough the GFS shows a major Arctic blast here around Dec 19-22, with some potential for a Southeast U.S. snow storm after the arrival of the cold air. Yep, this is all voodoo, but the pattern certainly supports the idea. Stay tuned.

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