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BEAUTIFUL SUNSET WATCH: The high clouds in the Alabama sky have the potential to bring us a stunning sunset around 4:45… keep those cameras handy.
As expected, temperatures are below MOS values printed by the various computer models. Much of North Alabama remains in the 30s, with low 40s along the I-20 corridor. We are headed down into the 21 to 26 degree range by daybreak tomorrow, with upper teens for the colder pockets across the northern half of the state. It will be perhaps the coldest night so far this season for some communities.
TOMORROW AND THE WEEKEND: Tomorrow stays dry and cold with a high in the mid 40s, followed by a cold, wet day Saturday. We remain concerned over the potential for a period of freezing rain early Saturday morning; dewpoints will be initially in the mid 20s, with surface temperatures in the 30 to 33 degree range. This means the potential for bridge icing over the northern half of the state at the onset of the precipitation, so if you are traveling early Saturday plan on taking extra time, and perhaps consider delaying your trip until temperatures rise above freezing by mid-morning. See the Weather Xtreme video for more details on this possibility.
Periods of rain will continue through the day Saturday with a high only in the 40 to 43 degree range; MOS products remain in la-la land. Some places north of Birmingham, like today, won’t get out of the 30s.
Sunday will be warmer, but still wet as the 12Z model runs keep a good pool of moisture in place. Rain totals over the weekend will be in the one inch range for most places.
NEXT WEEK: Monday will remain mostly cloudy, but warmer as we rise into the 60s. Then, a short wave will bring a round of showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday. Some surface based instability is now showing up, but for now we don’t expect any big problems with severe storms. The latter half of the week looks dry but progressively colder as another Arctic surge impacts Alabama.
LOOKING TOWARD CHRISTMAS: We have never had a White Christmas in the classic sense in the Birmingham metro area, with weather records going back to the 1880s. Could this be the year? Probably not, but I must admit all of the players are on the field, and the pattern sure looks cold and unsettled for the rest of the month. Watch the Weather Xtreme video to see how the 12Z GFS handles Christmas Day.
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