AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
558 PM CST SUN JAN 9 2011
.UPDATE…MESOSCALE DISCUSSION.
&&
.DISCUSSION…MESOSCALE UPDATE.
PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN FAIRLY LIGHT UP TO THIS POINT AS MOST OF THE
STRONGER FORCING REMAINS TO OUR WEST. THE PRECIPITATION TYPE HAS
BEEN MAINLY SLEET WITH A FEW REPORTS OF SNOW IN THE POCKETS OF 35
DBZ OR HIGHER. THE SLEET/SNOW LINE IS PRETTY FAR NORTH WITH SNOW
BEING REPORTED ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FORM TUPELO…TO
HALEYVILLE… TO CULLMAN.
IN THE SHORT TERM…THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ICING WILL LIKELY OCCUR
WEST OF I-65. HEAVIER RADAR RETURNS OVER MISSISSIPPI ARE AHEAD OF
MAIN SHORT WAVE TROF. THE RUC MODEL SHOWS THIS PCPN MOVING INTO
WEST ALABAMA BETWEEN 6 PM AND 9 PM WITH PROJECTED LIQUID AMOUNTS
OF 0.25-0.50 INCHES. THIS WILL RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT ICING FOR
AREAS WEST OF I-65. A MID LEVEL DRY SLOT CURRENTLY MOVING INTO
SOUTHERN LOUISIANA WILL LIKELY CUT-OFF PCPN ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
COUNTIES AFTER 9 PM…WITH HEAVIER PCPN SHIFTING TO AREAS NORTH OF
I-20 ALONG MID LEVEL FRONTOGENTIC FORCING.
GRAPHICS WILL BE UPDATED SHORTLY TO SHOW HIGHER ICE ACCUMULATIONS
ACROSS WEST ALABAMA AND LESS SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FOR THE I-20
CORRIDOR AND SOUTHWARD.
ROSE/GARRISON
