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INTO THE DEEP FREEZE: The long awaited Arctic Express is knocking on the door this afternoon. No real change in our numbers for the next few days… bitter cold is the story, the coldest weather for Alabama in 6 years.
TOMORROW: Strong northwest winds of 15 to 30 mph will knock the wind chill index down to zero at times as far south as Birmingham; the actual air temperature will peak in the mid 30s with a partly sunny sky. You don’t want to be outdoors tomorrow.
FRIDAY: At daybreak, we will be in the 10 to 15 degree range for most places; the colder valleys will drop into the single digits across North Alabama. The day will be sunny but very cold, with a high only in the low to mid 30s. The wind will be much lighter, however, so wind chill index values won’t be as low as Thursday. The GFS shows a dewpoint of -12 for Birmingham at midday Friday… this is very dry air!
SATURDAY: Saturday morning will be just as cold as Friday morning; most places will drop into the 10 to 15 degree range. We will rise into the 40s by afternoon thanks to a strong January sun.
SUNDAY: A rather strong impulse rolling through the base of the long wave trough will bring some clouds, and a chance of a little light rain or light snow. The low level thickness values support mostly snow flakes north of I-20, with a mix to the south. Moisture will be very limited, and it still doesn’t look like a big event at this point.
We note, however, that the GFS is bringing in deeper moisture with this feature east of Alabama, and there seems to be some chance of a light snow accumulation over parts of Georgia and South Carolina if the 12Z run is correct. We will keep an eye on this.
NEXT WEEK: Monday and Tuesday will be dry and cold with highs in the 40s and lows in the 20s; the colder valleys should be in the teens both mornings. Then, we rise back into the 50s by Wednesday. At this time most of the week looks dry.
VOODOO COUNTRY: The last week of the month looks warmer as the NAO flips positive, but nothing too warm for this time of the year; looks like temperatures will be near average values then. No sign of any major storm systems.
I had a great time today speaking to the 2nd graders at Bluff Park Elementary; be looking for them today at 5:00 on the KIDCAM on ABC 33/40 News. The next Weather Xtreme video will be posted by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow!
