Noon Update: Much Colder Air Arriving Later this Evening
Widespread rain and thunderstorms are pushing into Alabama today as a cold front moves southeast. Ahead of the front today, we are forecasting highs in the upper 60 and lower 70s across South/Central Alabama. We will see scattered showers out ahead of the front, heavier rain along the front, and then behind the front, a cold, steady rain looks to persist through the evening and overnight hours. Rainfall totals around 1/2 inch are likely, with isolated heavier amounts.
REST OF WEEK: It will be chilly and due to insentropic lift, it looks to stay cloudy with scattered showers likely Wednesday, Thursday, and possibly over the southern half of the state. Highs will be generally be around the 50 degree mark. These temperatures are well-below average for early December.
THE “S” WORD: You read that right, we could see some snow flakes in Alabama this weekend. An Albert clipper type system will plunge south this weekend as a deep upper trough entrenches itself over the eastern third of the nation. There will be just enough uplift and moisture with this system that there could certainly be a few snow flurries for Central Alabama, while convective snow showers are possible for northern sections of the state in the Tennessee Valley that if intense enough could cause the the ground could to turn white in grassy areas.
VERY COLD WEEKEND: Behind this clipper system, a reinforcing shot of Arctic air arrives for the weekend, and the coldest air of the season arrives. Temperatures will struggle to climb out of the 40s Saturday with a more sun than clouds. Under a clear sky and light winds Saturday night, bitterly cold temperature are expected and we could see lows in the upper teens for portions of North Alabama, with and mid to upper 20s down across our portion of the state. After the frigid morning, Sunday will be warmer with a mostly sunny sky, but it will remain chilly with highs generally in the mid and upper 50s.
STAYING CHILLY: A deep trough over the eastern U.S. means the weather pattern remains favorable for below average temperatures the next couple of weeks in Alabama, as more dominant northwest flow will allow more shots of cold air to move south in the coming weeks.
Have a great day!
Ryan
