Cloudy, Mild, Scattered Showers; Rain/Storms Sunday
CLOUDY, STAYING MILD: For today, moisture levels continue to gradually rise, and we will mention a chance for some scattered showers across South/Central Alabama, but these will be few and far between and most locations will be dry today. Temperatures will remain above average with upper 60s to lower 70s for highs.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Not much change in the forecast for the weekend as the next storm system will bring rain and storms back to Alabama. On Saturday, a low pressure system will be lifting out of the Plains into the Midwest, and a trailing cold front will move across the Southeast this weekend. Ahead of the front, Saturday will be another mild day with 60s and 70s expected and increasing clouds, with some scattered showers. West of Alabama, some strong storms are expected and the SPC has much of the Lower Mississippi Valley highlighted in a “marginal risk” (level 1/5) for severe weather.
Much of Saturday will be dry in the state, as a bulk of the rain/storm activity will arrive Sunday. The main line of rain and thunderstorms will be pushing into the northwestern parts of Alabama Sunday morning and progressing across the area throughout the day. At this point, a few strong storms are possible, but the overall threat for severe storms is low, but there is enough of a threat that the SPC has highlighted all of Alabama in a “marginal risk” (level 1/5) for severe storms on Sunday.
The overall limiting factors will be limited amounts of instability and better dynamics expected north of the state, but there remains some threat as we could see some damaging wind gust and perhaps and isolated tornado during the afternoon and evening hours. Of course we will be watching trends in the coming days to see how the forecast for Sunday may need to be adjusted. The rain/storm activity should end late Sunday, as cooler air slides into the state behind the front. Rainfall totals should be in the one-half inch to one inch range for much of South/Central Alabama.
COOLER LAST DAYS OF 2019: Monday and Tuesday will feature tons of sunshine and much cooler temperatures, from the 60s and 70s over the weekend, to 50s these two days. Lows will be well down into the 30s.
RAIN RETURN IN 2020: Good news, the models are coming into agreement with our next storm system and it looks like New Year’s Day will be dry, but clouds should begin to increase with a developing low moving out of the Gulf. Rain looks to return to Alabama for next Thursday and Friday January 2nd and 3rd with highs holding in the 50s.
Have a phenomenal Friday!
Ryan
