Another Cold Night Ahead

BLUE SKY: Nothing but sunshine across the great state of Alabama this afternoon; temperatures are only in the 58-63 degree range. The average high for Birmingham on April 15 is 74. Tonight will be clear and cold with a low between 34 and 40; frost is likely again for places where the wind goes calm. Colder valleys will see a freeze.

Tomorrow will be another sunny day, and a warning trend begins during the afternoon with a high around 70.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: The day Friday will be dry with a partly sunny sky; we are forecasting a high in the mid to upper 70s. Clouds roll in Friday night, and a cold front will bring some light rain. Best chance of rain will come from about 9:00 p.m. Friday through 9:00 a.m. Saturday; amounts should be under 1/4″ for most communities due to limited moisture. Then, during the day Saturday, the sky becomes partly sunny with a high between 67 and 70.

The front will back up Sunday and begin to move northward in response to a wave to the west, and we will forecast periods of rain statewide Sunday and Sunday night. A few thunderstorms are possible near the Gulf Coast, but for now odds of severe storms there look low. The high Sunday will be close to 70, and rain amounts of around 1/2 inch are likely.

NEXT WEEK: Rain should end early in the day Monday, followed by afternoon clearing. Tuesday will be dry and pleasant with a high in the 70s. Then, a significant storm system will bring rain and thunderstorms into the state at some point in the Wednesday-Thursday time frame; still too early to know if this will bring severe storms, heavy rain or both. Drier air returns at the end of the week on Friday. See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.

STORM SURVEYS: A total of 23 tornadoes have now been confirmed across Alabama Easter Sunday, and the total for the Deep South is 86. One violent EF-4 tornado in Mississippi was over two miles wide at one point; one of the largest tornadoes on record in the U.S. in terms of width.

MORNING CHILL: Lows across Alabama this morning included…

Haleyville 32
Meridianville 32
Cullman 33
Decatur 33
Black Creek 33
Crestwood 36
Birmingham Airport 37
Hueytown 37
Heflin 38

ON THIS DATE IN 2011: The “forgotten” tornado outbreak. One of the large EF-3 tornadoes to strike Central Alabama on the day created a swath of damage from northeastern Greene County, just southeast of the community of Ralph, to just south of Veterans Memorial Parkway just east of Tuscaloos in south-central Tuscaloosa County. Winds with this monster were estimated at 140 MPH, mainly uprooting and snapping trees. A few homes and businesses received damage as the twister moved north of Shelton State Community College and crossed Alabama Highway 69 near Taylorville, and crossing I-20/59 near Alabama Highway 82.

Throughout the day, 45 tornado warnings and 19 severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for Central Alabama. Out of the 29 confirmed tornadoes, the total damage path length was over 244 miles, with 10 of those tornadoes having damage paths over 10 miles long. The event was “forgotten” by many due to what would happen 12 days later, on April 27, 2011, when a generational tornado outbreak would kill 252 people in our state.

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Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Weather Xtreme Videos