Clouds Linger Today; Cold Weekend Ahead

RADAR CHECK: Rain is confined to parts of East and Southeast Alabama early this morning as a wave of low pressure along a stalled front pushes eastward. There were several severe thunderstorms across South Alabama overnight, and a few tornado warnings were issued, but the severe storms have pushed into Georgia as of 6:00 a.m.

Lingering rain over East Alabama ends soon, and today will be cloudy and cool with a high in the mid to upper 50s over the northern half of the state. It will be considerably warmer south of the stalled front over far South Alabama.

Tomorrow will be dry and warmer… with a partly sunny sky temperatures rise well into the 60s. Then, on Friday, we reach the low 70s with a mix of sun and clouds. A cold front will bring rain and thunderstorms Friday night; SPC has defined a “slight risk” (level 2/5) of severe thunderstorms south of a line from Mobile to Phenix City, with a “marginal risk” (level 1/5) as far north as Thomasville, Prattville, and Roanoke.

Storms over South Alabama Friday night could produce strong winds, and an few tornadoes can’t be ruled out. There is no risk of severe storms for the northern half of the state.

MARCH SNOW: As cold air rolls in, rain will change to light snow before ending over the northern half of the state Saturday morning. This is a situation where cold air is trying to catch up with departing moisture, but it looks like there will be some light accumulation over parts of North Alabama. Amounts will be generally 1/2 to 1 inch across the Tennessee Valley (the far northern part of the state), mostly on grassy areas. Meaningful accumulation isn’t expected as far south as Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Anniston, and Gadsden, but the ground could become white in a few spots.

Temperatures early Saturday will drop into the 28-34 degree range, and there could be a few isolated slick spots on bridges across the Tennessee Valley, but only minor travel impacts are expected there. No travel impact is expected for the I-20 corridor (Tuscaloosa-Birmingham-Anniston).

The sky will clear Saturday afternoon, but temperatures won’t get out of the 30s over the northern third of Alabama with wind chill indices hovering around the freezing mark all day. Then, a very significant late season freeze is likely by early Sunday morning with a clear sky and light wind. Freezing temperatures are likely all the way down to the Gulf Coast, and the range for North/Central Alabama will be from 18 to 25 degrees. Growers need to make preparations for this late season chill.

Sunday will be a sunny day with a high in the 50s.

NEXT WEEK: An upper trough will bring a chance of showers to the state Monday night and Tuesday; then the weather looks dry and mild Wednesday and Thursday with highs rising into the 70s. Another system will bring rain and storms by Friday… See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.

ON THIS DATE IN 1957: An earthquake measuring a magnitude 8.6 struck the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. A Pacific-wide tsunami was generated that caused damage in Hawaii, but fortunately, no lives were lost. Hardest hit was the island of Kauai, where houses were destroyed and roads washed away. Waves reached 34.1 feet high at Haena, HI.

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