Sunday Weather Briefing Video: Freeze Likely Monday Night

Happy St. Patrick’s day everyone! Don’t forget to wear your green today! With a little luck of the Irish, you might see a peek of sunshine late in the day, but don’t count on it. And a freeze is ahead for much of Alabama Monday night, so be prepared if you have any tender vegetation to protect.

NOT A BAD SATURDAY: Saturday turned out to be pretty nice. A deck of high cirrostratus filtered the sun, but afternoon readings still reached the middle and upper 60s across Central Alabama, with lower 70s across the Tennessee Valley and across South Central Alabama. High temperatures across the I-29 Corridor ranged from 64F ay Tuscaloosa, to 67F at Birmingham, and 68F at Anniston.

FOR YOUR SUNDAY: Overnight lows were in the upper 40s north to lower and middle 50s across the Central part of the state. An approaching disturbance has triggered showers during the pre-dawn hours that will be moving across the area during the morning hours. It will mainly affect the northern half of the area. Meanwhile, another batch of rain will move across the southern half of the state starting by late morning. Rainfall amounts will be less than a tenth of an inch over the northern third of the area, with less than two tenths over the southern two thirds of the state. The southern Alabama rains should be out of the state by early evening. Skies will clear overnight, but a persistent wind will keep most areas from experiencing frost overnight. Readings by Monday morning will be range from 36-37 across North Alabama and 38-42 across Central Alabama.

CHILLY MONDAY: Average high temperatures for this time of year are in the upper 60s with upper 40s for overnight lows. With a strong upper level trough, cold air advection will feed cool air into the area through Monday night. Afternoon readings tomorrow will struggle to get out of the 40s, but a strong late winter sun will likely propel them into the lower 50s. Elsewhere, readings will be in the 55-60F degree range.

FREEZE WARNINGS FOR MONDAY NIGHT: With mostly clear skies and light winds Monday night, temperatures will drop into the middle and upper 20s across the Tennessee Valley, with lows in the 28-33 degree range across the rest of Central Alabama. Take precautions now to protect any tender vegetation and to make sure pets have a place to stay warm overnight.

TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY: High pressure will set up across the southeastern United States, setting the stage for a couple of dry days. It will still be cool on Tuesday with highs ranging from 57-59F across the North and 59-62F across Central Alabama. Lows Tuesday night will be in the middle and upper 30s areawide, with another chance of frost. Wednesday will see winds shifting to southwesterly, putting an end to the cold air advection and allowing for moderating temperatures. Highs on Wednesday will be in the upper 60s North with lower 70s elsewhere.

SPRING ARRIVES: As St. Patrick’s Day festivities wind down, nature prepares for its own celebration with the arrival of the spring equinox on Tuesday evening, ushering in a season of renewal and rebirth. This celestial event marks a turning point where daylight begins to outshine the darkness, promising longer days and the awakening of the natural world from its winter slumber. The equinox will officially occur at 10:06 p.m. Tuesday night.

END OF THE WORKWEEK: Another trough will approach by Thursday, bringing showers back to the area by Thursday night. As a low pressure center develops and moves across the northern Gulf, widespread rain and rain showers will push across the state, with heavier amounts to the south. It doesn’t appear there will be any instability, so showers should not be involved. Thursday’s highs will be in the middle and upper 60s North with lower 70s elsewhere.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK: The showers should move out by Saturday morning with clearing skies during the day. Clouds start to return late in the day on Sunday ahead of the next storm system. High temperatures both days will be in the upper 60s to lower 70s. Morning lows will be in the 40s.

VOODOO TERRITORY: Deep trough will move our way early in the Week Two period. Most of Monday looks to be dry, but showers and storms will return Monday night the 25th, continuing all the way through Tuesday and even into early Wednesday morning. Strong to severe storms look possible, especially on the afternoon of the 26th according to current model runs.

BEACHCAST: Increasing clouds and rain chances along the beautiful beaches of Alabama and Northwest Florida this afternoon and tonight. No instability around for thunderstorms. Rain will not return until late Thursday night into Friday as a Gulf low spins up and intensifies as it moves across the eastern Panhandle and up along the Southeast Atlantic coast. Monday and Tuesday will be chilly, with highs in the lower and middle 60s. Otherwise highs will be warming toward the 70s by the weekend. Lows will be in the 30s Tuesday morning, with 40s and 50s otherwise. Water temperatures are around 70F. Rip current risks will be low to moderate through Wednesday.

Click here to see the Beach Forecast Center page.

IN THE TROPICS: Our first mention of the tropics this year includes a concern that is will be an active year in the tropical Atlantic. The upcoming Atlantic hurricane season is projected to be significantly active due to a combination of factors, including well above average sea surface temperatures across the North Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and notably in the eastern Tropical Atlantic. These conditions, alongside the shift from El Niño to La Niña conditions expected during the summer, are poised to increase both the number and intensity of storms.

Areas particularly at risk include the Caribbean, the Bahamas, the Florida Peninsula, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico according to some seasonal models. Rob Lightbown of Crown Weather Services, is predicting 25 named storms, 12 hurricanes and 6 major hurricanes with an Accumulated Cyclone Energy of 225, which would put it in the hyperactive category and land it in the top ten busiest seasons.

NATIONALLY: Backcountry avalanche warnings were in effect through this morning in parts of Idaho as warm temperatures and sunshine created ideal conditions for human initiated avalanches. Steep and open terrain in mountainous areas of the Cabinet and Purcell Mountain Ranges in Lincoln County were most affected.

DANCING WITH THE STATS: 73F at Quillayute, Oregon on Friday was a record for the date by 11 degrees. North Bend, OR checked in with a record high of 74F. The previous record was 70F. Saturday daily record highs include 74F at Seattle (previous record 72F) and Astoria OR with 75F. The previous record was 69F.

ADVERTISE WITH US: Deliver your message to a highly engaged audience by advertising on the AlabamaWX.com website. We have a lot of big plans for this year. Don’t miss out! We can customize a creative, flexible, and affordable package that will suit your organization’s needs. Contact me, Bill Murray, at (205) 687-0782 and let’s talk.

WEATHERBRAINS: This week, the panel will entertain Loretta Lin, the Chief Meteorologist at Telemundo Noticiero Oklahoma. Check out the show at www.WeatherBrains.com. You can also subscribe on iTunes. You can watch the show live on our new YouTube channel for the show.You will be able to see the show on the James Spann 24×7 weather channel on cable or directly over the air on the dot 2 feed.

ON THIS DATE IN 1990: Elba, in County, in South Alabama, experienced severe flooding as a result of heavy rains that caused the Pea River and Whitewater Creek to rise significantly. Whitewater Creek breached the levees around 7 a.m., leading to widespread inundation of the town. This flood, one of the worst in Elba’s history, caused significant damage totaling around $100 million across South Alabama. Follow my weather history tweets on Twitter. I am @wxhistorian at Twitter.com.

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