Hard Freeze Tonight; Beneficial Rain Early Next Week
COLD: Another surge of cold air is invading Alabama this afternoon… temperatures are barely out of the 30s over the northern third of the state. But, to the south, some communities are in the 60s around Dothan. But the cold air wins the battle tonight as it comes to drop southward.
A hard freeze is likely tonight with lows in the 16-24 degree range over the northern half of the state. Wind chill indices drop into the single digits across some of the northern counties. A freeze is likely all the way down to the Gulf Coast by daybreak. Tomorrow will be cold and dry with highs mostly in the 40s… some communities in the Tennessee Valley might hold in the 30s all day despite a sunny sky.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Expect a partly to mostly sunny sky Saturday… after a low in the 20s, the high will be in the 50s. Clouds will increase Sunday, and some rain could reach the western and northern counties by afternoon. Then, rain becomes widespread Sunday night.
NEXT WEEK: A beneficial rain event is likely for Alabama through the first half of the week. We expect waves of rain Monday through Wednesday with potential for 2-3 inches of rain for much of the state. Some thunder is possible, but we are not expecting any risk of severe thunderstorms. Highs will be in the 60s Monday and Tuesday, but colder air returns over the latter half of the week with freezing temperatures likely for the northern half of the state by Thursday and Friday morning. See the video briefing for maps, graphics, and more details.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: The Alabama high school state football championship games are being played this week at Protective Stadium in Birmingham.
For the game 5A title game tonight (Moody vs Montgomery Catholic), the sky will be mostly clear with low 40s at kickoff, falling quickly into the 30s.
Three games close out the event tomorrow (4A at 11am, 2A at 3pm, and 6A at 7pm). The sky will be clear; temperatures will be in the low to mid 40s for the day games, and once again 30s are expected for most of the night game.
Tomorrow night the C-USA Championship game will be played at Jacksonville; Jax State will host Western Kentucky (6:00p CT kickoff at Amfirst Stadium). The sky will be clear with temperatures falling through the 30s during the game.
ON THIS DATE IN 1953: A tornado outbreak occurred over northeastern Louisiana, southeastern Arkansas, and western Mississippi. At least four confirmed tornadoes touched down. The strongest tornado was rated F5 as it destroyed the town of Vicksburg, Mississippi. This tornado first touched down just west of the Mississippi River in East Madison Parish in Louisiana. The tornado crossed the Mississippi River and tore through the downtown area of Vicksburg. On the ground for seven miles, this tornado caused 38 deaths.
ON THIS DATE IN 1954: Several tornadoes touched down over the eastern third of Alabama. A strong tornado started in Ohatchee, then moving through the communities of Wellington and Angel, before dissipating near Piedmont. A total of 37 homes were destroyed and 50 others were damaged. Additionally, 15 other buildings were destroyed and 28 others were damaged. A total of 26 people were injured. Another tornado touched down north of Clayton. It headed due east, clipping the northwest side of Eufaula before moving into Georgia, where one person was killed.
Look for the next video briefing here by 6:00 a.m. tomorrow…
Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Weather Xtreme Videos
About the Author (Author Profile)
James Spann is one of the most recognized and trusted television meteorologists in the industry. He holds the AMS CCM designation and television seals from the AMS and NWA. He is a past winner of the Broadcast Meteorologist of the Year from both professional organizations.Subscribe
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