Winter Storm Warning For North Alabama; Icy Conditions Likely Tomorrow Morning
COLD START: Many communities across North Alabama are down in the upper teens early this morning with a clear sky… we have 20s all the way down to the Gulf Coast. The weather stays dry today with a high in the low to mid 40s for most communities.
WINTER STORM WARNING: A messy mix of sleet, snow, and freezing rain will move into Alabama after midnight tonight. Here are the key messages…
*A winter storm warning has been issued for areas as far south as Fayette, Birmingham, and Anniston. A winter weather advisory has been issued for places as far south as Tuscaloosa, Clanton, Wetumpka, and Opelika.
*A “wintry mix” of sleet, snow, and freezing rain will lead to icy/hazardous travel tomorrow morning down into the winter weather advisory. Temperatures will likely be in the 29-32 degree range as the day begins, and with a cold infrastructure bridge icing will begin quickly. Some black top road surfaces could become icy as well.
*With the warm air advection process, the wintry mix will change to a cold rain during the day tomorrow. Even some in the Tennessee Valley could see a change to rain by afternoon. Temperatures will rise into the mid 30s, hopefully easing the icy travel to some degree. But many bridges/roads could remain icy over far North Alabama into tomorrow night.
*Potential snow accumulations are in the 2-3 inch range near the Tennessee state line… 1-2 inches for places like Hamilton, Cullman, and Gadsden, and one inch or less from Birmingham to Anniston.
*It is important to note that many in the winter storm warning area will see more sleet and freezing rain than snow. A few spots could see ice accumulation to 1/10″. This doesn’t sound like much, but it can have a high impact on travel. While we don’t expect any major power outages, ice on large tree limbs could lead to some scattered spots going in the dark.
*Precipitation should be out of the state by midnight tomorrow night. Some patchy black ice could form early Saturday morning as temperatures dip down into the upper 20s and low 30s again.
*I possess no knowledge of future road conditions. Some broad ideas have been presented here, but please see the information provided by ALDOT on their ALGO web site/app.
*This forecast could easily change again as new data comes in today and we watch the system develop to the west, so watch for updates. And, with every winter weather event in Alabama is almost always a surprise or two.
THE WEEKEND: Look for a clearing sky Saturday with highs in the mid to upper 30s over the northern half of the state, and Sunday morning will be clear and very cold with lows in the teens and low 20s. Sunday will be a sunny day with a high in the 40s.
NEXT WEEK: The weather looks cold and dry through Thursday with highs in the 40s and lows in the 20s. The next rain event comes around Friday or Saturday (January 17-18), followed by another shot of very cold air. See the video briefing for maps, graphics, and more details.
ON THIS DATE IN 1970: A very cold Arctic airmass was in place across Alabama; Birmingham dropped to 5 degrees. The low in Huntsville was 3.
Look for the next video briefing here by 3:00 this afternoon… enjoy the day!
Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Weather Xtreme Videos
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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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