Snow/Sleet/Freezing Rain To Move Into North/Central Alabama Late Tonight
MESSY WINTER WEATHER AHEAD: Clouds will increase across Alabama tonight ahead of an approaching storm system. Temperatures drop into the 26-32 degree range tomorrow morning over the northern half of the state.
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 is in effect 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 26-32 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 North Alabama into tomorrow night and early Saturday morning.
*Potential snow accumulations are in the 2-3 inch range over the northern third of the state… 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 2/10″. 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. Models have actually increased the ice potential for parts of North and East Alabama on the latest runs.
*Precipitation should be out of the state by midnight tomorrow night.
*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.
*There is still time for the forecast to change, so watch for updates tonight. 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 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 6:00 a.m. tomorrow…
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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