Epic Cold Wave In 8-12 Days?
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SOME LIGHT RAIN TOMORROW: Before we get into that medium range period (7-15 days) everybody is talking about, let’s handle the short term. We note the 12Z model runs are a little more aggressive with light rain around here tomorrow. Still, the moisture will be limited, but an impulse moving through the fast zonal flow over the southern U.S. will bring a few raindrops. The NAM is printing 0.26″ for Birmingham, while the GFS is a little drier with 0.18″. The heaviest rain will fall over South Alabama, where 1/2 to 1 inch is possible near the Gulf Coast.
THURSDAY/FRIDAY: These two days will be cool and dry with ample sunshine. Highs drop into the upper 40s Thursday, and mid 40s Friday in response to a deep upper trough forming over the eastern U.S.
WEEKEND PEEK: Saturday remains cool and dry, but now we have much better model agreement, which shows light rain moving into Alabama Sunday. If the precipitation begins during the pre-dawn hours Sunday, we might see a little sleet or freezing rain, but for now we don’t expect any serious issues. Then, periods of light rain are likely Sunday with highs in the 40s.
NEXT WEEK: Another short wave will keep a chance of light rain going into Monday, and then things get interesting as that nasty 1065 mb high drops southward out of the Yukon region. Watch the Weather Xtreme video, and you will see that temperatures this afternoon are as cold as -52 F in the Arctic, and I would expect to see some readings down to -60 F in coming days up there as the Siberian Express loads up for the trip south.
Brutally cold air will flood much of the nation next week, with a hard freeze possible all the way down to the lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, where they are talking about the McFarland Signature already (listen to this week’s WeatherBrains for more about this).
It remains to be see how cold it gets here in Alabama, but it is safe to say we will be very cold in the January 12-16 time frame, with potential for single digits lows along the way with sub-freezing highs. It also remains to be seen if we have an overrunning event that would bring the potential for an ice storm here. Watch the Weather Xtreme video, and you will see the GFS hints at snow for Houston, New Orleans, Mobile, and Gulf Shores around January 13, with nothing up this way. Again, this is all voodoo.
Growers, industries, and utilities need to be prepared for a multiple day stretch of very cold weather next week; we will be much more specific in a few days as the airmass gets closer to us.
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Category: Alabama's Weather
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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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