Warm Weather Here To Stay For A While
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TOO WARM: Yesterday’s high in Birmingham (based on data from the Airport) was 84 degrees… that is 17 degrees above the average high of 67, and it was within four degrees of the record high of 88, set in 1982. Quite frankly, I see no reason for the weather to really change today and tomorrow, as afternoon highs remain in the mid 80s. We need to reach 88 today, and 89 tomorrow for a new record high, which isn’t likely, but is is certainly warm enough for March.
BUT, TO THE WEST: A cold, deep upper trough continues to bring snow to the western third of the nation. Some of the high terrain across Arizona yesterday received two feet of snow, and at one point almost 200 miles of I-40 was closed. While Birmingham was in the mid 80s, Phoenix yesterday struggled to reach the low 50s.
BATTLE OF THE AIR MASSES: And, as you might expected in March, between the western cold and eastern warmth we will have some severe weather issues today. SPC has upgraded the risk over much of Texas to “moderate”… some of the cities in this include Dallas/Fort Worth, Waco, and Austin. The standard “slight risk” extends as far north as Iowa.
THE ALABAMA STORY: The upper ridge will keep us warm and dry through Wednesday. A good supply of sunshine through Wednesday, with highs in the mid 80s.
LATE THIS WEEK AND OVER THE WEEKEND: The big upper trough out west will evolve into an upper low, that just doesn’t want to move quickly. And, the latest model runs have shown a weaker ULL that passes well to the north of Alabama this weekend, with the upper ridge holding. This solution means we stay at or over 80 degrees through the weekend. We will mention some risk of widely scattered showers Friday through Sunday, but the rain won’t be widespread, and many places will stay dry.
AT THE BEACH: Weather looks pretty good for the spring break crowds from Panama City west to Gulf Shores. You will have some fog to deal with at times with the warm air moving over the cool water, but generally speaking expect about 7 to 9 hours of sunshine each day through the weekend. A few scattered showers could show up late in the week and this weekend, but no wash-out at all…. just a few passing showers around. Highs on the immediate coast will be in the low 70s, with upper 70s inland. The sea water temperature at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab early this morning was 69 degrees.
THE LAND OF VOODOO: Still no sign of any cold air intrusion into Alabama through the end of March. And, no sign of any major severe weather setup. But, growers beware… an April frost/freeze is expected every year. In my opinion still too early to be planting anything that will be harmed by a freeze, despite the recent warmth. See the Weather Xtreme video for more long range ideas and details.
WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. Tonight’s Guest WeatherBrain is Rick Smith, the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the NWS in Norman, OK. We will begin at 8:30 p.m. CDT.
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I will be speaking at the Cullman Kiwanis Club today…. look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:30 or so this afternoon. Enjoy the day!
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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