Published On: 02.02.17 | 

By: James Spann

James Spann: Some rain today for Alabama

James Spann: Alabama weather trending cooler for the next few days from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

RADAR CHECK: Rain was falling over parts of the Tennessee Valley of North Alabama early this morning, and more showers were pushing into the western counties of the state.

We will forecast a few periods of rain today thanks to a slow-moving cold front drifting down into North Alabama. Rain amounts should be one-quarter inch or less for most places, and I don’t expect any thunder. Otherwise, the day will be cloudy and cooler with a high in the mid 50s, back to where we should be for early February based on averages.

TOMORROW AND THE WEEKEND: The front should push down toward U.S. 80 early tomorrow morning, meaning the best chance of light rain should be over the southern half of the state. For the most part, North/Central Alabama looks dry and colder tomorrow with a high in the 48- to 51-degree range. The sky will stay mostly cloudy, although the sun could break through during the afternoon.

Saturday will be a cool, dry day with a good supply of sunshine. We start the day below freezing, but rise into the mid 50s by afternoon. Models continue to trend drier Sunday. The North American Mesoscale model suggests some chance of light rain very early Sunday morning, perhaps in the pre-dawn hours, followed by mostly dry conditions during the daylight hours. The sky Sunday will feature more clouds than sun, and the high will be between 57 and 60 degrees. Any rain early Sunday looks light and spotty.

NEXT WEEK: A new storm will form west of Alabama, and for now it looks like the best chance of rain from that feature will come Tuesday and Tuesday night. A few thunderstorms could be involved, but with the best dynamic support well to the north, it doesn’t look like severe weather will be an issue; rain amounts should be in the one-half-inch range. Colder air returns later in the week, with a high Thursday between 45 and 50 degrees; a freeze is likely by Friday morning, Feb. 10.

Still no sign of any really high-impact events (severe storms, snow, ice, extreme cold) around here for the next 10 to 15 days.

As always, watch me for the full weather story on ABC 33/40 News this evening at 4, 5, 6 and 10.

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