James Spann: Colder air hits Alabama today

Published On: 12.15.17 |

By: James Spann

James Spann: Colder air hits Alabama today

James Spann: Cold Friday, dry Saturday, rain Sunday afternoon for Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

NOTICEABLY COLDER TODAY: A new surge of cold air drops into Alabama today from the north; despite a decent amount of sun we won’t get past the mid 40s this afternoon. That is about 10 degrees below average for Dec. 15. Tonight will be clear and cold; most north and central Alabama communities will dip into the mid 20s early tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow will be a sunny day with a high in the mid 50s. Clouds advance into the state tomorrow night, however, ahead of the next upper wave.

WET DAYS: Rain will move into the state Sunday, most likely during the afternoon. And the overall pattern looks wet on into Monday and Tuesday with periods of rain along the way, and possibly a thunderstorm or two. No severe storms are expected, and three-day rain amounts should average 2 inches, with a few spots possibly getting 3 inches of rain. Sunday’s high will be in the 50s, and then we rise into the mild 60s Monday and Tuesday.

REST OF NEXT WEEK: For now Wednesday and Thursday look dry with highs 57-62; the clouds increase Friday with some risk of rain thanks to an approaching cold front.

CHRISTMAS WEATHER? As I write often, there is little skill in a specific weather forecast beyond seven days, especially in the cool season with so many factors in play. On your Facebook feed, you have probably seen people forecasting mild temperatures with strong storms; others are forecasting cold and snow. I say it is too early for anyone to know.

Global models are all over the board; the European for now looks cold and dry around Christmas Day, while the Global Forecast System suggests the weather could be wet here, with a wintry mix just to the north and west in a shallow layer of colder air. We will be in a battleground zone between warmth to the south and east, and the Arctic air northwest of Alabama. We can give you a first “good look” on Monday; everything else for now is nothing more than a wild guess.