MOISTURE LEVELS RISING: High clouds are increasing over Alabama this afternoon, but the low levels are dry and there is no rain on radar. Temperatures are mostly in the 57- to 62-degree range.
Clouds will thicken tonight as a low-pressure surface wave forms in the northwest Gulf of Mexico.
THE WEEKEND: The sky will be cloudy over the weekend with a few periods of rain; the most widespread rain for the northern half of the state will come tomorrow afternoon through Sunday morning. But the rain won’t be continuous, and amounts should be fairly light, generally less than one-half inch. Heavier totals are possible closer to the Gulf Coast near the low, where some thunder is possible. Data from the high-resolution North American Mesoscale model suggests much of the rain will be over by noon Sunday. The high tomorrow and Sunday will be in the 57- to 60-degree range across most of north and central Alabama.
NEXT WEEK: The first half of the week will be dry and colder; the coldest day will be Tuesday, when afternoon temperatures won’t get past the mid 40s. Look for a low in the 20- to 25-degree range early Tuesday and Wednesday morning; colder spots could visit the upper teens. A cold front will bring a chance of rain late in the week Thursday night into Friday, followed by colder air for the following weekend (Feb. 3-4). Output from the European ensemble continues to suggest no significant snow in the colder air Friday following the frontal passage, although a few flurries are not out of the question.
While we will have cold snaps over the next 10-15 days, for now we don’t expect the severe cold like we had earlier this month.
BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.
WEATHER BRAINS: 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 meteorologists at ABC 33/40.
CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks:
Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus
Instagram
Pinterest
Snapchat: spannwx
For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit AlabamaWx.
