James Spann: More freezing fog for Alabama this morning; nice warm-up today
James Spann forecasts a brief warm-up for Alabama today from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
FREEZING FOG AGAIN: Again this morning freezing fog has formed over parts of north and central Alabama. This is simply fog that forms with surface temperatures below freezing. It can lead to rime ice collecting on exposed surfaces, and can lead to slick spots on bridges and overpasses. A freezing fog advisory is in effect for areas along and north of I-59; temperatures will be above freezing by 8:30-9.
Look for a nice warm-up today. After the cold start we expect a high between 55 and 59 degrees this afternoon with a partly to mostly sunny sky. Clouds return quickly tonight, however, ahead of a cold front, and a few showers are possible as it moves through. Moisture will be limited, and rain amounts will be light and spotty.
FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: Colder air returns to the state. Look for a mix of sun and clouds each day; the high will be in the upper 40s Friday, followed by low to mid 40s Saturday. On Sunday, the high will be close to 50 as a warming trend begins. The weather will be generally dry on these three days, although a few snow flurries are not out of the question for the northern quarter of the state Friday night into Saturday morning. No accumulation or impact is expected. Early morning lows over the weekend will be in the 28- to 32-degree range.
NEXT WEEK: Highs will be in the 50s most of the week; the weather looks dry Monday through Wednesday, but rain will likely return at some point Thursday or Friday as a storm system lifts out of the Southwest. It remains to be seen how much rain we see, but it will be too warm for any winter weather mischief.
GRAUPEL: Many communities saw graupel yesterday; for some it is a new term, but that precipitation type has been around forever. Graupel is a type of frozen precipitation that is also referred to as snow grains. It forms when snowflakes fall through a layer of supercooled water (water that remains liquid in a below-freezing environment), and those supercooled droplets coat the snowflakes with a layer of ice in a process known as riming. Graupel pellets are white, roundish, soft and spongy, and are easily crushed, bearing a resemblance to Dippin Dots.
ON THIS DATE IN 1972: In Loma, Montana, the temperature soared from 54 degrees below zero to 49 degrees above zero on Jan. 14-15. The 103-degree change is the greatest ever recorded in the world for a 24-hour period.
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