Thursday Afternoon Update

Good Afternoon! The wintry mess continues for parts of the Midwest. Some communities are expecting up to ¼” of ice and nearly a foot of snow accumulation. The national satellite and radar imagery looks very impressive this afternoon as a large swath of snow is back over Parts of Oklahoma and entering Arkansas. Right now the temperature in Vicksburg, MS is 69-degrees and the temperature in Shreveport is 39-degrees. The arctic front we’ve talked about is currently shifting through central Louisiana. The movement of the front will increase speed as low-pressure shifts across southern Missouri.

Right now we have a warm and moist air mass is in place. Scattered showers and thunderstorms have developed and it looks like this activity will increase in coverage tonight. Right now a severe thunderstorm watch is in place for north Mississippi and we are under a slight risk for severe weather. Some of the storms through the early evening could produce some gusty winds. Regardless of the thunderstorm wind gusts, the breeze will still be howling tonight. A wind advisory is in place for the entire area. We will have a south wind becoming northwest at 10-20 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph.

The rain will move out early tomorrow morning and look for the sharp drop in temperatures. We will stay in the 40s all day tomorrow and at daybreak tomorrow, higher elevations over north Alabama could have a few icy spots developing. If you have early morning travel plans north towards Memphis or Nashville, be sure to give your self some extra driving time just to be on the safe side. We will all be above freezing tomorrow and I am expecting some afternoon sunshine. The wind component will be the big factor, as it will add quite a chill. The sky will be clear tonight, with a low at or just below freezing.

You can expect a long stretch of dry weather through at-least next Thursday. Temperatures will stay in the 50s over the next several days and we could have a couple of nights, with lows in the mid 20s. Another blast of cold air is expected to keep us in the 40s on Monday and we will have a low near 25-degrees.

Join us tonight!

Updated by: Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt

4 PM Radar Update

There is still a slight risk for severe weather for most of the state today and tonight. The only part of the state clear from the slight risk is the southeastern corner. The radar shows a few showers across the state. Most of the action is still across Mississippi; these showers and thunderstorms are lifting towards the north-northeast. In Alabama, the showers continue to be spotty; most of them are located in the western counties, such as Sumter, Pickens, Green, and Tuscaloosa Counties. In Tuscaloosa County, there is a small shower located near Fosters; it is moving towards the western side of the city of Tuscaloosa. In Sumter County, there is a heavy shower located near Livingston, moving towards Hamner. Over in Pickens County, there is a small line of showers moving towards Aliceville, Pickensville, and Carrolton. All of these showers are slowly lifting towards the north-northeast. Be sure to stay tuned to the blog for further updates.

WVUA-TV
Richard Scott

Hurricane Season Comes To An End

The 2006 hurricane season comes to an end tomorrow as we head into the month of December. Fortunately, there is no comparison between the tropical systems this year and last year’s record breaking season. During this season, most of the storms that developed stayed out to sea; in-fact, the U.S. did not get impacted by any hurricanes. However, we did have a few Tropical Storms that made landfall in the U.S. mainland. This season, there was a nearly persistent trough that hung tough over the eastern U.S.; this allowed for strong wind shear to basically rip apart any storm that tried to move towards the east coast. Here is a list of the storms that developed during the 2006 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

Tropical Storm Alberto: Impacted the U.S. & parts of our region
Tropical Storm Beryl: Impacted the U.S.
Tropical Storm Chris
Tropical Strom Debby
Hurricane Ernesto: Impacted the U.S.
Hurricane Florence:
Hurricane Gordon
Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Isaac

WVUA T.V. Weather Intern: Richard Scott

Wednesday Afternoon Forecast Discussion Update

A much warmer and more humid air mass has settled in over the area and this has fueled scattered showers today. Even in the absence of rain, there are some ominous looking stratocumulus clouds marching through the area. The warm air will keep us on the mild side tonight and with dewpoints currently in the mid 60s, low temperatures will also be in the 60s. A mild breeze will remain in place through tonight and early tomorrow as an arctic cold front marches in our direction.

The sharp temperature gradient with the advancing front is aiding in the development of low pressure over western Missouri and Arkansas. Right now it is 72-degrees in Little Rock and 32-degree in Oklahoma City. An Ice Storm Warning is in place for Kansas City, MO. The cold air is headed our way and before it gets here you can expect some thunderstorms to march into the state. Some of the storms tomorrow could grow severe, especially as the unstable afternoon air over Alabama is lifted by the approaching cold air. This will happen later tomorrow and then we will have a steady rain with a sharp drop in temperatures tomorrow night. Highs will be in the mid 70s tomorrow and lows will be near 40-degrees by Friday morning. If your going to be traveling into northeast Alabama early Friday morning, plan on giving yourself some extra driving time just in-case there are some slick spots. Temperatures could drop to freezing over some of the higher elevations to the north, and with the rain not long from ending, some isolated slick spots on some roads can’t be ruled out. The good news is that we will all be above freezing by mid-morning.

It’s going to feel like December for sure on Friday and we may see temperatures go up a couple of degrees during the late afternoon. Lows Friday night will be dropping to the freezing mark. Beyond Friday, an upper level trough will keep the gate open to a flow of unseasonably cool air. Look for highs in the 50s through the weekend and early next week. Lows at night will be dropping at or below freezing through Monday night. Bundle up!

I want to congratulate our two winners of the guest weather anchor contest. They are Jake Cook from Rock Quarry Elementary School and Hannah Butler from Englewood Elementary School. I want to thank all of the kids for sending in letters and we are looking forward to having more guest weather anchors on in the future!

Updated by: Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt

Tuesday Afternoon Discussion Update

You could really tell moisture has made a recovery over West Central Alabama. Even though it felt warm today, it also felt rather humid. Highs today once again reached the 70s and lows tonight will be dropping into the mild upper 50s. Due to the increase in moisture and lighter winds, areas of dense fog will be a concern tonight.

The blast of colder air we’ve been talking about is now invading the country. A sharp front will approach us and before the front moves through we will have an increase in moisture and instability. Look for lots of clouds tomorrow, with a chance of showers. A line of thunderstorms will approach us on Thursday and some of the storms may be severe. After the storms pass we will continue to deal with showers through Thursday night. Once the cold front pushes through Thursday night temperatures will drop abruptly, possibly 30-degrees in some locations. We will drop to near 40-degrees by Friday morning, with a cold north wind. It’s not out of the question that some roads over northwest Alabama early Friday morning may have some isolated slick spots. This will be due to the combination of temperatures being near freezing and wet spots from the earlier rain event. The clouds will gradually break on Friday and the temperatures will struggle to make some recovery into the middle 40s. Friday night we will drop to the freezing mark.

The forecast for the week and for the start of the new week looks quite seasonal. We will have a mixture of clouds and sun through the week and a trough over the region will keep temperatures on the cool side. Highs will be in the 50s, with lows in the 30s. Now it does not appear rain will be a factor early next week.

Updated by: Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt

Monday Afternoon Forecast Update

Good Afternoon! There is not doubt what the big local story is today, however we do have quite a bit to talk about in the world of weather. Other than sports rumors floating around, one rumor is that winter weather is in the forecast. I will be sure to dive into that topic below. First off, I want to address today’s weather, which turned out to be beautiful. The sky was sunny and temperatures reached the comfortable low 70s. The satellite and radar data does reveal changes happening as clouds and rain are now increasing over the Plains. We will see more clouds tomorrow and as moisture increases over the state by Wednesday, clouds will increase and a few showers will be developing. Temperatures will stay on the warm side, with more 70-degree readings.

A cold front will move in on Thursday and this will bring a good chance of rain and thunderstorms. The data over previous days was advertising that some frigid arctic air would spill into Alabama. That doesn’t appear to be the case right now as the flow won’t be quite as amplified. Rain and thunderstorms will gradually march across Thursday and winds will become northwesterly. Temperatures will then fall through Friday morning and then the readings will level off during the day Friday. Now it looks like the rain will be out of here on Friday, plus temperatures will be above freezing. Therefore, winter weather will not be a concern. With all this being said, it is still going to feel cold, with highs only near 50-degrees on Friday. We will drop to the freezing mark or just below the freezing mark Friday night. Look for another storm system to impact our area by Monday.

I want to conclude by thanking all of the WVUA Weather Watchers who sent in letters to be a guest weather anchor. We will be making our decision tonight and I will let you know who the guest weather anchor will be tomorrow. Thanks to all of our viewers! We will have a complete forecast update for you tonight and I do want to mention that starting at five we will have detailed coverage on the football staff changes at The University of Alabama. I’m hearing that a special Tider Insider Program will air at 6:30 p.m.

Be sure to join us!

(Surface Map: Valid for Wednesday Morning)

Updated by: Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt

A Clear and Quiet Night….

Well, this evening looks to be pretty decent with clear skies and calm winds.  Overnight lows will be around 39 degrees.  Tomorrow, skies will be partly cloudy with a nice mix of sunshine!  Highs for tomorrow will be around 72 degrees.  The weather start to change when you head into Tuesday.  Skies will be mostly cloudy with afternoon highs reaching 72 degrees on Tuesday afternoon.  A slight chance of rain will move in by Wednesday night.  A strong cold front will be pushing into West Alabama on Thursday afternoon and we will see a large drop in temps by Thursday night.  Highs will be in the upper 40s by Friday afternoon and lows will be in the lower 30s.  As of right now, the weekend looks sunny.

 Updated by:  Michael White

A Very Nice Night….

Conditions will be great throughout the evening tonight.  Skies will be clear and winds will remain calm.  The overnight low tonight will be dropping down into the lower 40s.  Tomorrow, lots of sunshine with highs in the lower 70s.  I wish we could see weather like this all year, but unfortuneately all good things must come to an end.  By the time we head into Wednesday the weather will start to change.  A 40% chance of showers will be moving through during the evening.   The bulk of the rain will move in on Thursday, expect overcast skies and an 80% chance of rain.   A shallow layer of very cold arctic air is going to be drifting into Alabama and we see temps drop steadily throughout Thursday and Thursday night. The forecats highs will be rather tricky as the temperatures will be falling on Friday. Therefore, the high will be occurring early in the day.  A chance for winter weather has been talk over the past few days; however, it is sill way to soon to try laying down some specifics.  As of right now, it appears that if we do see wintry weather in the area it would come in form of freezing rain due to the atmosphere profile.  It looks like most of the moisture will be out of here before the freezing temperatures arrive; however, north of Tuscaloosa I can’t rule out a brief period of freezing rain before all of the precipitation moves out.   For now, enjoy the nice weather and have a great night!

Updated by:  Michael White

Friday Forecast Discussion Update

Let me begin by saying, we have lots to talk about today! I will be filling in for Robert today and I have to say I’m quite excited to be broadcasting outdoors, live from the University of Alabama Campus. The weather is just too nice out there today and I sure don’t want to be in a cold television studio all day. The conditions today are just perfect. I’m expecting plenty of sunshine, with highs in the low 70s.

I promise we will dive into the weather discussion, but first I wanted to talk a bit about “Black Friday.” I’m sure you know someone who is out and about tackling the holiday shopping. Actually, the first thoughts of a Christmas shopping list popped up in my head last night. I’ve already asked myself that big question, what is the world am I going to get my parents, my brother, my fiancé, and so on?” O’ well, fun times ahead! I do have a gift idea for you and this comes to mind every year, how about a NOAA Weather Radio? Our intern Steven Ray and I were actually in Radio Shack over at McFarland Mall Wednesday night and they had a whole display of NOAA weather radios. NOAA weather radio is great because it will alert you when there is a warning at 24 hours a day. This is very valuable during the overnight hours. When your asleep the radio will wake you and give you that all important information. Also, another neat product I saw in Radio Shack, for the weather fan, is the personal weather station. It’s kind of pricey but it gives all kinds of current weather parameters and it can be interfaced to display on your home computer. I can assure you, I’m not getting paid by Radio Shack. However, if you get a personal weather station for someone in your family, don’t forget to give good ole Wes and Robert a call with some local reports. Now on to the weather…

As we discussed over previous days, high-pressure is anchored in over the state. In fact, the highest-pressure readings are centered very close to Tuscaloosa. This stable setup will keep the sky clear through tomorrow. Tonight I’m not expecting another freeze, as we will be dropping into the mid 30s. Tomorrow we will quickly rebound into the warm 70s under sunny skies. A few clouds will be around on Sunday, but overall we won’t see much of a change. The changes will really start to come into play Monday as the high-pressure area shifts east. The flow will become southerly and moisture will overrun the state. This will become evident as high clouds start to filter into Alabama. The models are advertising some light precipitation Monday night, but I just don’t think it will be able to reach the ground due to dry low-level air. By Tuesday as moisture increase, a few showers may reach us and this will also be the case on Wednesday.
Things get interesting beyond Wednesday. A cold front will eventually move in by Thursday morning and this will bring us clouds and rain. The long-range data is showing arctic air spilling southward and this shallow layer of cold-dense air will create a very diverse temperatures spread over the state by Thursday night. We could easily have temperatures near freezing over the extreme northern part of the state and temperatures near 70-degrees over south Alabama. The data is showing some rain lingering into Friday morning and if the data holds true there could be some winter weather talk for parts of the state. It’s still way early to be making any winter weather calls and I can’t count how many times I have seen this setup in the long rage models. The fact is that the data has a tough time getting a handle on the shallow cold air masses and 90% of the time the moisture is out of here before the cold air arrives. I will be keeping a close eye on this setup and if anything changes I will be the first to let you know. Regardless of the precipitation, next weekend is going to be very cold!

Updated by: Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt

Thanksgiving Forecast Discussion Update

Happy Thanksgiving! I’m sorry for the delay in getting today’s afternoon discussion posted, but I rolled into work a little late today in honor of the big holiday. We didn’t air our normal five and six o’clock evening broadcast, but we will be back on the air, live at ten, with a complete round-up of today’s news, sports and weather. I have to say I’m also running a bit slower this evening thanks to plenty of Thanksgiving Turkey, which I enjoyed early on! It’s hard to find anything to complain about as far as this weather setup goes. It was a beautiful day and very comfortable during the afternoon. A broad area of High-pressure centered just south of Lake Charles, LA is keeping us dry. I do feel we will experience another light freeze tonight as lows will be dropping to near freezing in many neighborhoods. The clear skies, dry air, and light winds will make for another cold night. Having said that, the dry air will allow for a big warm-up tomorrow as highs will easily reach the low 70s for the biggest shopping day of the year. Tomorrow will be sunny, with a chill in the air again thanks to clear skies tomorrow night. This exact same weather setup will make for an excellent weekend. Look for sunny weather, with highs in the 70s.

It is November, which is usually an active month weather-wise, and you know changes are always around the corner. Well, that will be the case starting on Monday as a southerly flow develops over Alabama. Moisture will begin overrunning the state and this will bring clouds into the area. The cloudy conditions will continue into Monday night and a few showers may develop. Tuesday will be very similar we will have lots of clouds with pleasant temperatures. There will be a southerly wind on the increase as a cold front moves in our direction. A mixture of clouds and sun can be expected on Wednesday for the start of the day and then rain and thunderstorms will be likely Wednesday night as the cold front passes through the area. Our thinking has changed on the cold front’s time of arrival as now it looks like the front will arrive late Wednesday and into Thursday. The rain and thunderstorms will shift eastward early Thursday, with a steady fall in temperatures throughout Thursday morning. The clouds will be slow to move out Thursday morning and there will be a cold north wind in place. This will make for cold and raw conditions late in the week.

I want t remind all of the kids out there to send us a card or letter with their name, phone number, and answer to why they like the weather. Early next week we will be selecting one boy and one girl to be a part of our live broadcast at five and six next Thursday.

Be sure to join us later tonight!

(Image: NOAA Surface Map)

Updated by: Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt