WVUA-TV Weather Blog

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
854 PM CST WED JAN 31 2007

…MIXED WINTRY PRECIPITATION TONIGHT…

.A DEVELOPING AREA OF RAIN WILL MEET FREEZING TEMPERATURES ACROSS
NORTHERN ALABAMA TONIGHT. THIS WILL CAUSE A WINTRY MIX OF
PRECIPITATION…INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF SNOW…SLEET…AND
FREEZING RAIN.

COUNTY SPECIFIC MESSAGE:

/O.CON.KBMX.WW.Y.0001.000000T0000Z-070201T1200Z/
MARION-LAMAR-FAYETTE-WINSTON-WALKER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…HAMILTON…SULLIGENT…VERNON…
FAYETTE…DOUBLE SPRINGS…JASPER
854 PM CST WED JAN 31 2007

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST
THURSDAY…

SLEET AND LIGHT RAIN HAS ALREADY STARTED FALLING ACROSS WESTERN
ALABAMA THIS EVENING. THE SLEET AND RAIN MIXTURE WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH AROUND 3AM. THEREAFTER…A TRANSITION TO ALL RAIN WILL
OCCUR. LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF SLEET ARE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT…WITH
A FEW AREA ROADWAYS BECOMING SLICK. ANY FROZEN AREAS SHOULD BE
COMPLETELY MELTED BY 7AM.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW…SLEET…OR
FREEZING RAIN COULD CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES…AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.

AFFECTED COUNTIES:
IN ALABAMA: FAYETTE, LAMAR, MARION, WALKER, WINSTON.

We’re getting some sleet in the Tuscaloosa area.  We’ve had a few calls to let us know.  The dividing line for this wintry mix is right through Tuscaloosa County as I write this. I got to see some of the sleet myself while I ran out for a quick bit to eat.  This is just a little moisture in advance of the main event.  Rain will move into the area later tonight.  It could be mixed with some sleet, snow and a little freezing rain to start with. The further north of Tuscaloosa you go, the better chance you’ll see more wintry weather tonight.  Also, in East Alabama, there could be some concerns about icing. 

As the night progresses, temperatures will actually come up a little bit, so by about 6 or 7 in the morning it will be all rain across West Alabama.  Thursday will just be a soggy, cold day with periods of rain through the day and temperatures int eh 40s.

I’ll have more on the weather tonight at 10.

Robert Stevenson

The Winter Weather Advisory has been dropped for Tuscaloosa County.

Robert Stevenson

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
352 AM CST WED JAN 31 2007

…WINTRY PRECIPITATION POSSIBLE TONIGHT…

.A DEVELOPING AREA OF RAIN WILL MEET FREEZING TEMPERATURES ACROSS
NORTHERN ALABAMA TONIGHT. THIS WILL RESULT IN A PERIOD OF
RAIN MIXED WITH SLEET FROM ROUGHLY 9 PM TO 3 AM. TEMPERATURES
AFTER 3 AM ARE EXPECTED TO BE WARM ENOUGH TO TURN FALLING
PRECIPITATION INTO STRAIGHT COLD RAIN.

ALZ011015-017021-023-024-026029-311800-
/O.NEW.KBMX.WW.Y.0001.070201T0200Z-070201T1200Z/
MARION-LAMAR-FAYETTE-WINSTON-WALKER-BLOUNT-ETOWAH-CALHOUN-
CHEROKEE-CLEBURNE-TUSCALOOSA-JEFFERSON-ST. CLAIR-TALLADEGA-CLAY-
RANDOLPH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…HAMILTON…SULLIGENT…VERNON…
FAYETTE…DOUBLE SPRINGS…JASPER…ONEONTA…GADSDEN…
ANNISTON…CENTRE…HEFLIN…TUSCALOOSA…BIRMINGHAM…HOOVER…
PELL CITY…MOODY…TALLADEGA…SYLACAUGA…ASHLAND…ROANOKE
352 AM CST WED JAN 31 2007

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO
6 AM CST THURSDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO
6 AM CST THURSDAY.

AS RAIN BEGINS TO FALL TONIGHT…IT WILL BECOME MIXED WITH SLEET
ACROSS THE NORTHERN COUNTIES OF ALABAMA FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO WARM A FEW HOURS AFTER MIDNIGHT
CHANGING THE COMBINATION BACK TO A COLD STEADY RAIN.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW…SLEET…OR
FREEZING RAIN COULD CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES…AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.

It is going to be cold tonight! We’ll see lows around 20 tonight across the area… some spots a degree or two above that, and some in the upper teens!  Tomorrow will be chilly, with highs only in the middle 40s.  Wednesday will start off with mostly clear skies, and then clouds will increase.  Wednesday night things could get interesting when it comes to wintry weather in Alabama.

Right now, it looks north and northeast Alabama will get any wintry weather from this storm system overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning.  In West Alabama, we might see some sleet mix with the rain overnight, especially north in places like Fayette, Sulligent and Winfield.  The sleet shouldn’t cause any major problems when it comes to travel.

The good news with all this is that temperatures should warm up enough after 9 Thursday morning that it will be all rain for us in West Alabama the rest of the day.

Below is a statement from the National Weather Service in Birmingham about Wednesday night.

Robert Stevenson

Special Weather Statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
218 PM CST TUE JAN 30 2007

BIBB-BLOUNT-CALHOUN-CHAMBERS-CHEROKEE-CHILTON-CLAY-CLEBURNE-COOSA-ETOWAH-FAYETTE-JEFFERSON-LAMAR-MARION-PICKENS-RANDOLPH-SHELBY-ST CLAIR-TALLADEGA-TALLAPOOSA-TUSCALOOSA-WALKER-WINSTON

…A WINTRY MIX IS POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING…

THERE IS A CHANCE OF A WINTRY MIX ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING. RAIN MAY BE MIXED WITH OR TEMPORARILY CHANGE OVER TO SNOW…SLEET…OR FREEZING RAIN FROM AROUND MIDNIGHT UNTIL AROUND 9 AM. AT THIS TIME…THE GREATEST CHANCE OF MIXED PRECIPITATION IS FROM HAMILTON…TO ONEONTA…TO WEDOWEE.

THERE REMAINS MUCH UNCERTAINTY WITH THE FORECAST DURING THIS TIME PERIOD…SO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

It looks like the temperatures will be on the cool side over the next 5 to 7 days. While the weather is dry today, there are some changes on the way. A storm system will develop and move across our region on Wednesday and Thursday bringing us some rain. It doesn’t look like we will have to deal with any winter weather here, but there is a small chance that folks in the Tennessee Valley may see a little wintry mix late Wednesday night. We will dry out on Friday, setting us up with a nice weekend.

Richard Scott/
Michael White

It will be a very cold night tonight across West Alabama.  Overnight lows tonight will dropping down to an average of 18 degrees.  Make sure you take care of the 4P’s:  Pets, Pipes, Plants, and People.  Tomorrow, expect more sunshine throughout the region and the cool temps to continue with a high tomorrow afternoon of 49 degrees.  Tomorrow evening, the low will be dropping down into the mid 20s.  Rain looks to return by Wednesday afternoon.

Updated by:  Michael White

Hello everyone, hope you’re having a nice day!  It was nice to be outside today and enjoy some of that sunshine!  It’s been awhile since we had so much of it.  The clear skies should continue tonight.  It will also be cold.  We’ll see lows in the middle 20s!

Tomorrow, the sunny skies return and it will be pleasant for late January.  We should see highs in the upper 50s.  Over the weekend, we have the chance for some showers Saturday afternoon through the early morning Sunday.  Behind the rain, some colder air will work into the area.  Next week, we’ll see several days with high temperatures in the 40s and morning lows in the middle and lower 20s!

Wes will be off for awhile.  He’s getting married this weekend.  Congratulations to him and his new bride!  While he is away, Michael and I will be handling things in the forecast center.

 I’ll have an update on the forecast tonight at 5 and 6 p.m., Michael will be with you at 10.

 Robert Stevenson

We finally had some breaks in the clouds today and this allowed the temperatures to recover into the 50s. Tonight these breaks will allow us to drop to near freezing. Another surge of cold air will arrive tomorrow as a fast moving disturbance drops in from the northwest. We will stay dry, but rather chilly, as a gusty northwest wind develops. You can expect a cloud and sunshine mix for tomorrow, with fair skies tomorrow night. Lows tomorrow night will be dropping to near 27-degrees. Friday it won’t quite as breezy, with highs reaching the middle 50s. A storm system back over the southwest is expected to help trigger the development of low-pressure to our south Saturday. This will bring us lots of clouds, with the chance for a passing shower late Saturday. Beyond Saturday, look for more cold temperatures and clouds through the start of next week. Highs will be in the 40s, with lows in the 20s.

Updated by: Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt

Well things haven’t changed much in the past 24 hours. From looking at the latest observations a cold-north wind is still in place and the flow aloft is keeping a steady flow of clouds over Alabama. I was hoping we would see more sunshine today, but that sure wasn’t the case. In fact, skies have been overcast all day long keeping temperatures in the low to mid 40s. Tonight we will drop into the low 30s and then struggle to break out of the 40s again tomorrow. A batch of moisture embedded in the southwest flow over the region could bring a stray shower or sprinkle to areas along and south of the highway-80 corridor late tonight and early tomorrow. Most of us will remain cold, cloudy, and dry.

A good mixture of clouds and sun can be expected for tomorrow, with highs in the 50s. Lows tomorrow night will be dropping below the freezing mark. High-pressure back over Louisiana will help to bring breaks in the clouds on Friday and the clouds we do see should remain thin, allowing for brighter skies. Also, by this time the storm system over the southwest will weaken and slide east bringing us a chance for a passing shower late Saturday and Saturday night. Highs will be in the mid 50s on Saturday and behind the weak storm system look for another cool down. Highs will be in the 40s, with lows in the 20s through the start of next week.

Chili Cook-off: I wanted to pass along a message from our friends at the Tuscaloosa Exchange Club. The club is putting on a big chili cook-off next month. This will be the first great Tuscaloosa chili cook-off and it sounds like lots of fun! The deadline to register for entering the contest was yesterday, but there may be an extension. For more information you can call Robert Cotton at (205) 752-2222. Even if you’re not entering the contest there is going to be music, food, and beverages available. The cook-off will be taking place between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at the Bryant Conference Center on February 3rd. Admission is $7 in advance and $10.00 at the door. All proceeds will go to support local charities that help prevent child abuse.

Updated by: Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt