WVUA-TV Weather Blog

Another fantastic day for us in West Alabama, with sunshine and pleasant temperatures.  Hard to believe, but today’s the last day of November, the end of the 2007 Atlantic Hurricane Season and the end of meteorological fall.  Tomorrow and Sunday will not feel like typical December days.  Highs will be near 69 Saturday and 76 on Sunday.

We’re watching a big winter storm that’s lifting out of the Southwestern United States and heading for the Midwest, then the New England states.  There are some type of winter weather advisories in a dozen states right now because of that storm.

We will not see too much from this one.  The trailing cold front will swing through here late Sunday and might fire off a few thunderstorms when it does.  There also might be some showers during the day on Sunday.  There might be some lingering showers south and east of Tuscaloosa early Monday morning as the front exits the area.

Behind the front, we’ll see temperatures in the upper 50s for Monday, and the lower 60s for the middle of next week.  We’re keeping an eye on another storm system for late next week.

If you’re heading to Demopolis for Christmas on the River festivites Saturday, the weather will be very nice.  Monday night’s West Alabama Christmas Parade will have dry, and chilly weather.  Tuesday’s Dickens Downtown in Northport will also have dry and cool conditions.  Should be nice for any outdoor events, except for that threat for rain and storms on Sunday. 

Robert Stevenson/WVUA Weather

While Wes is enjoying some real cold weather in Wisconsin, we’re enjoying some seasonable temperatures for this time of year.  The average high for today is 63.  We’re sitting a few degrees above that as I type this. 

Early this morning a cold front moved through the area.  Temperatures this afternoon have only been affected by a few degrees.  The most noticeable change is the winds.  They’re now out of the north.

It looks like we’ll end the week, and the month, with a similar day weather-wise.  Tomorrow should be about the same as today, with lighter winds.

We’re still watching for a storm system to lift out of the southwestern U.S. and head for the Midwest over the weekend.  The trailing cold front will move through sometime Sunday afternoon/evening.  More on that in a moment… the nice thing about this system, it will pull plenty of warm, moist air up from the Gulf.  We’ll benefit with temperatures flirting with 70 Saturday, and well into the 70s on Sunday.

Saturday now looks like it will be dry.  Rain chances don’t start to develop until midday Sunday.  Sunday afternoon/evening, there could be a few thunderstorms just ahead of the cold front that will swing through the area.  No severe weather is expected, right now, with that front on Sunday.

That front will knock temperatures back to around 60 in the afternoon for next week, and overnight lows back into the middle 30s.

Tomorrow also marks the end of the Hurricane Season for this year, which has been fairly quiet for the United States.

Thanks for dropping by, I’ll see you at 5 and 6 tonight on the air. Richard will be in for the 10 o’clock news.

Robert Stevenson/WVUA Weather

Greetings from Madison, Wisconsin! As you’ve probably noticed Robert and Richard have been bringing you the latest weather forecasts and conditions this week. I’m currently in a very cold Madison where the temperatures have been hovering in the 20s all week. The purpose of my trip was to visit Weather Central, our current weather data provider.

Madison not only is the home of the Badgers, it’s the capitol of the state. By the way, the Badgers stadium is called Camp Randall Stadium. Two of the stories making news headlines up here this week are one, the Badgers are going to a bowl, and second, the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers are playing.

The beautiful city of Madison is interestingly located on an isthmus, located between two great bodies of water, Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. Surprisingly, some of the smaller bodies of water already have a nice coating of ice on their surface. The image you see is just outside of the Weather Central office where some snow from the Thanksgiving Holiday storm is still on the ground.

We actually had some snow around yesterday and this was quite a treat considering we haven’t had a good measurable snowfall in West Alabama for a long time. Enjoy the pictures and don’t forget to send us some of those good fall images at wxpics@wvua7.com. I’ve been bragging about our good Fall colors in Alabama. Take care and I’ll be back in the Weather Center on Monday.

Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt
WVUA-TV Weather

It was a chilly start this morning across the region.  Temperatures fell a bit below what I had expected.  Tuscaloosa bottomed out at 28.  That was the same temperature for Centreville.  The cold spot was 24 in Hamilton.  Fortunately, we’ve warmed up this afternoon with temperatures in the middle and upper 60s.

Tomorrow morning, a front will move through the area.  It looks like it will do that around daybreak.  Behind it, the winds will switch around to the north, and some cooler air will filter across West Alabama.  This will be a dry front, so no rain for us.  There will be a few clouds… but all in all, a quiet day when it comes to our weather.

Friday will be seasonable, with highs in the low to middle 60s with mostly sunny skies.

Saturday, ahead of the next storm system, a southerly flow returns to the area.  That will usher in warmer air, and a few clouds.  Late in the day Saturday, there might be a shower.  Rain chances are pretty low.  Saturday night, a slightly better chance for a shower or two with increasing clouds.

The main thrust of this storm will track to our north, through the Central Plains and Midwest.  The trailing cold front will move through Sunday afternoon.  Ahead of it, there’s a chance for some showers, and maybe some thunderstorms.  Right now, there doesn’t look to be a threat for severe weather.  We’ll be keeping an eye on it.  Sunday night, there could be a few lingering showers.   Monday, we could see a few showers early in the morning, especially south and east of Tuscaloosa. 

Behind the front, temperatures don’t look like they’ll dive, but stay around the norms of lower 60s during the day and lower 40s to upper 30s.

Robert Stevenson/WVUA Weather

Hope you’re having a nice day today. We’re enjoying a pleasant late fall day across the area. The clouds broke up around West Alabama at lunchtime. I just stepped outside for a bit and took in the crystal clear blue skies. It is a bit cool, temperatures have been int he 50s all afternoon. Storm Commander shows 59 right now at the Tuscaloosa recording station. Tonight will be cold! We’ll see lows in the mid to lower 30s. In the Tuscaloosa area I’m going with 34 tonight. Some of the usually colder areas might dip to freezing tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll recover nicely, as temperatures rise into the upper 60s with lots of sunshine!

Thursday, we’ll be brushed by a front connected to an Alberta Clipper system that’s moving through the Midwest and New England states. We won’t see any rain, just a few clouds… and some drier, cooler, air in the area. It will knock our daytime highs into the lower 60s for the day, and overnight lows back into the mid-30s into early Friday.

Rain chances come back in the forecast Saturday, Sunday and Monday. A more potent, at least when it comes to the colder air behind it, system will move through the middle part of the county… bisecting the north and south. Most of the rain will be to our north, but ahead of the system, there are slight chances for a shower Saturday and Saturday night. As a cold front swings through on Sunday, there might be some thunderstorms as well… and a lingering shower into early Monday. Right now, rain chances don’t look too impressive with this storm.

Behind that system, temperatures will be cooler, but seasonable for early December.

With the end of November, comes the end of the 2007 Hurricane Season. As the image I found of the tropics shows, it looks like it will end on a quiet note.

Robert Stevenson/WVUA Weather

Welcome to the last week of November. We started off rather warm this morning. At 9 o’clock, it was 65 degrees in Tuscaloosa. A cold front moved through around lunchtime, and temperatures have taken a tumble. By 1 this afternoon, it was 52 degrees. Quite a change! Winds have switched around from the south, to the west. That’s helping to usher in the chillier temperatures. Those winds will turn northerly later this evening. The dreary clouds will hang with us the rest of the day. There might be a little drizzle for the rest of today and even tonight. Overnight there will be a few breaks. Tomorrow we’ll see some gradual clearing with sunshine before the day is through. On the warm side of this system, we got plenty of rain across not only west Alabama, but much of the state. Good news when it comes to the ongoing drought. We still have a long way to go, with Tuscaloosa about 27 inches behind for precipitation for the year.

Here’s a look at some rain totals:

Livingston: 1.64″

Northport: 1.55″ (Weather Watcher Barry Durand)

Hamilton: 1.27″

Tuscaloosa: 1.18″

Centreville: 0.75″

Birmingham: 0.46″

These totals are as of 6 or 7 this morning from The National Weather Service in Birmingham, expect for the Northport data.

It looks like the rest of the work-week will be dry. A re-enforcing shot of cooler, drier air, will move into the area for Thursday and Friday. I just expect some clouds, temperatures to drop a few degrees and winds to shift to the northwest for those days.

Our next chances for rain look to be towards the end of the forecast period, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Wes is off for the week. I’ll be with you most of the time. Richard will also be here a few nights.

See you on the air at 5.

Robert Stevenson/WVUA Weather

I hope you are having a great Sunday! As expected, temperatures have remained cool through out the day, but things are about to change as a warm front lifts in here from the south. Today, most of the rain has fell over Mississippi, where they have seen some heavy rainfall totals over the past few hours. We are expecting the rain and storms to move in later tonight. In fact, there is chance we could deal with a few strong storms as the night progresses. The best chance is over the southwestern part of our viewing area, where there is a threat of damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes. I can’t rule out a strong storm making it as far north as Tuscaloosa, so make sure you have a reliable severe weather source tonight, incase things get a little bumpy. The best chance for these storms will make it in here between midnight and 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. Be sure to watch the newscast tonight at 10 p.m. for the latest on the weather forecast. If we have any severe weather, we will be sure to let you know about it. 

After morning storms tomorrow, things will calm down after the noon-time hour, with the stormy action moving eastward. Temperatures will begin to cool off once the cold front moves through here on Tuesday, with highs reaching the upper 50s. Also, you can expect a return of sunshine.  Tuesday night, lows will drop into the upper 30s. With a clear night and calm winds in place, temperatures will drop off quickly.  

We will deal with a couple of dry days before our next storm-system marches into town. Highs will warm into the middle 60s by Wednesday, and we can’t rule out a shower or two for Thursday and Friday. As we start off the month of December, temperatures will be warm, with highs in the mid 60s, and you can expect a better chance of rain and storms as our next system works into town.

Looking ahead, it looks like we will continue this very progressive pattern, with rainy patterns, followed by quick spells of colder air. Be sure to stay tuned tonight at 10 p.m. for the latest on your forecast. I will break down the next 7 days, plus, take a look at that severe weather threat tonight. 

Richard Scott/WVUA Weather

Image Source: (NOAA)

Things are now beginning to come together for severe weather to our southwest. There is a tornado watch in place for portions of Louisiana until 5:00 this evening. We are watching the developments of a low pressure, which is helping fuel to some strong to severe storms over Louisiana. There is still some uncertainty on how far north the unstable air will reach. It now looks like the southern portion of our viewing area will see the main threat for strong storms. Most of this should stay say south of Tuscaloosa tonight, but we can’t rule out a strong storm making it as far north as I-20/59. Of course, if things get bad here, we will be sure to update you on it as it develops. I will also have an afternoon weather discussion posted on the blog a little later today. Have a great Sunday Afternoon! 

Richard Scott/WVUA Weather

Picture Source: (NOAA)

I hope you are having a great Saturday! Finally, some much needed rain is beginning to fall over the state, but as of 6 p.m., conditions over in Auburn are remaining dry, so for all of the folks in Tiger country watching the Alabama football game, things will remain dry for the next few hours. But, we are expecting showers to move in later tonight. If you are going to be on the roadways this evening, be sure to take it extra easy because it’s a mess with the wet road conditions.  

Things this morning started off very cold; in-fact, temperatures started off in the mid to upper 20s in many locations. This makes me wonder what would have happened if the precipitation would have moved in a little earlier than expected. Check out the lows this morning: 

Hamilton: 25

Jasper: 26

Tuscaloosa: 28

Centreville: 28

Clanton: 29

Livingston: 30 

Tonight, clouds will continue to be in-place, with periods of rain across the area. Temperatures will remain in the 40s. Now, things really begin to change tomorrow, with highs warming into the middle 60s. A warm front will make it through here sometime tomorrow afternoon; as that happens, you can expect a surge of warm and moist air. It looks like we will deal with a round of strong storms sometime Sunday Night into the morning hours on Monday. In-fact, much of West Alabama is under a slight risk of Severe weather Sunday Night. The main threat is for damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes; however, the main threat will be south of town. The big question is; how far north will the warm front go? As of now, we feel that will make it as far north as Tuscaloosa, which would put us in the warm and unstable sector. So, it would be a good idea to get a reliable severe weather source for Sunday Night. A great tool to have during severe weather is a NOAA Weather Radio; it will warn you of approaching severe weather. I will have full details on the blog through out the day tomorrow if necessary so be sure to stay tuned there.  

After the storms leave town Monday, we cool off and clear out for Tuesday, with a mix of clouds and sun. We will begin to warm back up into the mid 60s on Wednesday. With a very progressive pattern in-place, we will introduce another chance of rain on Thursday and Friday, as another storm-system makes it in here.  Be sure to stay tuned tonight at 10 p.m. for the latest on your forecast. 

Richard Scott/WVUA Weather

Image source:

(Storm Prediction Center)

It turned out to be a gorgeous Friday for us, with lots of sunshine overhead. The temperatures have stayed on the chilly side and tonight, with the lack of clouds, we should drop below freezing. The sky will be mostly clear through the late night hours, but high clouds will start streaming in around 1:00 a.m. These clouds will be in response to changes as our next storm system starts taking shape. You can expect thickening cloud cover for tomorrow and with temperatures only reaching the 50s, it’s going to be another chilly day. As moisture continues to overrun the state tomorrow showers will begin developing late in the day.

Look for a good chance of rain late tomorrow night and into the day on Sunday. Low pressure and associated upper air energy will dig into Mississippi and this will put us in the positioning for possible severe weather late Sunday. A slight risk for severe weather is already in place for the southern half of our area on Sunday. The rain will taper off from west to east on Monday, with cooler air settling in. According to the latest data, another complex storm system will impact the area late next week. Showers will be possible on Thursday and Friday, with a greater chance of rain next weekend.

Iron Bowl Weather: Chilly weather can be expected in Auburn during the day tomorrow. The chance of rain will enter the picture during the start of the game. Highs tomorrow will be in the 50s, with temperatures falling into the 40s during game time. Carry the jacket and the raincoat. It’s going to be a cold game and showers will be more likely late in the game. Have a safe trip!

Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt
WVUA-TV Weather