Friday Afternoon Discussion

Trick-or-treat! This October sure hasn’t been kind to us in the rainfall department. This isn’t a huge surprise because October is our driest month on average. Our official total will end up at 1.42” and this will put Tuscaloosa 1.91” below average for the month. Our rainfall deficit for the year is now over the 12” mark. We will remain dry tonight as the trick-or-treaters hit the streets. We will have temperatures cooling into the 50s during the evening hours, with lows tonight near 39 degrees.

Wes Don’t forget to tune-in to WVUA tomorrow morning for an exclusive broadcast of The University of Alabama homecoming parade. This will be a great weekend for homecoming festivities in Tuscaloosa and for whatever plans you may have. Highs will be in the 70s, with a sunny sky. Don’t put away the jackets. Temperatures at night will remain quite chilly.

Wes The sky will be partly to mostly sunny on Monday and Tuesday. We will have a mild southerly flow over the area and temperatures will continue to rise. I’m expecting the temperatures to be in the upper 70s, near 80 degrees by Wednesday. A cold front will slowly transition across the state on Thursday and Friday. This feature will bring us our next chance for a shower or a thunderstorm. Have a great evening!

Wes Wyatt
WVUA Chief Meteorologist

Thursday Afternoon Forecast Discussion 3:50 PM

We’ve gotten our first true taste of cold weather this week. Many areas started off today at or below freezing and here are some select area lows: Tuscaloosa 31, Centreville 26, Livingston 29, Hamilton 24, and Jasper 27. Tonight we will drop into the middle 30s and most of the area should remain above freezing, although patchy areas of frost will be possible. Tomorrow the sun will return and this will provide another nice warm-up for Halloween. Highs tomorrow will be in the lower to middle 70s. In fact, the daytime temperatures will be in the 70s through the weekend and for most of next week. The next several nights will remain very chilly; however, we will have milder nighttime readings by this time next week. A very moisture starved disturbance is now diving our way and this feature can be se as a small patch of clouds over the high plains. This feature will bring us a few clouds on Sunday and as the system gathers moisture from the Gulf, this will spread considerable cloudiness our way on Monday. A front will bring us the possibility of rain late next week. I’m expecting increasing clouds on Thursday, with showers possible. As a quick reminder, we fall back this weekend! As we reset our clocks this would be a great time to check the batteries in your smoke alarms and NOAA Weather Radio. Have a great evening!

Wes Wyatt
WVUA Chief Meteorologist

Wednesday Afternoon Discussion 3:31 PM

Tuscaloosa was one of the cold spots to start off this Wednesday. The official low landed at 27 degrees. There was plenty of frost out there making for a wintry start to the day. Tonight we will experience more freezing temperatures, with lows right at the critical freezing point. Tomorrow the sun will return and the good thing is that we will be able to shed those jackets as highs will reach the low 70s. You can expect more cold nights, but the days will continue to improve. High pressure anchored over the region will slide east, putting us under a mild southerly flow. An upper air disturbance will drop in over the weekend and this will bring us a few clouds on Saturday. This system will tap into some moisture by Sunday producing a rainy weather setup for South Georgia and Florida this weekend. We will remain dry through the start of next week, with highs reaching the mid 70s and lows in the 50s. Our next opportunity for rain will arrive next Thursday and Friday. Have a great evening and stay warm!

Wes Wyatt
WVUA Chief Meteorologist

Tuesday Afternoon Discussion 4:25 PM

Freeze warnings are in place for our area. Be sure to protect the plants tonight and you may want to go ahead and cover any exposed pipes. I’m not expecting a hard freeze but the entire area will deal with temperatures at or below the critical freezing mark. Some parts of our area dropped below freezing last night. In fact, the official low in Tuscaloosa was 29 degrees. Here is a look at some other select area lows: Selma 37, Calera 33, Pinson 28, Clanton 33, Centreville 31, Hamilton 26, Livingston 31, Oneonta 34, Selma 37, & Fayette 39.

In addition to the freezing temperatures tonight, we will have areas of frost developing. This will all make for a cold scene as we kickoff the day tomorrow. Highs will be in the middle 60s tomorrow, which is still rather cool for this time of year. We will drop into the middle 30s tomorrow night and there is a chance some locations could touch the freezing mark. Highs will recover into the 70s on Thursday and Friday, thanks to a milder southerly flow.

A small scale upper level disturbance will track across the state late Friday night and on Saturday. This will bring more clouds but the lack of moisture will mean no rain for the start of November. Saturday looks to be a rather pleasant day, with highs in the middle 70s.

Wes Wyatt
WVUA Chief Meteorologist

Monday Afternoon Discussion 4:11 PM

This week has started off noticeably cooler and winds will remain rather gusty through the early evening hours tonight. Freeze watches will be in place for our area tomorrow; however, tonight freeze warnings will be in place for the Tennessee Valley. These warnings extend as far south as Cullman County. This means that temperatures in these warned areas will drop at our below the 32 degree mark. Our winds will diminish overnight and this will open the door to the possibility of frost in our area. Be sure to bring in tender vegetation tonight and especially before tomorrow night, as we will have temperatures at or below freezing in our area Wednesday morning. This will be the first widespread encounter with freezing temperatures this fall, so make all the necessary preparations.

A strong Canadian high will become anchored in over the southeast. A big trough in the upper air winds is allowing cool air to filter southward. We will see this cooler flow cease later in the week. This will allow for a warm-up into the 70s by the weekend. A front will drop in on Saturday and this will reinforce the seasonal air mass over the region. For now I do not see rain in our forecast, so you can plan on dry conditions to start off the month of November. Just as a side note, our time will change this weekend, the end of daylight saving time. We will Fall back Saturday night, gaining an extra hour. Have a great evening!

Wes Wyatt
WVUA Chief Meteorologist

Sunday Afternoon Weather Discussion; Posted at 2:10 p.m.

A great Sunday to you! Get out and enjoy this weather today because it will certainly be short lived. Temperatures have rebounded very nicely today after a chilly start. Some locations reached the middle 30s, which is a tease to what we are about to see. Check out some of these morning lows around the state.

Hamilton: 32
Jasper: 35
Centreville: 35
Decatur: 35
Tuscaloosa: 36
Livingston: 39
Huntsville: 39
Troy: 40
Clanton: 40
Montgomery: 40
Calera: 41
Birmingham: 41
Selma: 45
Auburn: 45

Temperatures rebounded into the lower and middle 70s this afternoon, making for a very nice day. Things are about to quickly change over the next 24 hours. A strong cold front is on the way, bringing the coldest air so far this season to much of the nation. You will notice when the front moves through, as a blustery north wind will kick in after midnight. With limited moisture around the area, we won’t see much in the way of clouds and no rainfall. It will be a dry front. On Monday, highs will struggle to reach 60 degrees. Despite the sunny weather, it will feel very chilly, with a strong north wind in place. Winds on Monday could gust upwards of 25 MPH. Wind-chill values will stay in the 50s all day. This will certainly be the coldest weather so far this season. Tuesday morning, many locations will be in the lower 30s, but with some wind still around, we won’t see the wide-spread frost around here. Some locations will reach the freezing mark.

On Tuesday, we’ll continue to see plenty of sunshine, but a cold day, as highs will stay in the upper 50s. As an Artic high moves in Tuesday night, we will see our coldest night, with many locations flirting with the freezing mark; also, widespread frost will be an issue. Any vulnerable vegetation should be protected, as it will likely be susceptible to the cold weather. The cold weather will be on the retreat by Wednesday, as highs will warm back into the upper 60s. Thursday and Friday will feel much warmer. The deep eastern trough will move out, and highs will recover back into the lower 70s. The warm weather will be just in time for Halloween, which is on Friday. Highs will be in the lower 70s, with sunny skies around. Once the sun sets, chilly temperatures will return, as lows return into the middle 40s. There is no rain in the forecast over the next 7 days, which will leave us dry for the month of October. Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour Saturday night, as we head back into Standard Time. Be sure to join me tonight at 10 p.m. for the full details on your forecast. Have a great day!

Richard Scott
WVUA-TV’s Weekend Weather Anchor

Saturday Afternoon Weather Discussion; Posted at 5:28 p.m.

I hope you are having a great Saturday! The weather has turned out nice, as highs topped out in the upper 60s. We will begin to warm up tomorrow; highs will reach the lower to middle 70s, but a big change is ahead in the forecast. A strong cold front will race through the state early Monday morning, which will bring some of the coldest weather so far this season. This will be a dry front, as there is limited moisture to deal with. Highs will top out in the lower 60s, with a brisk north wind; it will be a very raw day. Expect cold temperatures Monday night, as lows approach the middle 30s. As winds begin to go calm, expect some areas of patchy frost north of Tuscaloosa.

Despite the sunny weather on Tuesday, it will still be a chilly day, with highs topping out near 63 degrees. As high pressure settles into the area, winds will go completely calm, which will set us up for more areas of frost; lows will bottom out in the middle 30s, but some of the lower areas and typically cooler areas may flirt with the freezing temperature.

The deep trough will begin to lift out of the eastern half of the nation on Wednesday, with highs recovering back into the upper 60s. Again, we will see sunny skies around through the end of the week. Expect a return to warm afternoons, as highs approach the lower to middle 70s by Friday; however, we will deal with chilly nights, as lows continue in the lower 40s through the weekend. The Halloween forecast is looking nice for Friday afternoon; there will be no rain in the forecast and warm temperatures. If you are going to outdoors Friday night, be sure to bundle up, as temperatures will quickly drop off into the 50s after dark. Be sure to watch our live newscast tonight at 10 p.m. for the latest on your forecast. Have a great day!

Richard Scott
WVUA-TV’s Weekend Weather Anchor

Friday Afternoon Discussion 3:41 PM

Good Afternoon! Our Friday started off quite dismal, but now improvements are taking place. The rain has lifted out of West Alabama and clear air radar returns from Birmingham signify drizzle continues for areas east of Birmingham. West Alabama ended up measuring about a quarter inch of rain on average. The heaviest rain occurred over the southeast portion of the state.

The clearing line is starting to work into Lamar and Pickens County and we will have a clear sky tonight. With the clear skies and moist ground however, foggy conditions will materialize this evening. You can plan on lower visibilities through tomorrow morning, with temperatures in the chilly 40s. Early morning fog will break for nice weather tomorrow. Highs will be in the 60s, with a mostly sunny sky.

Tomorrow night is going to be very chilly, with lows near 40 degrees. The good thing is that temperatures will recover into the 70s on Sunday. Another blast of cold air will arrive on Monday and this will bring us our first frost of the season. Highs will only reach the mid 60s on Monday, with a cold north wind. Lows will drop into the mid 30s Monday night. Tuesday night will also be cold, with some areas of frost possible. A slow warming trend will begin on Thursday and continue into the end of next week. As for rain opportunities, our weather forecast is looking very dry through Halloween.

Wes Wyatt
WVUA Chief Meteorologist

Thursday Afternoon Update 3:14 PM

Clouds have increased over West Alabama and so far we’ve had a dry day. It has been rather cool and breezy thanks to an area of high pressure northeast of Alabama. The sky will remain cloudy through tonight and tomorrow, with rain becoming likely. Regional radar is revealing a band of rain now crossing the Mississippi River. Rain has already impacted south Alabama today, due to moisture lifting in from the Gulf. The band of rain will make a steady progression in our direction and this will start to impact our area overnight. Early projections on rain amounts, from HPC (Hydrometeorological Prediction Center), call for between a quarter and three-quarters of an inch of rain. Tomorrow will start off cloudy and wet. There could be some thunder imbedded in the rain, however the good thing is that severe weather is not expected. The rain will taper off from west to east tomorrow, with lingering cloud cover into the afternoon.

A deep layer of dry air looks to move in quickly tomorrow night and this will allow for some clearing. Lows will be in the 40s. On Saturday and Sunday we will have a good supply of sunshine. Highs will be reaching the upper 60s. All attention will soon turn to a cold Canadian high. This feature will drop into the Midwest early next week and this will send us a blast of the coldest air so far this season. Highs on Monday and Tuesday will be in the 60s, with middle 30s possible Tuesday morning. Be prepared for the possibility of the first frost of the season next week. We will have more details on the news tonight, be sure to join us!

Wes Wyatt
WVUA Chief Meteorologist

The Smokies

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/images/collavo-bullhead.jpg

You probably noticed that we started posting a forecast for the Alabama and Tennessee football game earlier in the week. It is looking like the rain will move out prior to kickoff; however, it is going to be a chilly night in Knoxville. By the fourth quarter, temperatures will be tumbling into the 40s. One thing about this time of the year is that you can catch an awesome display of fall colors as you make the trip. Why not make it a weekend and take a trip over to the beautiful smoky mountains. Here is a link to a site that provides tons of information with tips on planning a visit, plus great images from the smokies.

Wes Wyatt
WVUA Chief Meteorologist