Friday Afternoon Discussion 4:15 PM

Good Afternoon! A cold front is on the way and this will bring another chance of rain to West Alabama. The national scene reveals a clipper bringing rain to the upper Midwest. Another low developing to our west will slide northward, with an associated cold front reaching us tomorrow. Tonight the sky will grow increasingly cloudy, with a good chance for rain tomorrow. There could be a thunderstorm and the good news is that severe weather is not expected. As for rain totals, we should measure between a quarter and half on of rain on average. The highest totals within thunderstorms may top the three-quarter inch mark.

Clearing will take place tomorrow night and in the wake of the cold front, lows will be in the middle 30s. Sunshine will return for Sunday and Monday, with highs reaching the 50s. We will have freezing temperatures at night; however, even colder air will be on the way for late next week. All eyes are on the arctic air pooling over Canada. This very cold air will slide southward, with a massive 1050 MB high building over the region. There will be two shots of cold air, with the first front quite moisture starved on Tuesday. In fact, I’ve taken out the mention of rain for Tuesday. By Wednesday night the second front will lead the coldest air mass of the year so far into the state. Highs will only be in the 30s, with lows by Friday morning in the teens. There will be some overrunning moisture to our south due to a gulf disturbance. This feature will have to be monitored closely for the possibility of frozen precipitation over the Deep South.

Our entire weather team will be on the road tomorrow. Richard and I will be visiting Shelton State Community College for the Annual Boy Scout Merit Badge College, beginning at 8:30 a.m. At 10:00 a.m. Robert and I will be visiting DCH to speak to a German group visiting Tuscaloosa. Tornadoes are very rare in Germany and we will be discussing Alabama’s weather. Have a great weekend!

Wes Wyatt
WVUA Chief Meteorologist