Warmer Weekend Ahead! Friday Afternoon Forecast Update – 4:30PM

Good Friday afternoon! I’m sure 99.9% of Alabama is happy about today’s weather. Skies remained sunny all day, with highs in the lower 60s. Temperatures will get chilly tonight, but not near as cold as recent nights. I expect most of west and central Alabama will fall into the middle 30s, but a few spots could make a run for the freezing mark. Look for skies to remain clear through this evening, with a 7pm temperature of 47 and 10pm temperature of 41.

Saturday will remain warmer than average, with a high in the lower 60s. We’ll notice more clouds than sun, due to an increase in moisture. A shower or two is possible, but I don’t expect a major rain event. Overall, the weekend forecast is looking fair, but have the rain gear handy. While there is a good chance of rain on Sunday, I really expect the best chance to occur near or after sunset. Morning or midday activities on Sunday should be mostly dry and mild. Highs on Sunday will reach the lower 60s. By the way, Sunday is Groundhog Day!

We’ll have some early morning rain on Monday, but most of Monday now looks dry, with some sun possible at times. Highs will cool into the upper 50s on Monday, with lows in the middle 40s Monday night.

Our next system to watch will come on Tuesday and Tuesday night. A strong storm system will pass just north of Alabama, and there are some severe weather ingredients present. Lets keep an eye on this one. That being said, instability will be lacking, so I don’t expect major issues at this time. Right now, we’re looking at the chance of isolated strong to severe storms, with damaging winds the main risk… That’s mainly late Tuesday and Tuesday night…

Wednesday and Thursday will turn dry and much colder. Look for highs in the 40s both days, with lows dropping into the lower 30s to upper 20s.

At this point, I DO NOT expect any winter weather issues over the next 5 to 7 days.

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter. Like us on facebook by searching facebook.com/wvuaweather or WVUA-TV Weather. You can find us on twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.comor WVUA-TV Weather. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Richard Scott

WVUA Chief Meteorologist

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Twitter: Richard_wvua

 

 

Warmer Days…Some Rain… Thursday Forecast Update – 4:40pm

Good Thursday afternoon! Lows this morning ranged in the -4 to 14 degrees across west and central Alabama. The coldest spot was just northeast of Gadsden, in Black Creek. Vic Bell reported a low of -4 there!

After one of the coldest nights in many years across Alabama, this afternoon felt amazing-ish. I put the “ish” on there because we were still a good 10 degrees below average highs for this time of the year. Compared to our recent days, temperatures in the middle to upper 40s is a great improvement. We’ll deal with another cold night tonight, with lows in the middle 20s. Expect clear skies at 7pm, with a temperature near 35. We’ll fall into the upper 20s at 10pm and middle 20s just after midnight.

A surface high will move east of Alabama on Friday, which will allow warm air to return northward. Highs will top out in the upper 50s on Friday, with a few lower 60s expected south of HWY 80. Skies will remain mostly sunny on Friday, but clouds will increase Friday night and early Saturday. Highs on Saturday will warm into the lower 60s.

I can’t rule out a stray shower on Saturday, but the best chance of rain will arrive on Sunday and remain in the forecast through Monday, Tuesday and early Wednesday. Highs will remain near or above average for the rest of the weekend and into early next week. Highs will top out in the lower 60s on Sunday, upper 50s on Monday and middle 60s on Tuesday. Keep in mind, it will not rain all day on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, but rain is possible at times. Rain gear will be needed.

A shot of cold air will move in on Wednesday and Thursday, with highs near 50 and lows near freezing…

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter. Like us on facebook by searching facebook.com/wvuaweather or WVUA-TV Weather. You can find us on twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.comor WVUA-TV Weather. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Richard Scott

WVUA Chief Meteorologist

rscott@wvuatv.com

Twitter: Richard_wvua

 

Extreme Cold Lastnight… List of Morning Lows… Thursday Update – 11:20am

Good Thursday morning! Wow, it was cold! Lastnight’s temperatures ranged from -2 to 15 across west and central Alabama. Even places like Mobile reached the teens lastnight, with an official low of 18. Good news… temperatures are now well above freezing as of 11am, and we’ll remaiin above freezing until 8pm this evening. We’ll reach the middle 40s this afternoon, under a sunny sky. After 8pm, we’ll likely dip back into the 20s, but most areas should remain above 25. I don’t expect any major icing problems tonight, as today’s thaw will really allow most roads to dry out before dipping below freezing tonight.

Here’s a look at our lows this morning:

Black Creek – Vic Bell – (-4.7)

Northport – 10

Birmingham Airport – 10

Tuscaloosa Airport – 9

Near Shelton State – Jimmy Boone – 8

Coaling (Tuscaloosa Co) – Lisa Murphy-Edwards – 8

Coker (Tuscaloosa Co) – Ronald Hughes – 5

Sylacauga (Talladega Co) – Michael Stonebroke –

Fayette – Scott Robertson – 1

Huntsville – 7

Montgomery – 11

Dothan – 19

Mobile – 18

Birmingham – 10

Brent – 5

Oakmulgee (Bibb Co) – 6

Hayden (Blount Co) – 16

Nectar (Blount Co) –

Anniston Airport – 5

Anniston – 0

Clanton – 3

Union Grove (Chilton Co) – 9

Heflin (Cleburne Co) – 0

Shoal Creek (Cleburne Co) – 0

Cullman – 2

Rainbow City (Etowah Co) – 0

Sardis City (Etowah Co) – 1

Greensboro (Hale Co) – 7

Trussville –16

Millport (Lamar Co) – 3

Vernon – 6

Demopolis – 7

Hamilton – 10

Bear Creek (Marion Co) – 4

Dee River Ranch (Pickens Co) – 6

Chelsea (Shelby Co) – 3

Helena (Shelby Co) – 2

Moody (St Clair Co) – 3

Livingston – 6

Talladega – (-2)

Oliver Lock & Dam (Tuscaloosa Co) – 8

Jasper – 6

Jasper (Few Miles Northeast of Town) – Steve Rigsby – 6

Parrish (Walker Co) – 4

Haleyville (Winston Co) – 2

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter. Like us on facebook by searching facebook.com/wvuaweather or WVUA-TV Weather. You can find us on twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.comor WVUA-TV Weather. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Richard Scott

WVUA Chief Meteorologist

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Twitter: Richard_wvua

Warmer Air Soon… Wednesday Afternoon Forecast Update – 4pm

Good Wednesday afternoon! Road conditions are still bad in some areas today, but we have noticed big improvements through the day. While the air temperature has remained below freezing, solar radiation from the sun has allowed road surfaces to thaw out and in some instances dry out. I want to warn you… Once the sun sets this evening, any wet roads will re-freeze. I expect more issues with black ice tonight and early on Thursday. Issues should quickly fade by lunch tomorrow, as we warm well above freezing.

Here’s a look back at our snow pictures from west and central Alabama…

As for tonight, expect more very cold temperatures. We’ll drop into the upper teens at 7pm, middle teens by 10pm and some areas will experience lower teens to single digits after midnight to sunrise Thursday morning. Everyone north of I-20 will notice temperatures in the 5 to 10 degree range by sunrise Thursday. Areas along and south of I-20 will deal with temperatures in the 10 to 14 degree range tonight. Use extreme caution because temperatures like this are dangerous for Alabamians.

We’ll enjoy lots of sun on Thursday. Any snow left on the ground should melt off during the day, with temperatures warming into the lower to middle 40s. Some shaded areas will keep a little snow until Friday, but then melt off. Expect lows in the upper 20s Thursday night. Highs will warm into the upper 50s on Friday, which will feel nice. We can expect partly cloudy skies on Friday and Saturday. Look for the risk of a stray shower or two on Friday and Saturday, but the risk of rain is really low. Highs will top out in the middle 60s on Saturday and lower 60s on Sunday.

Sunday through Wednesday will feature a good chance of occasional rain. While it will not rain non-stop, the rain gear will be needed from time to time. At this time, I see no risk of winter weather this weekend through the middle of next week…

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter. Like us on facebook by searching facebook.com/wvuaweather or WVUA-TV Weather. You can find us on twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.comor WVUA-TV Weather. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Richard Scott

WVUA Chief Meteorologist

rscott@wvuatv.com

Twitter: Richard_wvua

Weather Update – 1pm Wednesday

Good Wednesday afternoon! As of 1pm, roads are slowly improving across Alabama. Keep in mind, there are still icy patches, especially secondary roads and in shaded areas. The temperature map above shows temperatures are still below freezing at 1pm, and I expect most areas to remain just below freezing through the afternoon. The sun’s radiation is thawing ice and snow now, but I do expect some icy patches to redevelop tonight, as the sun sets and temperatures drop into the teens. It will get very cold again tonight, with lows in the 8 to 12 degree range north of I-20 and 13 to 16 degree range south of I-20.

I would encourage you to remain off the roads today and tonight if possible. If you must travel on the roads, drive slow and allow extra time to get to your destination.

Here’s a great link to see the latest road conditions across any county in Alabama. Be sure to check the latest before heading out on the roads…

http://alitsweb.dot.state.al.us/RoadConditions

The good news… We will warm well above freezing on Thursday, with highs in the lower to middle 40s. We’ll warm above freezing by 10am or 11am on Thursday. We’re expecting temperatures in the 60s this weekend, which will feel great!!!

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter. Like us on facebook by searching facebook.com/wvuaweather or WVUA-TV Weather. You can find us on twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.comor WVUA-TV Weather. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Richard Scott

WVUA Chief Meteorologist

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Twitter: Richard_wvua

 

What Happened…. Tuesday’s Weather Disaster… Wed Update – 9:40am

Picture above is from Dr. Chandra Clark in Northport.

Good Wednesday morning! The snow stopped across our area yesterday afternoon and evening, yet we still have major road issues all across west and central Alabama. If you can avoid travel today, I would highly recommend it! There have been thousands of wrecks across Alabama, due to the sudden accumulating snow and the fact that schools and businesses closed as the accumulations started. This placed thousands on the roads at the same time, causing a disaster. Many people were left stranded in their cars… It’s a scene I’ve never seen in my life-time, where highways and interstates turned into a parking lot. People had to literally leave their cars behind and walk to some sort of shelter in many areas, especially around the major cities of Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Gadsden and Anniston.

So, what went wrong…. The forecast called for snow flakes across all of west and central Alabama, but we were expecting the best chance of accumulations to occur south of I-20. It appeared that areas along and south of HWY 80 would have big issues, with heavy snow accumulations and travel issues. Most of our forecast data suggested that there wouldn’t be enough moisture north of Demopolis to cause issues. In-fact, some forecast models still suggested snow accumulations would not occur as late as Tuesday morning. Based off radar trends, we knew models were wrong, but it was too late. Schools were in session and business were going as normal. By 9am, the snow had started for some areas, and by noon, it was a disaster. Roads iced over extremely fast, due to the very cold infrastructure. The waves of extreme cold air we’ve had this month set the stage for the problem. Typically, our winter storms occur where ground and road temperatures are well above freezing, which causes melting and limited problems. This was obviously not our typical event… The forecast error was due to something as simple as more moisture than expected. It’s amazing how such a factor could cause or prevent a disaster, but we now know it can. Just like a severe weather event, one factor could cause or prevent a major event.

I did not expect the major roadway issues and accumulations across central Alabama. As a meteorologist, it’s a shame for me to miss such a disaster, so please accept my apology. Because of our forecast, thousands of people were left in a very dangerous situation and some lost their life. This event caught us all off guard, even meteorologists that have been in the business for over 30 years. This goes to show you that meteorology isn’t an exact science and things can go wrong and fast. We will use this system as research for upcoming events. We move on and learn a lesion from each system. This disaster will help us understand and prepare for the next one.

Please be safe everyone! We are still in a dangerous situation across all of west and central Alabama, due to snow and ice. Travel is highly discouraged, until roads can thaw…

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter. Like us on facebook by searching facebook.com/wvuaweather or WVUA-TV Weather. You can find us on twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.comor WVUA-TV Weather. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Richard Scott

WVUA Chief Meteorologist

rscott@wvuatv.com

Twitter: Richard_wvua

Snow Has Ended…Roads Are Bad! Tuesday Update – 9:30pm

Good Tuesday evening! As of 9:30pm, all of west and central Alabama is out of the snow, with only a few light flurries south of HWY 80. There are no additional snow accumulations expected overnight. As skies clear, temperatures will get dangerously cold. Look for most areas in the 5 to 12 degree range by early Wednesday morning. With a good snow cover on the ground, some spots may get closer to 0. Looking at snow totals across the area, they really ranged from 1 to 5 inches, with the highest amounts along and south of I-20/59.

Ice on the roads is a major concern tonight and early on Wednesday. Numerous roads are impassible and cars are abandoned on many roads and interstates across the state. Please do not drive tonight or early Wednesday if you can avoid it. Travel will continue to be extremely dangerous until the mid morning hours on Wednesday, when the sun will help to melt some of the ice. Air temperatures will remain below freezing tomorrow, so shaded areas will continue to deal with patchy ice through Wednesday. We’ll all go above freezing on Thursday…

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter. Like us on facebook by searching facebook.com/wvuaweather or WVUA-TV Weather. You can find us on twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.comor WVUA-TV Weather. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Richard Scott

WVUA Chief Meteorologist

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Twitter: Richard_wvua

 

Snow Ends…Cold Continues… Tuesday Eve Forecast Update – 5:15pm

Good Tuesday evening! We’ve had a mess across Alabama with a major winter storm today. As of 5pm, the snow has ended across most of central and west Alabama, but road conditions remain very dangerous. Please don’t travel tonight or early on Wednesday if you can avoid it. Travel conditions will improve during the day on Wednesday, as skies become sunny. Keep in mind, roads will remain icy in shady spots during the day tomorrow, due to below freezing temperatures. Look for temperatures to fall into the single digits to lower teens for all of west and central Alabama tonight, especially thanks to the snow pack across the state. Looking back at the snow totals across Alabama, we’ve had amounts in the 1 to 5 inches across all of west and central Alabama. The snow will gradually melt off during the day on Wednesday, and should all be gone on Thursday.

Here’s a look back at some of our snow pictures from west and central Alabama…

Look for a sunny day on Wednesday, with a high in the lower 30s. We’ll drop into the middle teens Wednesday night, but that will be our last extremely cold night for a while. We’ll warm into the upper 40s on Thursday, under a sunny sky. Temperatures will remain above freezing Thursday night, with lows in the lower to middle 30s.

We’ll watch a new storm system on the horizon on Friday and Saturday. As moisture and warm air gets pulled ahead of that system, expect a warming trend and extra clouds. A stray shower is possible on Friday and Saturday, but the first half of the weekend should be relatively dry. Look for a good chance of showers on Sunday. Highs on Saturday will top out in the middle 60s, then dropping back into the upper 50s on Sunday.

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter. Like us on facebook by searching facebook.com/wvuaweather or WVUA-TV Weather. You can find us on twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.comor WVUA-TV Weather. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Richard Scott

WVUA Chief Meteorologist

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Twitter: Richard_wvua

 

Snow Pictures… Tuesday Update – 3:15pm

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter. Like us on facebook by searching facebook.com/wvuaweather or WVUA-TV Weather. You can find us on twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.comor WVUA-TV Weather. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Richard Scott

WVUA Chief Meteorologist

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Twitter: Richard_wvua

Snow Is Ending… Tuesday Update – 2:40pm

As of 2:40pm on this Tuesday, snow has ended for areas such as Livingston, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Gadsden and points northwest. For everyone south of I-20/59, we’ve still got some snow happening. Expect the rest of west and central Alabama to gradually dry out over the next few hours, with snow ending for places around Linden, Marion, Clanton and Rockford by 4pm.

Once the snow stops in your area, extremely cold temperatures and cloudy skies should prevent the snow from melting. I expect the snow to remain on the ground until the midday hours on Wednesday before most of it melts. It will likely be Thursday before all the snow melts in the shaded areas, as temperatures finally warm well above freezing.

The roads are in terrible condition and will remain very dangerous through Wednesday morning. I expect roads to improve during the midday hours on Wednesday, thanks to a sunny sky. Please do not drive if you can avoid it.

So far, snow totals are ranging from 1″ to 5″ across the state. This is a rare setup where every square inch of Alabama is dealing with accumulating snow. Even at the beach, snow is expected to accumulate…

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter. Like us on facebook by searching facebook.com/wvuaweather or WVUA-TV Weather. You can find us on twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.comor WVUA-TV Weather. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Richard Scott

WVUA Chief Meteorologist

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Twitter: Richard_wvua