Mild Weekend Ahead… Friday Eve Forecast Update – 5pm

Good Friday evening! I had a great time speaking to the 5th grade classes at Huntington Place Elementary this morning for career day! I’ll show the kids on WVUA-TV news at 5, 6 and 10pm.

Our local weather today has turned out fantastic, with warmer temperatures and some sunshine. As of 5pm, clouds have moved into the area this evening, with a little light rain and sprinkles moving into Alabama from the west. If you have plans outdoors this evening or tonight, have an umbrella handy incase some sprinkles or light rain moves into your area. If you get rain at your house, it won’t last long and won’t amount to much. This activity is in response to a warm front tracking northeast into Alabama. Expect lows in the lower 40s late tonight.

The weekend forecast is looking great, with mild temperatures and dry conditions. Expect highs in the lower 70s on both Saturday and Sunday. Skies will remain partly sunny, due to some low level moisture. Expect lows in the upper 40s to lower 50s at night Saturday night and Sunday night.

A cold front will pass through Alabama on Monday, which will really drop temperatures into the chilly range. Highs will top out in the middle 50s early Monday morning, then falling into the 40s after 10am Monday morning. The jackets will be needed on Monday. Expect the risk of rain to be rather high on Monday, but rain totals should remain under 1 inch across the area.

Skies become sunny on Tuesday, with a high in the lower 50s. Models have warmed this shot of cooler air a bit for Monday through Wednesday, so I don’t expect anything brutal… Highs will reach the lower 50s on Tuesday and lower 30s during the overnight hours both Monday night and Tuesday night.

A Gulf low will spread a little rain into the state on Wednesday and Thursday of next week. Models indicate that temperatures will remain well above freezing, so wintry weather isn’t expected.

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

 

NWS Finds EF-0 Tornado Damage in St. Clair County from last Thursday Night…

The National Weather Service found tornado damage in St. Clair County from last Thursday night… The map above shows where the tornado occurred late Thursday night… Below is a capture of our radar about 5 minutes after the tornado had lifted, but this shows the storm responsible for producing the EF-0 tornado in St. Clair County. There was no tornado warning for this storm, nor any storm that tracked across central Alabama that night… Keep in mind, the National Weather Service in Birmingham does a great job, but sometimes it can be hard to warn for small spin-up tornadoes like that.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
253 PM CST THU FEB 27 2014

…NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 02/21/2014 TORNADO EVENT…

.DELAYED PUBLIC REPORTS PROMPTED NWS STORM SURVEY…

.EVENT OVERVIEW…

BASED ON DAMAGE REPORTS AND STORM DAMAGE PHOTOS FROM  THE FEBRUARY 21ST EVENT RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC THIS WEEK, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS CONDUCTED A STORM  SURVEY IN ST CLAIR COUNTY ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26TH. THE FOLLOWING IS RESULTS FROM THAT SURVEY.

.BRANCHVILLE TORNADO…

RATING: EF-0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 85 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 4.1 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 150 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

START DATE: 02/21/2014
START TIME: 0156 AM CST
START LOCATION: 2 MILES WSW OF BRANCHVILLE
START LAT/LON: 33.6516/-86.4682

END DATE: 02/21/2014
END TIME: 0200 AM CST
END LOCATION: 2 MILES ENE OF BRANCHVILLE
END_LAT/LON: 33.6704/-86.4011

SURVEY_SUMMARY: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGIST  SURVEYED THE DAMAGE IN CENTRAL ST. CLAIR COUNTY AND HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO AN EF-0 TORNADO. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR JAMAICA LN WHERE ONLY MINOR
ROOF DAMAGE TO A DOUBLE-WIDE MOBILE HOME WAS OBSERVED WITH  SOME SMALLER TREES UPROOTED. THE TORNADO INCREASED IN  INTENSITY AS IT NEARED THE SANIE RD AND NELSIE ANN DR  INTERSECTION. MINOR ROOF DAMAGE TO 6-8 TWO-STORY HOMES  WAS OBSERVED ALONG WITH 30-50 UPROOTED OR SNAPPED TREES.  A COUPLE OF THE SMALLER TREES ON THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE DAMAGE WERE FACING SOUTHEAST. SIMILAR DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED  ALONG HURST DR WITH 25-40 TREES EITHER SNAPPED OR UPROOTED  WITH SOME MINOR ROOF DAMAGE TO A TWO-STORY HOME AND A BARN.  THE TORNADO NARROWED AS IT APPROACHED HWY 411. ANOTHER 25-40  TREES WERE OBSERVED EITHER UPROOTED OR SNAPPED ALONG THE  INTERSECTION OF SHADOW BEND RD AND HWY 411. A MAJORITY OF  THE TREES WERE FACING NORTHEAST BUT A COUPLE OF SMALL TREES ALONG THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE DAMAGE WERE FACING  SOUTHEAST…CLEARLY INDICATING A CONVERGENT DAMAGE PATH.  THE LAST POINT OF CONCENTRATED DAMAGE OCCURRED ALONG TUCKER  RD WHERE 10-20 TREES WERE EITHER UPROOTED OR SNAPPED WITH ONE  DOWN ON A HOME. THE TORNADO LIFTED JUST TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST  OF THIS LOCATION WITH SPORADIC DAMAGE BEYOND THIS POINT.

EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES.

EF0…WEAK……65 TO 85 MPH
EF1…WEAK……86 TO 110 MPH
EF2…STRONG….111 TO 135 MPH
EF3…STRONG….136 TO 165 MPH
EF4…VIOLENT…166 TO 200 MPH
EF5…VIOLENT…>200 MPH*

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

Warmer Weather Ahead… Thursday Forecast Update – 4:45pm

Good Thursday afternoon! Our weather started off very cold this morning, but with lots of sunshine, temperatures modified a bit this afternoon. As of 4:45pm, most areas are in the upper 40s to lower 50s. As the sun sets this evening, temperatures will rapidly drop, with low 40s at 7pm, low 30s at 10pm and upper 20s at midnight. Skies will remain clear tonight, and winds will remain calm. Expect a thick frost early Friday morning.

A warming trend really kicks in on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as a south wind develops. Expect highs in the upper 50s on Friday, with a gradual increase in clouds. A weak warm front will lift northward through the state Friday night, and a few light showers are possible with the frontal passage. Saturday and Sunday will feature dry weather, with highs reaching the upper 60s Saturday and lower 70s Sunday. We can expect a mix of sun and clouds on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

A strong cold front will pass through Alabama on Monday, which will really help to enhance our rain chances. We can expect a soaking on Monday, with temperatures falling into the 40s after lunch. Highs will struggle to reach 50 on Tuesday. Lows will drop into the lower 30s Monday night and upper 20s Tuesday night.

A storm system will pass to the south of Alabama on Wednesday night and Thursday, which will bring the risk of some light rain. If the surface low tracks a little further north, we could be in for a heavy rain event 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

rscott@wvuatv.com

Twitter: Richard_wvua

 

Warmer Days Soon… Wednesday Afternoon Forecast Update – 5pm

Good Wednesday afternoon! It was a cold winter day across Alabama, with temperatures struggling to reach the lower 40s across the area. Some people north of I-20 even dealt with a light wintry mix around daybreak this morning. Dry air has now taken over, with some clearing across the area. As skies go clear tonight, we can expect temperatures to rapidly drop during the overnight hours. Expect upper 30s at 7pm, lower 30s at 10pm and middle 20s at midnight. All of west and central Alabama will experience temperatures in the lower to middle 20s late tonight.

Thursday will feature a good supply of sun, with highs warming into the lower 50s. Conditions will start to feel a little better after lunch on Thursday, but we’ll notice another cold night Thursday night. Lows will fall into the middle to upper 20s by sunrise Friday morning.

Friday is looking even better, with highs in the upper 50s. I wouldn’t be shocked if some towns reach the lower 60s south of I-20 on Friday. Moisture levels will increase on Friday, so we’ll notice warmer temperatures at night. Lows Friday night and Saturday night will drop into the 40s; well above freezing.

The weekend forecast is looking great! We’ll have a light south wind, which will cause the air temperature to warm into the middle or upper 60s on Saturday and lower 70s on Sunday. I wouldn’t be shocked if some reach the middle 70s on Sunday. Clouds will increase on Sunday, with a chance of a stray shower. The best chance of rain will hold off until Monday, when we’ll deal with a soaking across the state. Temperatures will quickly drop again on Monday and Tuesday…

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

 

Early AM Wintry Mix Early to the North… Rain to the South, Then Dry… Wednesday Update – 5am

As of 5am on this Wednesday morning, a wintry mix of light rain, sleet and snow is happening for areas near or north of Fayette, Warrior and Gadsden. To the south of this line, we’ve got all rain… A quick change to a wintry mix is possible as far south as the north side of Birmingham and Anniston through 9am, but it is now unlikely any frozen precip falls in the city of Tuscaloosa. Where this mix is occurring, no accumulations are expected.

Roads are just wet this morning, even where the wintry mix is happening, so schools and businesses should continue as scheduled. The precip will end quickly this morning, with dry air taking over by 9am or 10am. The big story will be the cold air today, as high struggle to reach the middle 40s, with lows in the lower 20s tonight!

The good news… Temperatures will gradually warm back into the lower 50s on Thursday for highs and near 60 on Friday. Skies will become mostly sunny on Thursday and Friday. The weekend is looking nearly perfect at this point, with mid 60s on Saturday and lower 70s on Sunday. It will still be rather cool at night over the weekend, with lows generally in the 40s.

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

 

Light Mix for Some Early Wednesday… Weather Update – 9:30pm Tuesday

Good Tuesday evening! After going over the latest forecast data, it now appears that most spots near and north of Tuscaloosa, near and north of Birmingham and near and north of Anniston will have a quick transition from light rain to light sleet or light snow between 3am and 10am Wednesday morning.

How will roads be affected: Roads across west and central Alabama are well above freezing, so anything that falls should rapidly melt on impact. I don’t expect any travel issues, so schools and businesses should go as planned. Plus, surface temperatures should remain just above freezing along I-20. Areas around Hamilton, Cullman and Gadsden will get into the 31 to 33 degree range, but travel issues are unlikely there, as road temperatures will remain above freezing.

Will this stick: Accumulations are unlikely, since ground temperatures are in the lower 50s. I wouldn’t be shocked if areas north of Vernon, Fayette, Jasper, Warrior and Anniston get a quick dusting. If anything at all in that area, it would quickly melt once the precip stops. We’re only talking about a small window of opportunity for precip to fall as sleet or light snow in these areas listed above, so it will be hard for accumulations to occur.

Everyone south of Tuscaloosa, Alabaster, and Talladega will likely experience all rain tonight and early Wednesday…

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

Rain Tonight… Cold Wednesday! Nice Weekend… – Tuesday Update 4:30pm

 

Good Tuesday afternoon! We’ve had a few showers across Alabama this morning, but some areas noticed some sunshine this afternoon and evening. As the sun sets, clouds will build back into the entire area, as uplift increases. A disturbance will track along a strong cold front, which will help to spread a soaking rain into the area. As a deep layer of cold air moves in after midnight, rain may mix with light snow for areas north of I-20. Surface temperatures should remain above freezing, and ground temperatures are in the 50s, so accumulations are unlikely. Areas near and south of I-20 will likely experience all rain tonight and very early Wednesday. The best chance of some snow flakes mixing in will occur between 3am and 9am Wednesday morning, with the best risk happening north of Tuscaloosa, near and north of Birmingham, near and north of Anniston. Schools and businesses should continue as scheduled tomorrow…

You’ll notice a big-time chill d0wn on Wednesday, with highs in the lower to middle 40s. Skies will remain mostly cloudy on Wednesday, due to a southwest flow aloft. Upper level moisture will spread over the cold air over Alabama, but the air near the surface will be too dry to support rain after 10am. A chilly north wind will keep wind chill values near or below freezing all day. Expect a hard freeze Wednesday night and Thursday night, with lows in the 20s.

The good news! This will not be a long duration cold snap, as highs will quickly warm back into the lower 50s on Thursday and upper 50s on Friday. Expect lots of sun on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Highs will reach the middle 60s on Saturday and lower 70s on Sunday. As model data continues to increase highs this weekend, I’ve bumped up the numbers a bit. I think most people area happy about that…

There’s a chance of a stray shower late Sunday, with a good chance of a soaking rain on Monday. Temperatures will get a bit cooler late Monday and on Tuesday.

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

 

Cold Air Ahead… Some Rain… Monday Forecast Discussion – 3:50pm

Good Monday afternoon! Our local weather turned out fantastic over the weekend and remain nice today! As of 3:50pm, high clouds are quickly spreading over the state, as upper level moisture increases from the west. This is all part of a rather strong storm system to our west at this hour. As moisture and lift increases across the area, a few light showers will become possible during the day on Tuesday, but I really expect the best chance of rain to arrive Tuesday evening and Tuesday night.

In the short term… If you have plans outdoors this evening or tonight, expect cool temperatures and dry conditions. Temperatures will drop into the lower 50s by 7pm, upper 40s at 10pm, and lower 40s at midnight. Overnight lows will settle in the lower 40s area-wide tonight. Most of Tuesday will be dry, with the risk of a light shower or two. Highs on Tuesday will top out near 60. The best chance of rain will arrive Tuesday evening and Tuesday night, where a soaker will occur. The heavier rain will remain south of I-20, where about 1/2 an inch is expected in those areas.

As the rain ends and cold air takes over very early Wednesday morning, a quick wintry mix is possible for areas well to the north of Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Anniston. We’re talking primary areas near Hamilton, Haleyville, Cullman and Gadsden. This is where the cold air should be deep enough to support light rain changing over to snow flurries or light snow. Accumulations and travel issues are not expected in these areas. Most everyone will experience just a cold rain, especially along and south of I-20.

Temperatures will only top out in the lower to middle 40s on Wednesday, with a breezy north wind. Lows will fall into the lower 20s Wednesday night. Lots of sunshine is expected on Thursday, with a high of 48… Lows will dip into the upper 20s to lower 30s Thursday night.

With a progressive pattern, we can expect another storm system to bring the risk of rain late Friday and early Saturday. This event will be far too warm for wintry weather, as all rain is anticipated. Highs on Friday and Saturday will top out in the upper 50s, with lows in the lower 40s at night. Most of the weekend will be dry, as any light showers should end Saturday morning. Sunday will feature rather nice conditions, with highs in the lower 60s, under a partly cloudy sky.

Another risk of rain will arrive on Monday, with a big soaker expected…

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

 

One More Nice, Warm Day, then Big Time Changes – Sunday Evening Forecast Update 9:30 PM

We enjoyed a picture perfect day today at least across central Alabama, but as expected there were some showers toward Highway 80 and especially down in south Alabama on the Gulf Coast. The bulk of that activity is shifted down into the eastern Gulf of Mexico. A weak frontal boundary is dissipating off to our north, so I expect a good supply of sunshine tomorrow with highs in the 60s area wide.

Heading towards  Tuesday, another disturbance will pass through the area, creating more rain chances along with it. I’m not expecting a total washout Tuesday, but periods of rain are possible especially towards the afternoon and evening hours. Behind this front, much colder air will be racing southward, and indications remain that we could see a brief changeover to some flurries or light snow mainly  north of Highway 278. I am not expecting any accumulations, but don’t be surprised to see a few flurries in places like Hamilton or Cullman.

Strong high pressure builds in for Wednesday, bringing in much colder air and a sunny sky. Despite the sunshine, temperatures will struggle to reach the mid 40s. As winds relax Wednesday evening and the core of the high pressure sets up near our area, we can expect low temperatures to drop down into the low 20s for most spots, with teens likely in north Alabama. We begin a slow warming trend Thursday, but temperatures will remain in the upper 40s to near 50.

The weather pattern remains progressive as we head towards Friday with another system approaching from the west. Temperatures will be in the mid 50s during the day, but widespread rain is likely by the afternoon and evening hours. There remains excellent model agreement in this timeframe, so I’ve raised rain chances to 70% during this time period. There could be a window Friday night of some thunderstorms as well, but no severe weather will result due to a stable boundary layer at the surface. The rain could linger a little into Saturday morning, but Saturday afternoon into Sunday looks great!

Isaac Williams
WVUA-TV Weather
iwilliams@wvuatv.com
Twitter: @WVUA_Isaac

Another Warm Day, but Changes Ahead – Saturday Evening Forecast Update 9:30 PM

We enjoyed a very nice Saturday across central Alabama with temperatures in the 60s with a good supply of sunshine. We remain in a zonal flow in the upper levels of the atmosphere, and we expect a quick-hitting disturbance to move through the area tomorrow. Most of the guidance is suggesting that the better coverage of the rain will be south of Interstate 20 and really along and south of Highway 80. An isolated shower is possible up towards the I-20 corridor but most areas along north of I-20/59 should remain dry and should see a few peaks of sunshine.

By Monday, we’ll see a decent amount of cloud cover sticking around but most areas will stay dry. A stronger disturbance will approach the area on Tuesday, and we should see a corresponding increase in rain coverage across central Alabama with temperatures dropping back to right around 60. That rain will persist into the evening hours of Tuesday, ending west to east as colder air funnels in behind a strong cold front. There have been some indications that we might get a brief changeover to light snow or flurries especially in north Alabama, but this chance remains very low at this time thanks to drier air working into the area as well.

The story for the middle of the week will a temporary return of much colder air to central Alabama. While we should have a good supply of sunshine for Wednesday and Thursday, highs will drop back in the 40s with morning lows Thursday dipping into the mid and upper 20s. However, the pattern remains very progressive into next weekend with another storm system approaching. At this time, we’re expecting a good chance of rain Friday afternoon into the evening, potentially lasting into Saturday morning. There is still some time for this to change, so stay tuned!

Isaac Williams
WVUA-TV Weather
iwilliams@wvuatv.com
Twitter: @WVUA_Isaac