WBRC Weather

Warmer...Then Much Colder

Expect afternoon temperatures to be on the rise each afternoon as we wrap up 2011...but don't get too accustomed to the warmer weather!

A cold front sweeping south will bring much colder air south and by the beginning of the first week of the New Year overnight lows will drop into the 20's with afternoon highs limited to the 40's.

In the meantime, enjoy the End of the Year Sunshine.

Fred Hunter
FOX6 Meteorologist
fhunter@wbrc.com

Colder Temperatures Are Coming

The roller coaster of weather continues here in Alabama.  After a chilly start this morning, we managed to reach the lower to mid 50s this afternoon under mostly sunny skies.  Looks like those temperatures will continue to warm over the next several days with highs reaching the mid 60s by the weekend.

High pressure and dry air will keep rain out of the forecast through most of the weekend.  If you have plans for New Year's Eve - you 'll see a few more clouds stream in during the late afternoon and evening with temperatures at midnight around 60.  A southerly flow will do a good job of transporting moisture and warm air into the state.  A cold front will move through New Year's Day.  This front will mean more clouds and sharply colder temperatures by Monday and Tuesday.  The jetstream will dig deep into the Southeast.

It's possible we might see a few locations fall into the upper teens by next Tuesday morning.  If you're thinking snow chances - think again - it's going to be sunny and cold.  After the brief cold snap - temperatures will warm again by late week.

James-Paul Dice
Fox 6 Chief Meteorologist
jdice@wbrc.com

December 22 Alabama Tornadoes

 

Location/Clickable Detailed Summary Link Damage Rating/Estimated Maximum Wind Speeds Injuries/Fatalities Damage Path Length/Width Starting Point/Time Ending Point/Time Centreville (Bibb County)  EF-0 70-80 mph None 100 yards 25 yards 32.9053/-87.1224 1256 pm 32.9053/-87.1224 1257 pm Lawley (Bibb County) EF-0 80 mph None 2.63 miles 150 yards 32.8692/-86.9742 125 pm 32.8796/-86.9307 128 pm Dallas County  6 miles E of Selma EF-0 85 mph None 2.19 miles 50 yards 32.4232/-86.9206 130 pm 32.4305/-86.8844   133 pm Columbiana (Shelby County) EF-0 70-80 mph None 1.94 miles 50 yards 33.1828/-86.6070 142 pm 33.2027/-86.5860 145 pm Autauga/Elmore County EF-0 85 mph None 10.0 miles 100 yards 32.6203/-86.5478 202 pm 32.7019/-86.4059 216 pm Elmore/Coosa/ Tallapoosa Counties EF-1 90-100 mph None 24.9 miles 300 yards 32.7438/-86.2996 224 pm 32.9902/-85.9920 252 pm

 

From the Birmingham National Weather Service

Wrapping Up 2011 with Mild Temps

Look for some chilly mornings and cool afternoons for the next couple of days.  Sunshine is finally in the forecast so we can get rid of some of the gloomy weather.  Personally, unless you have some significant nap time available - I'm a sunshine kinda guy.  I guess this comes from growing up in Frostproof, Florida.

High pressure will build in over the next few days.  This will keep us dry with temperatures gradually warming into the mid 60s by Friday.  The forecast models are in a little disagreement on exactly how to handle the upcoming weekend system.  I'm still banking on mostly sunny skies for Saturday with increasing clouds of New Year's Eve.  Ahead of the front - a southerly flow establishes itself Saturday and this will mean temperatures in the 60s.  The temperature at midnight Sunday should be between 49 and 52F with plenty of cloud cover.

The GFS model is squeezing out a small chance of rain New Year's Day with a mostly cloudy sky.  Highs will reach the lower 60s.  A few showers are possible on Monday with dry conditions expected for most of next week.

Have a great evening!

James-Paul Dice
Fox 6 Chief Meteorologist
jdice@wbrc.com 

More Rain Totals-Wind Chills In The 30s

Its a cold day out there with gusty winds and cold temperatures. At last check the wind chill was a cold 35-degrees in Cullman and Gadsden.  Temperatures will remain in the 40s throughout the rest of the day, with lows near freezing tonight. Here is a map of Fox 6 Weather Watcher rainfall reports. If you ever have reports to share you can send them to us via twitter by mentioning @myfoxstorm. We will have a full seven day forecast update coming up on Fox 6 News at Noon!

Wes Wyatt

Fox 6 Meteorologist

wwyatt@wbrc.com

Temperatures Staying Warm

We'll see a few dips in the temperatures over the next few days, but the overall trend will be above average temperatures.  We continue to see temperatures running 8-10 degrees above average even in Canada.  

Take a look at December 2010 versus December 2011.

DECEMBER 2010


 DECEMBER 2011

The long range forecasts remain inline with what you'd expect during a typical La Nina Winter here in the Southeast.  For snow lovers - I would not expect anything too significant.  But - I'd keep a watchful eye on the possibility for severe storms through January.


  James-Paul Dice
Fox 6 Chief Meteorologist
jdice@wbrc.com 

Snow North of Alabama

Check out this snowy scene from Cape Girardeau, Missouri this morning. The storm system that brought us the heavy rain overnight is also producing lots of snow across, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. This image comes from our sister station KFVS-TV.

Wes Wyatt

Fox 6 Meteorologist

wwyatt@wbrc.com

Tuesday Morning Forecast Discussion

As we count down the days to 2012, we’re adding to our 2011 rain count. We had a soaking rain across the area overnight and now the heaviest rain is shifting into eastern sections of the state. Spotty showers will continue throughout the morning hours, with clouds lingering into the afternoon.  A colder flow has now taken over on the backside of the departing storm system. Look for temperatures to tumble into the upper 40s throughout the day, with a gusty north wind. The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory, with the possibility of northerly winds gusting to 35 mph.  The winds should relax overnight, with gradual clearing overhead.

Low temperatures for tonight and tomorrow night will be near freezing. Each day our highs will be rather seasonal, with temperatures reaching the 50s. The good thing is that the sky will be sunny each day and this should help us out with the cooler temperatures. Temperatures will slowly modify throughout the end of the week and this will set the stage for some great weather heading into the final day of the year.  Highs will be in the low 60s on Friday and Saturday, with more sunny weather. A moisture starved front may produce a shower or two on New Year’s Day. Otherwise, look for more clearing and seasonal conditions for next Monday and Tuesday. Have a great Tuesday!  

Wes Wyatt

Fox 6 Meteorologist

wwyatt@wbrc.com

Birmingham Inversion

Fox 6 Engineer Scot Buehler loves taking weather pictures.  He snapped this one Sunday afternoon at 4pm.  You can see an inversion layer "trapping" the particles in the lower levels of the atmopshere.  An inversion is where the air temperatures actually increases instead of decreases with height.


James-Paul Dice
Fox 6 Chief Meteorologist
jdice@wbrc.com

Tuesday Soaker Begins Tonight

Most of us escaped the rain this morning, but it's really starting to move into Alabama this afternoon. Flood warnings are already in effect for Greene, Hale, Sumter, and Pickens counties. This is a slow moving system. Low pressure will continue to track from the Southwest to the Northeast tapping an abundant supply (or almost abnormal supply) of Gulf Moisture for this time of year. Expect very little variation in temperature. Temps will hold in the lower 50s and upper 40s this evening...so expect a cold and wet night. We do have just enough wind shear to possibly give us a few isolated thunderstorms, however no severe weather is in the forecast.

Rain will linger through Tuesday morning. We will likely have some visibility issues as well. If you're driving out or flying out in the morning - expect rainy travel. This system should clear out by the afternoon leaving us with cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid 50s.

Tuesday night will be clear and colder with lows around freezing.

High pressure should keep us dry for the remainder of the work week. I'm still thinking we could see a few isolated showers New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Highs over the weekend will be in the mid 60s.

James-Paul Dice
Fox 6 Chief Meteorologist
jdice@wbrc.com
Twitter: jpdice_Fox6