Bill Murray: Overcast and cool Saturday
ALABAMA THIS MORNING
Showers are rolling through South Central and Coastal Alabama this morning. Temperatures are in the upper 30s in the northwest to the 40s elsewhere.
It is a pretty morning in Dauphin Island, and our camera captures that. Mostly cloudy skies, but the sunrise peaks through the clouds.
SKYWATCHERS
Skywatchers are waking to a cool morning reporting temperatures in the low 40s. Lee Wiginton in Jasper and Alston Keith in Mountain Brook reported 40 degrees. Brent Wyatt in Morris and Bud Bean in Northport reported 41 degrees, and Andy Klein in Helena reported 43.
ALABAMA 7 DAY FORECAST:
After a wet start and dry day for most of Alabama today, rain chances pop back up in the forecast again Sunday afternoon. The week is looking dry and sunny, something that now seems rare after this week.
RAINY MORNING AND CLOUDY AFTERNOON
Showers will taper off in central Alabama by late morning, but drizzle is still expected in southeast Alabama throughout the day. Highs will reach into the upper 40s and low 50s from north to south today. South Alabama can expect rainfall totals of one-tenth to one-fourth of an inch.
CALM TONIGHT
Tonight will be calm and cloudy with lows dropping into the low 30s in the north and into the upper 40s further south. Northeast Alabama could see some temperatures below freezing tonight.
WARMER, DRY SUNDAY MORNING SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON
Sunday morning will be off to a cool and quiet start before a cold front passes through the state, bringing rain Sunday night into Monday morning. Highs will be in the 50s and 60s from north to south.
COLD, DRY, AND PARTLY SUNNY MONDAY AND TUESDAY
Once the rain moves out of the state Monday morning, clouds and sun will be the story. The cold front will have brought a cold air mass to the region so highs will climb to the 40s and 50s. Tuesday will be slightly warmer with sunnier skies. More of the state will hit the 50s.
WARMING TREND BEGINS WEDNESDAY
Precipitation stays out of the forecast for Wednesday with sunny skies allowing highs to jump into the 50s and 60s again.
ANOTHER COLD FRONT THURSDAY
Another cold front arrives late Wednesday, keeping highs cooler on Thursday. There is a slight rain chance Thursday evening.
THIS WEEK’S WEATHER BRAINS
This week’s episode of WeatherBrains will feature Peter Mullinax and returning Dr. Owen Shieh, some of the Weather Prediction Center’s best meteorologists. Peter Mullinax is a lead winter forecaster, and Dr. Owen Shieh is a Warning Coordination Meteorologist.
DROUGHT CONDITIONS IMPROVE
Because of the recent rainfall, the drought conditions have improved modestly. South Alabama received 2-4 inches of rain just this week. 12.49% of the state is now in no drought conditions, rising 6.63% from last week. Abnormally dry conditions fell from 27.15% to 24.01%, while the moderate drought category (D1) saw an increase from 26.6% to 36.67%. Both Severe (D2) and Extreme (D3) drought categories dropped from 29.92% to 20.15% and 10.69% to 6.68% respectively. This improvement was much needed, but with the current dry outlook for early next week, the drought may worsen again.
TUSCALOOSA BREAKS RECORD
Tuscaloosa was pretty chilly on Friday, breaking the record for the lowest maximum temperature on December 5th. The high only reached 45 degrees yesterday, which beats the previous record set in 2008 by 1 degree.
NATIONAL:
RAINY AND SNOWY SATURDAY FOR NORTHWEST
A low-pressure system that will interact with an arctic air mass will bring heavy rain and snow to the Northwest this weekend. One to two feet of precipitation totals are expected in higher elevations in Montana and Idaho before the low moves toward the Midwest this afternoon. By Sunday, snow showers will be widespread from the Midwest to the Northeast.
RAIN FOR GULF COAST
A rainy weekend is ahead as a frontal boundary sticks around the Gulf Coast. Rainfall amounts could total around one inch in some areas this weekend, but the flood risk will stay low.
BLISTERING COLD FOR THE NORTH
A dip in the jet stream plus cold front passages spells out a freezing week ahead for the north. Minnesota and the Dakotas are preparing for sub-zero lows by Sunday morning.
NATIONAL HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURE
Miles City and Sunniland, Florida have not picked up on the winter memo yet, reaching a high temperature of 88 degrees yesterday. Saranac Lake, NY, however, has gone above and beyond the winter expectation with a low of –22 degrees.
GLOOMY BEACH DAY
Although the rip current risk and surf height are low today, you might want to postpone any beach plans. The high today will only reach into the upper 50s, and the coast will battle clouds and showers all day. The water temperature is cool as well, sitting in the 60s. Tuesday and Wednesday are looking like the best days to head to the beach this week, as rain chances will be low and highs will be in the 60s!
SEC CHAMPIONSHIP
Alabama and Georgia face off in the SEC Championship game today at 3 p.m. in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The stadium is domed, so weather will not be a concern during the game, but be prepared for a lingering shower in the area before the game and a temperature around 50. Post-game will be dry, and the temperature will be around 40 degrees.
TODAY IN WEATHER HISTORY:
December 6, 1983 – The Selma-LaPlace Tornadoes
During the early morning hours of December 6, 1983, an F3 tornado tore through Selma and parts of Dallas County, Alabama. Beginning near Highway 22 west of the city, the tornado traveled 13 miles and damaged or destroyed more than 100 structures. The Rangedale Housing Project suffered major destruction, and Clarence Chappell was killed when the storm struck his home. Selma University sustained significant damage when a dormitory roof was torn away, injuring seven students. West Side Junior High School, several nearby homes, and a convenience store were also damaged, and a local car dealership lost 30 to 40 vehicles. Later that same day, one of southeast Louisiana’s most destructive tornadoes struck LaPlace. The violent F4 tore through two subdivisions, damaging or destroying more than 125 homes—some swept completely from their foundations. Although the extent of destruction prompted consideration of an F5 rating, poor wall anchoring kept the rating at F4. While 25 people were injured, no fatalities occurred. The Selma and LaPlace tornadoes remain two of the most significant December tornadoes along the Gulf Coast, underscoring the severe weather potential well outside the spring season.
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Daniel Harbin captured these cool cloud streets in South Huntsville on Thursday afternoon. Cloud streets are caused by wind shear from a steady wind blowing across a slightly unstable atmosphere. This allows rolls to set up in the atmosphere there, where there is upward motion with clearer space at the “rolls”. In between the rolls, sinking motion is present. To learn more, watch Bill Murray’s Explanation of Cloud Streets!
For more weather news and information from Bill Murray and the rest of the James Spann team, visit the Alabama Weather Network.