How would you like a forecast like this one?


Thanks to SMSgt Steve Muller for sending this to us... and especially for his service to our country.

I was looking at the weather back home and though I would share with you our weather.
Currently there are 12 Air Force troops for the 25 th Aerial Port Squadron deployed to
Al Dhafra, UAE. We have been here since the 13 of January, and God willing be home late
May. Our primary job is moving passangers and cargo all through the AOR. At least once
a week we have sand storms, the picture included is one of the milder ones:

The National Weather Service continues to track a potentially tornadic storm this evening over the Tennessee Valley.

The latest warning is a Tornado Warning for Limestone and Madison Counties until 7:15 p.m.

Spotters reported well defined rotation with this storm and it could produce a tornado at any time.

It will move east northeast.

Interesting storm back south of Tupelo, Mississippi also. There is a Severe Thunderstorm Warning on this storm. It will eventually affect Lamar or Marion County.

Showers and thunderstorms were increasing over West and NW Alabama late this afternoon.

The strongest ones were NW of Birmingham over parts of Walker and Winston County.

A Tornado Watch was posted that touches the very NW tip of Alabama.

Showers and thunderstorms willspread into tjhe Birmingham arewa during the next hour or so.

The Friday afternoon map discussion video is on the server:

http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb

Scattered showers and storms have formed over the northern half of Alabama and into East Mississippi this afternoon in advance of a surface front. We will maintain the chance of scattered showers and storms tonight, but with limited instability, marginal wind fields, and most of the real dynamic forcing well to the north, we don't expect a problem with severe weather.

Rainfall amounts will be around one inch over the far northern part of the state... amount down this way should be between a quarter and a half inch.

THE WEEKEND: I think most of the weekend will be dry. Just a few isolated or widely scattered showers tomorrow and Sunday. Highs will be in the 75 to 82 degree range both days.

NEXT WEEK: Another weak front could trigger a few scattered showers or storms on Monday, but once again the main show will be well to the north of Alabama. The middle of the week will be dry (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday); then another weak system approaches at the end of the week with a chance of showers.

Still no sign of any major severe weather or flooding problems through mid-April. Temperatures should remain above normal; rainfall below normal.

Thanks to the kids at Riverchase Elementary; I had the chance to speak to the entire student body this morning and they were great. Watch for them on the KIDCAM today at 5:00 on ABC 33/40 News.

Headed out shortly for a live shot at Carver High School in Birmingham... for a special fund raiser for their choir. This has been a very busy week... I am looking forward to a little down time this weekend. Brian Peters will handle the map discussions this weekend; I will have my next one on the server by Monday morning at 7:00!

The Friday morning map discussion video is on the server:

http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb

Same story today... for the next two weeks the pattern favors above normal temperatures and below normal rainfall here. The primary storm track remains from Oklahoma to Wisconsin; that is where the greatest chance of severe storms will be through mid-April.

TODAY/TONIGHT: I think the day will be dry as we head toward 80 degrees again. Tonight, a band of showers and storms will ease into the Tennessee Valley of extreme north Alabama. These showers and storms should be weakening as they drop southward. SPC has a slight risk of severe storms in their outlook today for parts of North Alabama, but once again I really doubt we see any severe weather problems this far south with the main dynamics so far north, and with the wind fields weakening.

THE WEEKEND: The surface boundary will stall out and dissipate tomorrow. The daytime heating process could bring a few widely scattered showers during the afternoon as the surface based CAPE heads toward 500, but many places will be dry tomorow. Pretty much the same story on Sunday. Highs this weekend will be in the 76 to 82 degree range for most communities.

NEXT WEEK: Another decaying front could bring a few scattered showers or storms on Monday, but no severe weather or heavy rain. The middle of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) should be dry. And, yet another weak front brings a chance of showers at the end of the week on Friday.

LONG RANGE: No real pattern change through April 15 on the latest GFS runs. Most of the dynamic weather situations will remain west and north of Alabama; ridging generally hold over the southeast U.S. But, the pattern can, and probably will change during the latter half of April.

NEW SKYCAM: A new SKYCAM station will be coming online today; it will be atop the Wingate Inn, behind Joe's Crab Shack on U.S. 280 in Shelby County in the Inverness area. The view on that ridge is incredible, and a great view of the U.S. 280 traffic situation as well. Many more sites will be coming online in the next few weeks. And, yes, they will be available on the Internet. We hope to have the Internet data available within the next two weeks.

Headed out to Riverchase Elementary this morning for a weather program; I will be back in the office for the afternoon map discussion video which should be posted by 3:30 today!

The Thursday afternoon map discussion video is on the server:

http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb

No real change in my thinking since this morning. The next two weeks will feature above normal temperatures and below normal rainfall as the primary storm track runs from the Great Plains to the Great Lakes. We just catch the weakening surface fronts from these systems with only a few scattered showers from time to time. No severe weather, tornadoes, flooding. Nice and quiet here in the weather office for a while, rather unusual for late March and April.

TOMORROW: I think most of the day will be dry. A weakening band of showers and storms will move into the extreme north part of the state late tomorrow night.

SATURDAY: The front will stall and fizzle out over the Tennessee Valley by Saturday morning. A few widely scattered showers are possible early Saturday, but I still think most places will be dry with morning clouds giving way to afternoon sunshine. Temperatures will soar well into the 70s again.

SUNDAY: The old surface boundary moves north as a warm front. I think any showers Sunday afternoon will be isolated, and mainly over northeast Alabama.

MONDAY: Another storm system moves to the Great Lakes, and a weak front drifts in here with a chance of scattered showers Monday afternoon. Once again, nothing heavy, and no wash-out.

LONG RANGE: The middle of next week should be warm and dry, and then a few showers could show up Friday (April 7) with a weak front.

Thanks to everyone in Gardendale for the great hospitality this morning... I enjoyed speaking to the city employees on severe weather safety! The next map discussion video will be posted by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.

The Thursday morning map discussion video is on the server:

http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb

This pattern looks like something you might see in July instead of March. The primary storm track well to the north and west; surface fronts running out of gas as they approach Alabama. Little chance of any severe weather; above normal temperatures and below normal rainfall. That is pretty much the story through mid-April.

Today should be another nice day. A partly sunny sky with a warm afternoon. Our forecast has a high of 79 today; some spots will probably exceed 80.

While we have the warm and dry weather, a severe weather situation will be unfolding for mid-America. SPC has a moderate risk of severe storms today in place for places like Tulsa and Kansas City, with a slight risk surrounding that.

TOMORROW/SATURDAY: The storm system responsible for the severe weather today over the central U.S. will move to the Great Lakes, and the trailing front will approach Alabama tomorow night. I still think most of the day tomorrow should be dry, but a band of showers and storms will ease into the Tennessee Valley tomorrow night. The GFS is now suggesting the front will stall and fizzle out before reaching I-20. So, we will continue to mention the best chance of showers Friday night. For Saturday, you cannot rule out a few scattered showers since we really never get into drier air, but with no upper support and fairly stable air, I just don't think rain will be a big issue on Saturday.

SUNDAY: A new system forms Sunday over the middle of the nation, and the old surface boundary, whatever is left of it, should lift northward as a warm front. Once again, I don't expect much rain at all, but a few isolated showers could form over the northern quarter of the state during the afternoon.

MONDAY: The surface low moves northward to the Great Lakes, and the trailing surface boundary might set off a few showers on Monday. But, once again, no severe weather, and rainfall amounts should be light.

REST OF NEXT WEEK: Pretty much the same routine. Another major storm out across the Rockies, but it makes little eastward progress. This should mean mostly dry weather here Tuesday through Thursday. The decaying surface front might bring showers by Friday April 7.

WINTER FADES AWAY: For you winter fans, scroll down and check out those Mt. Leconte pictures from one of our readers. No more really cold weather for a long time, but we can always enjoy those scenes.

BUSY DAY: I will be doing a big severe weather safety program up in Gardendale this morning for the city employees there, while Jason Simpson will be in downtown Birmingham at the Project Impact Community Awareness Day at Linn Park. I will be back in the office this afternoon and the next map discussion video will be available by 3:30!

The long, hot summer isn't too far away, so I thought you might enjoy these pictures sent in by Terry Wallace of Helena:

The Wednesday afternoon map discussion video is on the server:

http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb

What a beautiful day. Lots of sun and temperatures well up in the 70s. If you like these warmer temperatures, you will like this forecast package. The GFS MOS is showing 80 degrees tomorrow; while the NAM is suggesting 77. One way or another it will be warm tomorrow with a partly sunny sky.

While we enjoy the nice weather, a significant outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes is possible across the nation's mid-section tomorrow, in the broad area from San Angelo, TX to Chicago, IL.

FRIDAY: The big storm will lift north to the Great Lakes, and the trailing front will slip in here Friday night. With the upper support well to the north and with weakening wind fields, severe weather should not be an issue. Quite frankly, I am not sure we will even get much thunder and lightning. Rainfall totals between one-quarter and one-half inch look likely.

THE WEEKEND: The models are getting slower on the surface boundary pushing through Saturday morning. Guess we might hang on to a small risk of a stray shower Saturday, but they should be few and far between as the sky becomes partly sunny. Temperatures will easily soar into the 70s. On Sunday, the GFS goes nuts and spits out 84 for Birmingham. Not so sure it will be that warm, but I can assure you this weekend won't be cold. I still think Sunday should be mostly dry, although you could argue to include a small risk of a brief shower as the old boundary begins to lift northward.

NEXT WEEK: Another weather system will pass north of Alabama early next week; the trailing front might being a few scattered showers Monday, but rainfall amounts should be light and spotty. Looks like another chance of showers toward the end of the week, but it is the same story. The main system passes well to the north of the state, so the rain shouldn't be all that heavy.

Bottom line is that we don't expect any serious problems with severe storms, flooding, or any kind of late season freeze in the next two weeks. But, don't get lulled to sleep; it won't stay that way all spring.

Sure enjoyed seeing the kids today at Gardendale's First Baptist Church... look for them on the KIDCAM today on ABC 33/40 News at 5:00!

The next map discussion video will be on the server by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow...

* 87 was the USA high yesterday at Harlingen, Laredo and McAllen, Tex.

* 9 was the Lower 48 USA low this morning at Truckee, Calif.

* 40 below was the low in Alaska at Chandalar Lake

* 36 below zero was the low in good ole Deadhorse

* 4.14 inches is how much rain fell yesterday at Lake Jackson, in SE Tex.

* 0 was how much snow was left on the ground atop Mt. Leconte in the Smoky Mountains this morning.

* 8 inches is how much they still had yesterday morning

* 15 inches was their Monday morning totals. It melts away quickly this time of year

* 2 o'clock Sunday morning is when Daylight Saving Time (DST) starts. It does not end until the last Sunday in October. Woe is me. Speaking only for myself, I do not like DST but I definately respect your opinion if you do. All of the world weather data flows based on GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) and sometimes referred as Z time. This means we have one hour less when preparing our forecast and other public releases because they will be issued on DST. I will be cheated even more next year when DST will go into effect earlier than ever and end later than ever. It starts next year on the 2nd Sunday in March and goes until the 1st Sunday in November. Guess I will have to move to Arizona where they observe standard time all year

* 1 was how many tornadoes touched down ion the entire USA yesterday. It struck 2 miles SE of Merced, Calif., in the central part of the state. Power lines down and a barn unroofed

* 27 degrees has never been recorded in Birmingham after April 19

* 36 is the lowest ever recorded in the month of May

* 32.7 was the low at Black Creek, in NE Etowah County, this morning with widespread light frost

* 2 was how many bowls of cereal I had for breakfast. It was almost tasteless. The empty cereal box tastes better than the cereal.

I hope Weather By The Numbers Has not become boresome. It may have run it's course for interest