I meant to write about this a few months ago, but I do want everyone to know that Coosa County is now officially part of the Birmingham television market. The county was formerly part of the Montgomery DMA (designated market area), but now a majority of people in the county watch local TV out of Birmingham, and Neilsen Media Research made the change in assignment in 2005. This means we promise long form severe weather coverage anytime the county goes under a tornado warning. This is a promise we continue to make for all other counties in our DMA.

I am hopeful other counties will join our market in the years to come. These counties have a pretty good percentage of people who watch Birmingham TV, but are assigned to other markets: Cleburne and Randolph (now in the Atlanta market), Sumter (Meridian, MS), Marengo, Tallapoosa, and Perry (Montgomery), and Lamar (Columbus/Tupelo, MS).

We have nothing to do with county assignments; that is all determined by you. Neilsen will assign counties to the market whose local stations are viewed by a majority of people in the county. Much like an election. If we get 51 percent of the viewers, then we get that county in our market. The issue is a little more complicated these days since satellite viewers (DirecTV and Dish Network) really don’t have a choice in what local stations they watch. But, there are usually enough cable and over-the-air viewers to “swing” the county. So, if you are in an out-of-market county, and have an interest in getting into the Birmingham market, best thing to do is to tell all of your neighbors to watch local stations from Birmingham. I am expecting to pick up at least one, and maybe two, additional counties in 2006.

For now, a big welcome to everyone in Coosa County!

The Wednesday afternoon map discussion video is on the server:

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

How about those low dewpoints! Birmingham down to 16; Muscle Shoals down to 13. If the wind can die down tonight, temperatures should drop like a rock. The GFS shows 28, the NAM shows 27 for tonight's low in Birmingham. I am sure valley locations will be colder where the wind can go calm.

Dry and cool weather continues through Friday.

THE WEEKEND: The ole 12Z GFS is coming in with a different look on the weekend storm. The run is a little weaker, a little faster, and has the system displaced much more to the north. That would tend to lessen the severe weather threat, but I am not convinced that is the correct solution. For now I will stand by the older 06Z run and watch the new data come in tonight. One way or another we will have a healthy round of rain and storms on Sunday. Amounts of one to two inches are likely.

Saturday still looks dry, by the way. Showers should begin to arrive or develop by Saturday night as the system approaches.

LONG RANGE: The 12Z GFS continues to show a cold pattern for much of the nation as we get into February. The huge western Canadian ridge still is present, and the run also paints a strong storm coming out of the northern Gulf of Mexico in the February 5-6 time frame. Still looks like the month will be quite an adventure for weather fans here across the Deep South. Check out that 1052 mb high on the map discussion video... it shows up on the 384 GFS panels valid February 9. Again, I am simply saying the pattern will support something like that; we just don't know if it will happen. But, it is surely possible.

Thanks to the 2nd graders over at Briarwood for being a great audience today... be sure and 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... we should be able to provide more clarity on the weekend storm situation. And, be sure and scroll down to read J.B.'s posts today. He is in rare form!

Fort Yukon is in Northern Alaska, north of the Brooks Range. It can get hot in summer but it can get so cold in winter that even the polar bears think of sunny, warm Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Fort Yukon holds the all time high temperature for Alaska of 100 degrees. It is the only weather station to ever reach 100. (By the way, that ties the all time high for Hawaii)

This morning, the Fort Yukon low was 154 degrees colder than that--a bitter 54 below zero.

A few other numbers:

-54 also at Chandalar Lake, Alaska
-42 at Snowshoe Lake, Alaska (name matches the weather)
-52 at Eagle, Alaska
-48 at Bettles, Alaska with 19 inches of snow
-45 at Dawson, in the Yukon Territory of NW Canada
-15 at Gunnison, Colo., coldest in the Lower 48

Funny to see computers go astray at times. One sent out a high of 127 and a low of 119 degrees for Big Bear Park, Alaska...

10 is the number of days with measurable rain so far this month

5.34 is our total so far

7 is the number of inches we will have before the weekend is over (at least)

15 is the number of days with high temperatures 60 or above

9 is the number of days with 65 or higher

5 is the number of days with highs 70 or above

77 was our warmest temperture on January 2

5 is the number of days with lows freezing or lower

6 is the number of days in a row with no freeze as of yesterday

27 is the low for tonight which will break that string

61 is our average high so far this month

53 is normal for this time of winter

41 is the average low so far

32 is the normal low

6 billion is the number of extra bugs we will have if it does not turn very cold

4 is the number cups of coffee I have had this morning

3 minutes is the length of time it took James Spann to demolish a big, thick, yummy chocolate milkshake at Hardie's in Rainbow City Monday.

The Wednesday morning map discussion video is on the server:

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

Some very interesting days are ahead in the weather office... our highlights today include a Sunday severe weather threat, and the long awaited February chill.

But first... we will go through a dry and cool mid-week period. The cold upper trough over the northeast U.S. will bring cooler down this way; highs will be in the 50s today and tomorrow, and most folks will be down in the 20s by daybreak tomorrow.

WEEKEND STORM SYSTEM: The latest run (06Z) of the GFS keeps Saturday dry, and brings in a band of rain and storms Sunday afternoon. I continue to believe we will have the dual threat of heavy rain and severe thunderstorms. The model runs a deepening surface low from near Greenville, MS on Sunday to near Cleveland, OH Monday. As usual in January, the degree of instability and CAPE is the big issue. I am beginning to think we will have enough positive CAPE for the threat of severe weather here, and for the moment it looks like the main window will come from about 2:00 Sunday afternoon through 10:00 Sunday night. I can only hope we do not have tornado warnings during "Desperate Housewives". If that is the case, I might have to leave the country for a few years.

Colder air moves in following the storm early next week...

FEBRUARY: Sure looks cold and unsettled. I know you are probably getting tired of me stating this, but the western Canada ridge showing on the 06Z GFS is amazing. 500 hPA heights rise to 5820 meters over British Columbia...

And, for the snow fans, check out today's video to see the storm the 06Z run spits out at 276 hours (February 5). No, I am not saying this will happen. That is all voo-doo. But, I am saying it COULD happen. We will have a memorable month I believe. Cold weather fans and winter storm fans should love the month, but you won't like your natural gas bill come March. Stay tuned...

TODAY: Headed over to Briarwood Christian School today for a weather program... I will be back in the office for the next map discussion video by 3:30 this afternoon!