This should be quite a year of reflection for me. Over the next few months, I turn 50 years old. I celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary (on the same day I turn 50. ABC 33/40 will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the combined station signing on the air. And, I will celebrate the 28th anniversary of my first television weathercast (that first weathercast was done on WCFT-TV, Channel 33, in Tuscaloosa, which is now part of ABC 33/40).

I guess all of this means I am getting old. Funny, it seems just like yesterday I was playing “top 40” records on WTBC radio in Tuscaloosa as a teenager in the 1970s. I left WTBC in 1978 when I was offered the TV job at Channel 33, which was actually a combination of some weather, news, sports, camera work, and everything else. I had no idea then I would be going weather on Channel 33 twenty eight years later in 2006 (of course, I spend years away from Channel 33 while at Channels 13 and 6 in Birmingham, and at Channel 4 in Dallas). I feel like I have never had a real job. I have never had a resume, or filled out a job application. I have never been anything but delighted with my career, and I still enjoy coming to work daily. Sometimes it seems like everyone else in the world is griping about their job but me.

Our industry is changing, but that in itself is nothing new. Change can be exciting, and needs to be embraced. It is the only way we can get better. Back in the 70s, I played vinyl records on an AM radio station. That all went away soon after I left. Now, the television business is changing, and will never be the same. As we move to multiple digital distribution outlets, I must understand the only idea of doing the weather at 5, 6, and 10:00 weeknights is over. Sure, those newscasts are still very important, but we are in a 24/7 world of weather “on demand”. More work on us, but it is great fun.

Today, we introduce ABC 33/40 news, weather, and sports "on the go" for iPod users. You can get video updates on iTunes (just search the podcast section for ABC 33/40). I am even putting our daily map discussion video product on iTunes for those that want to watch it anywhere.

To celebrate this, we will be giving away video iPods on ABC 33/40 newscasts during the next four weeks.

Yes, times are changing. But, it is a good change for all of us!

That is a very refreshing breeze blowing across the North and Central Alabama countryside this evening.

A great breath of fresh air. Makes me daydream (or nightdream) about October.

Showers have ended over the north half of the state although some scattered light drizzle lingers.

Just before 8 o'clock tonight, there was still a band of showers across the South Central and Southeast part of Alabama ahead of the cold front.

The front continues to push toward the southeast. These current temperatures tell the story:

70 in Montgomery
63 in Tuscaloosa
64 in Birmingham
57 in Huntsville, Muscle Shoals and Decatur

Brisk NW winds make it feel even cooler.

Some selected rainfall amounts today:
0.40 in Helena
0.76 on Mt. Cheaha
0.61 at Inverness
0.20 in Downtown Birmingham
0.55 at Birmingham Airport
0.49 at Anniston Airport
0.67 at Huntsville
0.72 at Mobile
1.54 at Muscle Shoals (last night and today)

WIND DAMAGE
The Tallapoosa County EMA Office reported non-thunderstorm wind damage at 6:40 tonight 2 miles WNW of New Site. Apparent gustnado caused extensive damage to a house on Goldville Cutoff Road. Radar and storm spotters reported showers/sprinkles in the area but no thunderstorm.

That line of strong thunderstorms broke up somewhat as it got closer to Birmingham. Some parts of the city did not get any rain. In NE Trussville, there was 0.54 of an inch of rain in about 15 minutes.

At 3:30 pm the line of storms (not a distinct line) extended from the Eutaw-Moundville area in West Central Alabama, northeastward to East Jefferson and St. Clair County and to near Gadsden. Movement toward the east and southeast.

Some individual thunderstorms were scattered across Tuscaloosa and Walker County.

Cold front continues to painfully make it's way across the area. Here are some 3 pm temperatures:

59.6 in Hackleburg
61 in Hamilton and Muscle Shoals
66 at Birmingham Airport
55 in Jackson and Dyersburg in West Tennessee
54 in Nashville
57 in Memphis

The Wednesday afternoon map discussion video is on the server:

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

The surface front is just north of Birmingham as I write this. Muscle Shoals is down to 61 degrees behind the front; our SKYCAM network site on top of the Daniel Building downtown Birmingham shows 70 with a healthy band of showers and storms just to the north of the city along the front.

Other observations in the cool air north of the front include 59 at both Greenville and Greenwood, MS, and 54 at Memphis.

TOMORROW/FRIDAY: We will clear late tonight, and tomorrow and Friday should be very nice days with lots of sun and highs in the 70s.

THE WEEKEND: Once again we will try to be very specific since this is race weekend at Talladega. A strong upper low over the southwest U.S. will phase with a northern stream system, setting up a strong, dynamic storm system over Kansas and Missouri by Saturday. This will spread rain into Alabama during the day Saturday; it could be that the rain won't arrive in East Alabama until after 1:00 or 2:00 p.m.

Rain and storms should be widespread Saturday night. There is growing concern about the possibility of strong to severe storms. The big question is instability. Can we get dewpoints in the mid 60s back in here after a very dry airmass Saturday and Sunday? It is possible. For the moment it looks like the best chance of strong to severe storms over Alabama will come from about 9:00 p.m. Saturday through 9:00 a.m. Sunday.

Significant amounts of rain are likely as well; many places should see one to two inches.

A dry slot will move into West Alabama Sunday morning, cutting off the rain. It still looks like the rain will be ending over East Alabama by midday, or early afternoon. So there is a decent chance the big race Sunday at the Talladega Superspeedway can go on as scheduled.

Keep an eye on our blog discussions for updates on the weekend situation.

EARLY NEXT WEEK: A piece of the upper trough hangs back, so there could be some lingering clouds around Monday, but not much rain is expected. Tuesday and Wednesday of next week should be dry.

LONG RANGE: The GFS continues the idea of a mean upper trough over the eastern U.S. during the first week of May, which should keep temperatures at or below normal levels here. Then, as that pattern breaks down a pretty good looking trough approaches by May 11-13 which could bring some active weather.

I will have the next map discussion video on the web by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow. We are giving away video iPods on ABC 33/40 news for the next four weeks... guess I need to provide the map discussion on iPod video format as well. I will try to work on that later this afternoon. Never a dull moment around here!

A line of showers and thunderstorms was growing stronger this afternoon in areas to the north and west of Birmingham.

The line of showers and storms extended from near Cullman down across east and south Walker County into extreme North Tuscaloosa and Pickens Counties.

The strongest thunderstorms were over SE Walker County about to move into NW Jefferson County.

This line of storms is along or near a cold front. There is considerable lightning. These showers and storms will reach the greater Birmingham area between 2:00 and 3:00 this afternoon. They will produce lots of lightning and some very heavy rain.

Further south heavy rain was also falling over the SE half of Chilton County and NW Coosa County in Central Alabama.

Just before 1 o'clock this afternoon, a line of showers/storms was located from Smith Lake down across the Jasper area of Walker County...and across SE Fayette County in the NW Pickens County.

Believe this is the location of a cold front pushing into NW Alabama.

Not a solid line of storm by any means. Some of the heaviest rain was near Jasper.

Away from that...and down to the south, it was raining heavily over SE Bibb, NE Perry and NW Chilton in Central Alabama.

And...some moderate to heavy showers approaching the Birmingham area.

Not a comprehensive list of the showers...just some of the main ones.

Here is how the situation looks early on this Wednesday afternoon:

* Extensive rain and thunderstorms near the coast from Alabama's Baldwin County eastward across NW Florida into SW Georgia.

* Another cluster of showers and storms in West-Central Alabama from Tuscaloosa County southward into Bibb and Perry Counties.

* Still other showers and storms over East Alabama between Birmingham and the Georgia border.

Everything is moving toward the east.

* A cold front has struggled into NW Alabama located at noon between Florence and Huntsville. It is in the vicinity of Athens and Decatur down to near Hamilton. Good temperature contrast. Look at these noon temperatures:

71 in Birmingham
70 in Ft. Payne
73 in Tuscaloosa
65 in Muscle Shoals (west of the front)
55 in Memphis and Jackson, Tennessee
54 in Nashville
55 in Tunica, Mississippi
49 at Harrison, Arkansas

A breath of fresh air.

In their midday update, the Storm Prediction Center kept most of Alabama under a slight risk of severe weather this afternoon into tonight. Only the extreme north and NW is not included. We tend to think the better chance of that will be more to the east and south, but as we always do, we will keep our storm wary eyes open.

The small thunderstorm that moved across downtown Birmingham was moving east and passing SE of Trussville into West St. Clair County at 10:45 am.

Other showers and thunderstorms were over East and NE Alabama.

Still another band of showers was along the Alabama-Mississippi border and increasing.

The most numerous and heavier showers and thunderstorms were over far SW Alabama in Mobile and Baldwin County. It was pouring rain near Gulf Shores.

A cold front has also pushed to near the Alabama-Mississippi border, At 10 am it was 70 in Birmingham and 71 in Tuscaloosa. However, it was a chilly 54 in Memphis and 55 at Greenville, in the Mississippi Delta.

The Storm Prediction Center, in their morning update expanded their slight risk of severe weather to cover all but Extreme North and NW Alabama. Seems like the better chance of that would be more to the east and south but we will keep one of our hail-wary eyes on that.

The Wednesday morning map discussion video is on the server:

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

This weather system has been aggravating to say the least. We expected strong to severe storms late yesterday; it never happened. And, quite frankly I expected rain to be falling right now (I am writing this at 5:30 a.m.)... and it that isn't happening here (although it is raining in the northwest part of the state).

If the rain doesn't begin soon here the temperature forecast for today will be a bust; we have 69 in the forecast based on a cold front dropping south of here, clouds, and periods of rain. The front is still near the Alabama/Tennessee border.

But... we will be stubborn and stay the course. Some rain at times today along with a little thunder involved, but the chance of severe weather is tiny. Rainfall amounts to one-half inch.

TOMORROW/FRIDAY: Still looking good, with lots of sun and highs in the 70s.

WEEKEND: Once again we will try to be detailed here since this is race weekend at Talladega. The 00Z run of the GFS continues to change the timing of the rain. If you take this run on face value, the best chance of rain and storms here will be from 12:00 noon Saturday through 12:00 noon Sunday. The good news is that the instability looks marginal for a big severe weather event, despite the fact that a dynamic, phased upper storm will be involved over Missouri. But, rain could be heavy at times by Saturday night.

The GFS moves a dry slot into Alabama Sunday, and pushes the rain out of the state by early afternoon. This is certainly good news for the 150,000 people wanting to see a race at Talladega Sunday afternoon. I am not convinced this is the correct solution, however, and for now we will maintain a good chance of showers and storms during the day. We will adjust on the afternoon forecast package as needed after looking at the 12Z model set.

LONG RANGE: Still looks like a mean upper trough will be over the eastern U.S. for the first week of May, but the latest GFS departs from that by May 11 and develops a negative tilt upper system to the west, which looks like a good severe weather setup. But, you know the deal, that is voodoo land. No way of knowing a specific solution this far out.

The next afternoon map discussion video will be posted by 3:30 today.. maybe we will have some rain by then!

Showers and thunderstorms now cover a good part of NW Alabama. Locally heavy rain in progress at 5:30 am from near Cullman and Huntsville westward into Extreme NW Alabama. Lots of rain and lightning in such places as Colbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence and Morgan County.

Moving generally eastward.

Good chance of showers and thunderstorms today over a wide area of Alabama including the Greater Birmingham area.

So far, the Storm Prediction Center has only the extreme SE portion of Alabama under a slight risk of severe weather. This does not mean that there could not be a few warnings inother sections.