The Sunday map discussion video is on the server at:

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

It's always nice when the actual weather behaves nicely and goes along well with the forecast. That was the situation overnight as rain entered Alabama from the west shortly before midnight and moved steadily across the state. The rain should be out of the state by noon today. JB reports that Montgomery had 1.30" of rain and I recorded 0.88 in my gauge, so the forecast amounts of one to one and a half were fairly close.

Except for the breezy conditions, it should be a warm day today as sunshine allows afternoon temperatures to threaten the 70-degree mark. Wow, and this is January.

A second and much colder front will move through the state Monday bringing much cooler air - actually values that are close to normal but will feel colder because of the above normal readings we've had the last couple of days. Lows Tuesday and Wednesday morning will be down in the lower 30s.

Tuesday will be sunny and dry before moisture returns a chance of showers on Wednesday. A series of weak upper level disturbances through the end of the week will keep some clouds and low chances for showers in the forecast. A much stronger disturbance is forecast to develop in the Friday-Saturday time frame bringing the possibility of severe weather to the Southeast US. This will be a system to watch because of the possibility of finally being able to tap good Gulf moisture and warmth which we just have not been able to do with the last several systems.

And Storm Alert 2006 begins this coming Thursday in Hamilton. Check the ABC 3340 web site for locations of each of the shows. Hope to see you there.

Have a great Sunday and a wonderful upcoming week. Stay weather-wise!

-Brian-

* 52 is how mild it is in and around Gatlinburg this morning.

* 0 is the number of inches of snow on the ground, even atop Mt. Leconte

* -56 is the coldest in Alaska this morning, at Ft. Yukon

* 0.96 is the Birmingham rain surplus for this month after last night.

* 0% is the approxmate chance of rain in Birmingham today.

* 1 (yes +1) was the coldest in the lower 48 this morning (Alamosa, Colo.) Amazing

* 0% is the amount of the lower 48 with zero or lower this morning. (Very unusual)

* 54% is the amount of the lower 48 covered by clouds (computer analysis)

* 1.30 is one of the heavier rain amounts in Alabama overnight (Montgomery)

* 0 is the number of cups of coffee for me so far today. (Up late, slept late.)

Be sure and check out Brian's video discussion later this morning. Also scan down to see Bill Murray's story on Nashville's worst winter storm.

The line of heavier showers now has moved eastward into St. Clair, Shelby and Chilton County.

Nothing unusual happened when it moved through the Birmingham area, just some gusty winds and brief heavy rain. No lightning as far as I know.

The line is not as distinct now.

It will continue moving east while rain gradually ends from west to east over the western part of the state.

This will probably be our last update unless something unusual happens.

That line of heavy showers continues to move east quickly.

At 2:45 am, ABC 33/40 Doppler Radar showed the line from Oneonta, in Blount County, southward through the heart of Birmingham into Bibb County east of Centreville and to near Marion in Perry County.

Birmingham had moderate to heavy rain with SE winds 16, gusts 26. But at Tuscaloosa, where the line has already passed, the rain was light and the wind had diminished to 8 mph.

Still no lightning indicated. No severe weather is likely.

Scan down to see an aearlier story on this event.

(Also see Bill Murray's story on Nashville's worst winter storm)

Rain is widespread in Alabama early on this Sunday morning.

Embedded in the broad rain area is a long narrow line of heavy showers. At 2:25 am, that line extended across North and West Alabama from Hartselle to Cullman to Tuscaloosa, Moundville and Demopolis.

All of this moving east.

The line of heavy showers also crosses through East Walker and Central Tuscaloosa County. This will affect the Greater Birmingham area between now and 4 am.

Still, little or no lightning. In fact, lightning detection equipment not showing any. No warnings were issued as this weather passed through Louisiana and Mississippi and, so far, none in Alabama.

However, it is windy and a lake Wind Advisory is in effect. These winds were reported on the last oberrvations:

Meridianville...wind SE 21, gusts to 38 mph
Cullman...south 17, gusts to 24
Birmingham...south 18, gusts 29
Tuscaloosa...south at 16
Anniston...south, gusts 21.

It is likely that winds are even stronger on the ridges in the area, such as Red Mountain and Shades Mountain in the Birmingham area. Meridianville, listed above, is located in North Madison County north of Huntsville.

Based on radar estimates, the heaviest rain in Alabama so far was between 6/10 and 9/10th of an inch over parts of West Alabama's Marion, Lamar, Western Winston and Western Pickens Counties.

The rain has already tapered off over the NW edge of Alabama and it has ended over most of North and Central Mississippi.

When you talk to people in Nashville about winter storms, they immediately bring up the Great Blizzard of 1951. The storm was not a blizzard, but rather an ice storm. It still ranks as the worst winter storm in the history of Tennessee’s capital city.

The storm began on January 29th. Just the day before, the high had been 59F, with three tenths of an inch of rain falling. Temperatures fell all afternoon and evening, dropping to freezing by midnight. A wintry mix began to fall after midnight. On the morning of the 29th, it was 31F in Nashville with freezing rain and a chilly northwest wind of 15 mph. By the end of the day 1.6 inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain had fallen. .

The 30th was dry. The real action began on the 31st when a total of five inches of snow and freezing rain fell. On the morning of February 1st, it was 67F in Montgomery, 40F in Birmingham and 21F in Nashville with freezing rain. Low pressure was moving along a cold front that was located over eastern Alabama. An additional 5.2 inches of snow and freezing rain fell in Nashville on February 1st. By the end of the day, the city lay buried under eleven inches of ice and snow.

As cold air poured into the East, temperatures in Nashville plummeted, adding insult to injury. On the morning of February 2nd, the mercury plunged to –13F, which is the coldest temperature ever officially recorded in the city.

Power failed across most of the area when the main part of the ice storm began on the 31st. It started off as a storm of sleet. Then as the atmosphere warmed just a bit above the surface, the precip began to fall in a liquid form, and froze on contact with surface temperatures of 31F. 80,000 people were without power at the height of the storm. Miles of telephone and power lines had to be replaced. The entire city was shut down for three days. Flights were grounded and trains stopped. Dozens of people were injured in falls and automobile crashes. Snow and ice were still visible on February 12th.