On the road…

This past weekend got off to a wild start with an all night severe weather episode in the weather office. I did go home for a couple of hours after the 10:00 news Friday night while John Oldshue took over here in the weather office, but I was back in by 2:30 a.m. as the first tornado warnings were issued. We wrapped up our long form coverage at 7:00 a.m., and it was back home to take a nap. After a whopping two hours of sleep, I checked the baseball situation (our seven year old plays in a “machine pitch” league in Hoover), and as expected all of the games on Saturday were called off due to the wet fields.

For some reason, at that point I figured it was time for a road trip. Kind of like the time the guys in the movie “Animal House” have their fraternity house shut down. But, instead of heading to a girls college like those guys, it was a road trip into the core of central Alabama for some strawberry picking and barbeque eating. Doesn’t get any better than that.

It was south on I-65 out of Birmingham and down to Clanton, with low clouds hanging tough and even a little light rain. From Clanton, it was west on Alabama 22, and then south on county road 37, to Sunshine Farms, where the strawberries are plentiful and ready for picking at only seven bucks for a big bucket. I think the best part of picking the berries is sampling them as you go along. Doesn’t get any fresher than that. After our two buckets were full, it was on down county 37 into Billingsley, and up to U.S. 82 and Jim’s Pit Barbeque, which still ranks number one on my Alabama barbeque joint list. The BBQ was better than ever… tender, tasty, mouth watering. I am getting hungry just thinking about it.

Thank goodness I did manage to stay awake on the drive back to the city. Who needs sleep with you have strawberry picking and BBQ eating to do????

The Wednesday afternoon web video is on the server:

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

More virga showing up on radar this afternoon over southwest Alabama. Virga is rain that evaporates before reaching the ground. I expect to see a good bit of that during the next 36 hours on the radar.

We might have a few sprinkles or patches of light rain tomorrow east of I-65, but as we have discussed here most places won't have enough rain to settle the dust. The moisture is simply too limited.

Friday and the weekend continue to look excellent, with sunny days and a nice warming trend. We should be in the low 80s by Sunday.

The 12z run of the GFS is a little more robust with the moisture return early next week, so perhaps showers and a thunderstorm need to be mentioned for Tursday thanks to a weakening cold front. The main upper support will pass well to the north of us.

We will have another opportunity for rain in the May 13-14 time frame with another cold front. But, like the system Tuesday of next week, the main upper support will pass to the north of Alabama.

Could we be finished with severe weather for the spring? I seriously doubt it, but it sure looks like the weather will remain rather tame for the next two weeks.

The first graders at Crestline Elementary were a great audience today... they will be on the KIDCAM on the 5:00 news!

You will never hear me complain about the current cool weather in Alabama. Perfect short-sleeved weather for me!

But May so far is running 10 degrees cooler than normal. There was even a little scattered light frost in NE Alabama this morning. Here are some lows:

35 at Valley Head and Black Creek (See note at the end of this list)
36 at Fort Payne Airport
37 at Cullman, Hartselle and Shoal Creek (Cleburne County)
38 in Pinson, Grove Oak and Hytop
39 at Gadsden Airport, Leeds and Meridianville
40 in Hazel Green
41 at Anniston, Decatur, Moulton, DeSoto State Park and Athens Water Plant
42 in Albertville
43 at Huntsville Airport, Muscle Shoals and Birmingham Airport
44 in Tuscaloosa
46 in Auburn and on Monte Sano, Huntsville (elevation 1654 feet)
47 at Shelby County Airport, Montgomery, Selma, Trussville (at elevation of 935 feet) Mentone (at elevation of 1841 feet and atop M. Cheaha
49 in Evergreen
54 in Mobile

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

.....Vic Bell, 3340 Weather Watcher for Black Creek, reports low of 35 this morning with scattered light frost. For the last 11 days, the average low has been 39.5 degrees, almost 14 degrees below normal!

.....This was one of those mornings when the colder temperatures were in the valleys due to overnight cold air drainage. Note that it was 6 degrees warmer atop Mt. Cheaha, Alabama's highest point than it was down in the valley at Oxford (Anniston Airport)

.....In Dekalb County it was 12 degrees colder down in the valley at Valley Head than it was on nearby Lookout Mountain at Mentone (ele. 1841 feet)

.....And, in the Huntsville area, it was 43 at Huntsville Airport, 39 at Alabama A+M University but a milder 46 on Monte Sano at an elevation of 1654 feet.

.....How is this for a quick recovery? At Williston, in NW North Dakota there was a record low of 10 above yesterday morning. Today, they are expecting a high of 74--a warmup of 64 degrees in about 38 hours!

.....At Vostok, Antarctica, it was 96 below zero today, 8 degrees "warmer" than yesterday's 104 below. Be thankful for small favors!

Life goes on...

The Wednesday morning web video is on the server:

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

Guess most of you saw the NWS identified another tornado path from Saturday morning over east-central Alabama around the place where Clay, Randolph, Tallapoosa, and Chambers counties come together. The tornado was on the ground for 16 miles and was rated F1; it caused damage in downtown Wadley. That makes seven tornadoes during the event...

No additional severe weather around here for a while as the benign weather pattern continues. We might see a little light rain or a few sprinkles tomorrow as a short wave passes through, but the air is very dry and the rain won't be enough to get the dust settled in many communities.

Great weather is ahead for Friday and the weekend with lots of sunshine and a nice warming trend... we should be in the low 80s by Sunday.

Most of the big storms will stay west and north of Alabama next week; a dying cold front might trigger a shower by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Still looking at perhaps a better chance of significant rain toward mid-month in the May 14-16 period as a trough forms over the central U.S. The latest GFS isn't too impressive, however, with the better dynamics passing to the north.

Headed out to Mountain Brook to see the first graders at Crestline Elementary today... I always enjoy visiting Crestline. Be back in the office for the afternoon update a little later today...