Had a good meeting yesterday with Mike Coyne, the Meteorologist In Charge of the National Weather Service Office in Huntsville, and Jim Stefkovich,, who holds the same position with the NWS office in Birmingham. We discussed ways to improve the relationship between broadcasters and the National Weather Service, and also ways of educating residents in Cullman County concerning the TV/NWS situation for them.

A few years ago, Cullman County was moved from the Birmingham NWS County Warning Area (CWA) to the Huntsville CWA, which means that local warnings (tornado, severe thunderstorm, flash flood, etc) for Cullman County are issued by the Huntsville NWS office. In turn, this has created some confusion when it comes to TV weather coverage for Cullman County.

I have received a number of e-mail messages in recent months from people letting me know they “had to stop” watching Birmingham TV for severe weather coverage for Cullman County since all of the severe weather information now comes from Huntsville (they felt like they had to watch Huntsville TV to get warnings for them). That is far from the truth.

While Cullman County is in the Huntsville NWS CWA, they are still in the Birmingham TV market Designated Market Area (DMA) like always. Nothing has changed with TV market assignments. Anytime Cullman County goes under a tornado warning, we will be on the air with continuous coverage like all of the other counties in our DMA. So, if you live in Cullman, Hanceville, Garden City, West Point, Holly Pond, Vinemont, Good Hope, or any other place in Cullman County, you are still in the Birmingham TV market and we are always there for you!

Here's a little item I thought you might find interesting. The NWS dedicated a new hurricane-resistant Weather Forecast Office in Key West, FL, on March 20th.

The NWS dedicated the new, hurricane-resistant weather forecast office in Key West, FL. State and local officials were also on hand to mark the milestone event and to help release the first weather balloon from the office's unique, three story launch tower.

Constructed with a combination of concrete, reinforcing steel and hurricane impact-resistant glass, the new facility was built to withstand sustained winds of 165 mph. The interior contains an additional concrete structure designed to serve as a Severe Weather Occupancy Shelter to protect against winds up to 250 mph. It is located approximately a half-mile from shore and six-and-a-half feet above sea level. The interior floors are an additional seven feet above the grade for a combined height of 13.5 feet above sea level, which is 2.5 feet above the anticipated storm tide of a Category 5 hurricane.

I was in Galveston in 1983 for Hurricane Alicia and felt pretty safe on the boarded up 5th floor of the Post Office Building. But a building like the one described would have been even better.

You can find more information on the NWS Southern Region web page here.

-Brian-

The Monday afternoon map discussion video is on the server:

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

Don't forget all of our video and audio products are available on iTunes... just search ABC 33/40 and you will find them!

Showers and thunderstorms will return to Alabama tomorrow and Wednesday, and even as I write this a few echoes are on radar over the western third of the state. The rain on radar now is not reaching the ground, and we don't expect any rain through tonight.

TOMORROW: A weak wave aloft, combined with a northward moving warm front and increasing surface moisture and instability, should lead to a few scattered showers and storms across the state. Models have some big time differences... but we will just broad brush the day with scattered showers and storms. It won't rain all day. Interesting to note SPC has parts of West and South Alabama under a slight risk of severe weather tomorrow. Looks like the best chance of widespread severe weather will stay west of here, but a few strong to severe storms could creep in here late in the day and tomorrow night.

WEDNESDAY: This should be an active weather day with upper air dynamics increasing. Showers and storms could be severe Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday night; the degree of available instability will determine the threat of severe weather. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are likely.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: A dry slot rolls into Alabama with a clearing sky. Friday should be a beautiful day with lots of sun, low humidity, and a cool morning. Some of the cooler valleys should reach the mid to upper 40s early Friday. Saturday morning might be just as cool. Not many more of these left as the long hot summer is fast approaching.

WEEKEND PEEK: Saturday should be sunny and pleasant, but the 12Z GFS moves a cold front in here on Sunday along with a chance of showers and thunderstorms.

LONG RANGE: The GFS keeps a long wave trough in place over the eastern U.S., which should mean temperatures at or below normal in the May 15-20 time frame. The westerlies seem to retreat north beyond May 20, which should mean warmer and possibly drier weather. But, as you all know, this is VOODOO land.

The next map discussion video will be posted by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow!

The Monday morning map discussion video is on the server:

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

"Monday Monday, so good to me,
Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn't guarantee
That Monday evening you would still be here with me."

Anyone remember that song from the 1960s?

We begin the week with dry and warmer weather today. Most communities should reach the 80 degree mark this afternoon with a partly sunny sky (after some early morning clouds and fog).

TOMORROW: Model madness begins with a huge disagreement between the various computer models we use. I think you have to mention at least a chance of scattered showers and storms tomorrow afternoon and tomorrow night in this kind of pattern. A good chance we go into the low 80s, which should push surface based CAPE values over 1500 in spots.

WEDNESDAY: Upper dynamics begin to come into play as a trough forms to the west. Showers and storms are likely, especially by the afternoon and nighttime hours. If the instability values increase enough, strong to severe storms will be possible. Some pretty decent rain amounts are likely as well; many places could see over one inch of rain.

THURSDAY: A dry slot moves into the state; any showers should end early in the day (probably during the pre-dawn hours), and we should enjoy lots of sunshine by afternoon.

FRIDAY/SATURDAY: For now these two days look very nice, with ample sunshine and highs in the 70s. Very nice.

SUNDAY: An approaching cold front could bring showers and storms back to the state by late Sunday afternoon and Sunday night if the GFS is correct. That rain could linger into Monday of next week.

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? We are only a little over three weeks away from the beginning of the 2006 hurricane season. Everyone tends to think the season will be another active one, but where will the tropical systems recurve into the westerlies and make landfall? Or, will most of them stay over the open Atlantic? Will it be the year of the East Coast hurricanes? Texas? The central Gulf coast again?

Great questions with no answers now. Time will tell us. Don't forget the core of the season usually comes in August, September, and early October, when the water temps are peaking.

I have a trip to Cullman on the docket today, but I should be back in plenty of time to get the afternoon map discussion video posted by 3:30. Have a nice Monday....