Quick Look at Alabama Weather 7:30 a.m.

Good morning. Not much has changed in our way of thinking this morning. We are still expecting icing over about the northern third of Alabama...mainly north of a line from Sulligent to Jasper to Blount Springs to Jacksonville as temperatures drop below freezing in those areas as rain continues to fall.

The NWS maintains a Winter Storm Warning for parts of Northwest Alabama, where significant icing will occur. The warning covers Walker, Marion, Fayette, Lamar Winston and A Winter Weather Advisory covers all of the rest of North Central Alabama, as far south as Cullman, Blount, St. Clair, Calhoun and Cleburne Counties.

Further south in the Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and over to Anniston areas, temperatures will continue to drop on breezy north winds. By the late afternoon, temperatures will be near freezing, but the precipitation should be pulling out. There could be a little light freezing rain or drizzle, or perhaps a few snow flurries tonight. There could be some light icing on bridges and overpasses tonight in the Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Anniston areas.

If you are traveling across North Alabama, or into the neighboring states of Tennessee, Mississippi or later into Georgia, check the latest forecast and road conditions before setiing out.

There could be another brief period of icing late Sunday night into Monday morning over North Alabama, mainly north of US-278 as another disturbance moves across the area. It will be the start of a week of wet weather across the Deep South.

NOTES
Arctic air is infiltrating the state. The center of the bitterly cold airmass is over northeastern Nebraska. It is -23F in Rapid City, -6 in Chicago and a record -12F in Denver. J.B. notes the -35F in Alliance NE and -30F in Chadron NE with a wind chill of -50F>

Moisture is overspreading the cold air from the northwest...light rain was just about to reach the Birmingham metro area. Light rain now covers much of West Alabama. This precipitation will continue throughout much of the day, and although it will be mainly light, it doesn't take much at all in the way of freezing rain to cause serious travel problems.

These are 7 am reports...

In Mississippi...
Greenville MS...Light snow 33
To the east in Greenwood, MS Light rain 35
Further east...Tupelo MS...Light Rain 34Olive Branch...Freezing Rain 28

Memphis...Sleet 29
Jackson...Light snow 29
Nashville...Light snow...27

Here in Alabama...
Decatur...Freezing Rain...33
Muscle Shoals...Cloudy 34
Huntsville...Light rain 33
Birmingham...Cloudy 42
Tuscaloosa...Light rain 42
Gadsden...Cloudy 37
Posted by keith  
on February 18, 2006, 7:45 am
This will be an interesting day. We will be fortunate to escape this ice.

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Posted by   www
on February 18, 2006, 7:48 am
I've got 42.1 here in Jacksonville at 7:45am. It's gonna have to drop a good bit for any problems here if my temp is correct. It's actually showing the same at the Anniston Airport, so I'm probably pretty close.

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Posted by  
on February 18, 2006, 7:51 am
My temp shows 34 and a pretty steady rain.

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Posted by Derek  
on February 18, 2006, 7:57 am
Freezing rain is falling here just north of Eva with a temperature of 31.9 degrees. Glazing is occurring with small icicles forming on exposed objects.

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