Nice Warm-Up Today

The Wednesday morning map discussion video is on the server:

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

No, we won't be in the low 80s today, but upper 60s are likely after a frosty start this morning. Scroll down to read J.B.'s post on early morning temperatures. We do indeed have a cold March morning across Alabama. Dry air means lots of sunshine today.

TOMORROW/FRIDAY: A weak cold front will slip through here tomorrow night and will bring some chance of light rain. Moisture is really limited, and I am not sure we will even have enough rain to measure. Maybe nothing more than sprinkles. Best chance of light rain comes from about 6:00 p.m. tomorrow through 3:00 a.m. Friday. A fresh supply of cool air slips in here Friday; the NAM is showing a high of only 53 while the GFS has 60. One way or another Friday should be cool and dry.

THE WEEKEND: Another major storm moves into the southwest U.S. I still think most of Alabama will be dry on Saturday, but some rain will ease in here Saturday night in advance of a warm front. Sunday should be a cool and wet day with periods of rain. Temperatures on Sunday will probably hold in the 50s all day.

SPRING BREAK WEEK: Once again... lets break it down:

MONDAY (March 20): Wet is the word. Sure looks like it will be hard for conditions here to favor severe weather, however. Even if we get in the warm sector of the storm, the quality of that warm sector should be poor due to the dry, continental air that has been over much of the southern U.S. this week. And, we might stay in the cool sector. If that is the case, we won't get out of the 50s. A mini-wedge look is showing up, and sometimes that cool air is hard to displace. But, if we do stay in the cool sector elevated storms are likely with a strong, negative tilt trough to the norhwest. But again, all of this mumbo-jumbo aside, Monday and Monday night should be pretty wet.

TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY (March 21-22): Both days look cool and dry. Highs probably in the 60s.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY (March 23-24): Spring break week should end up wet. Another upper trough comes along, and this time the surface low runs south of us. The 06Z GFS has the low moving from near Mobile to Dothan, with rain likely Thursday into Friday. This same run also suggests a good snow with the system over Tennessee. Keep in mind yesterday's 06Z run had the surface low even more to the south, with some hint of snow into extreme Northwest Alabama. But again, the message here is that the weather looks cool and wet at the end of the week.

It will be fun to see how the GFS handles that "end of next week" system in coming runs. Could somebody around the Deep South be dealing with a late March snow?

TODAY: Busy day for me. I will be speaking to the pre-school kids at my church, Hunter Street Baptist, this morning. Then, I have a long drive up to Gaylesville in Cherokee County where I will be speaking at midday. That is a long drive, but a beautiful drive I always enjoy. Gaylesville is at the northern edge of Weiss Lake. I will do my best to have the afternoon video ready by 3:30!
Posted by New Mike  
on March 15, 2006, 6:22 am
James, In the blog you mention snow for Tennessee... I'm planning a trip next weekend to Bristol to see about 160,000 of my closest friends and was curious what your thoughts were for the extreme NE corner of Tennessee?? I know not to pack shorts, but I would like to find out if I need a parka and snowboots if you know what I mean... Thanks for all you guys do in keeping us informed and for going into more detail here on the blog!

Thanks again!!

Mike

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Posted by  
on March 15, 2006, 8:01 am
Hi, I have a lot of respect for everyone here and the National Weather office, but I really need to talk to someone who is responsible for issuing warnings to Etowah County on NOAA weather radio.

*everytime* we get a warning, I hear the same text. The storm is going to affect: Attalla, Keener, Rainbow City, Gadsden, Southside, Glencoe and Hokes Bluff.

Well, that must be one BIG storm. The tornado coming in from Blount County Monday night? No way is it going to affect all of those cities/communities. Yet, in Jefferson County, you can tell us that it's going to affect the northern part of the city, but not the southern part of the city. Vestavia and not Fultondale, for example. Why isn't it just as accurate for Etowah County? I've been doing my own weather maps long before we had someone on TV to guide us during severe weather. My goal always was to be a meterologist, but that was not to be. It is 2006, and with all of the new technology, Etowah County needs someone to take more of an interest in our county. I would be more than happy to help any way I can, but please, for the sake of people that don't know the weather, please don't tell us that Keener *and* Glencoe are going to be affected. That cannot possibly happen from a storm coming in from Steele. Keener is right next to Dekalb County and Glencoe is next to Calhoun County.:: unless the storm is as big as Etowah County, which is pretty big.

I've just ignored it in the past, but this time it scared my soninlaw so much that he put my daughter, and their 2 young children in the car and drove them to Anniston! Of course, that was extremely stupid. But, with messages that it's going to affect Keener, Attalla, RBC, Gadsden, Southside, Glencoe... and they are young and don't know any better, I think it is dangerous to put out such erroneous information!

They live in a home (not mobile) and would have been safe, but when they receive warnings for all of those cities, it sounds like a monster of a storm coming through.

Yes, I am going to work on educating them so they will not panic, but in the meantime, would someone please take the time to remove that canned text that comes out for Etowah County every single time?

I would also like (my second request) for Etowah County to be broken down into sections like Jefferson County is for ABC3340. I'd be more than happy to help. I've lived here over 40 years (except for a short stint in Tuscaloosa for my education at the Univ of AL). You know, there is a North Gadsden, East Gadsden, West Gadsden and South Gadsden and downtown Gadsden.

Monday night, James Spann was really great letting us know that it was in Steele and headed toward Southside and the Southern part of RBC. Then he mentioned Glencoe and not to be on 431 South of there. Great job, James!!!

How can we get the NOAA radio to get rid of the canned text for Etowah County??? That is my main concern. I"m a nice, polite person and will talk with anyone who will listen.

Thank you,
Carol

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Posted by  
on March 15, 2006, 8:51 am
You have to take into account that "north" BHM is a lot bigger area wise than "north" Gadsden. All of those locations you mentioned with the possible exception of Keener are pretty much in a line from west to east. With a tornado approaching from the west at 25-50 miles away just a small one or tow degree change in direction would make several miles difference in impact. As it got closer they did start dropping some of those locations.

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Posted by Carol  
on March 15, 2006, 10:46 am
As the crow flies, Geographically speaking, unless the tornado bounced up and down continuously, it's not going to go into Attalla, Keener, Gadsden, RBC, Southside, Hokes Bluff AND Glencoe. A tornado going through downtown Gadsden isn't going to have an effect on the people in Southside unless it gets to Gadsden and then goes due south. If it's in Gadsden, the people in Keener won't even know it.

There is no sense in saying all of these specific places in one sentence.

It would have to come into Attalla, then jump up north to Keener, jump back way southeast to Gadsden, then go straight south to RBC and then southeast to Southside then back up northeast to Hokes Bluff and Then into Glencoe.

What are the chances of that happening? That's like listing Steele, Ashville and Pell City as a list of cities that one tornado will affect just because they all are in St. Clair County.

There is room for improvement no matter how small or large people perceive Etowah County to be in perspective to Jefferson County. Size doesn't count here, people do. Etowah County is heavily populated in all areas except for the extreme edges.

It is the same text every time Etowah County has a tornado warning and that isn't right.

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