The Monday morning map discussion video is on the server:
http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb
Early this morning, temperatures are below freezing at a number of locations. Not the Birmingham Airport; they are showing 42 degrees at 5:00 a.m. with an east wind at 7 mph. But, other observations include 28 at Gadsden, 32 at Anniston, and 33 at Tuscaloosa. Looks most of the outlying areas are at or below freezing. I have to wonder if this is the last freeze for Alabama this season. We see no really cold air in here for the next seven days, and the odds of a freeze get much smaller as we get into April. We have passed the average date of the last freeze here, which is March 23.
But, having said all of that, we have seen freezing temperatures here as late as April 23. So, it certainly is possible to have another freeze, but at this point I would say it is unlikely.
THIS WEEK: Today should be dry and pleasant, with the mercury reaching the mid 60s this afternoon. That will feel like a heat wave; the last time we had a high of 60 degrees or warmer was back on Tuesday of last week, March 21.
Clouds return tonight, and we will mention a chance of some rain at times tomorrow as a weak surface boundary slips into the state. Some thunder is not out of the question, but severe weather or heavy rain should not be a problem.
I think Wednesday will be dry, as the mercury rises into the upper 60s. Some spots might touch 70 degrees on Wednesday as the warming trend continues.
Moisture returns on Thursday, and we will bring back the chance of a few scattered showers. Not an all day rain or a wash-out. To the west, a severe weather situation should be unfolding Thursday for much of the nation's mid-section, in the general area from Dallas-Fort Worth to Chicago.
That system will move north of Alabama, but the trailing front should bring a band of showers and storms in here late Friday and Friday night. Severe weather potential at this time looks rather small with the main dynamics passing well to the north.
THE WEEKEND: If you believe the 06Z GFS, the weekend will be dry with mild afternoons. But, I caution you the models have been all over the road. The GFS suggests rain on Saturday will be confined to the southern third of the state, and most all of the state looks dry on Sunday. We will roll with that for now, but be aware there is potential for change in the weekend outlook as the week rolls along.
The next impulse will bring more rain and storms to the state by Monday or Tuesday of the following week (April 3-4).
STORM ALERT 2006: If you missed our TV special last night on ABC 33/40, I will try to get that posted to the web today or tomorrow. Thanks to Bill Castle for his great work as always. He is the guy who makes the Storm Alert tour and TV special happen every year.
SKYCAM NETWORK: Be sure and scroll down to see Brian's pictures from the installation of the new ABC 33/40 SkyCam Network camera atop Mt. Cheaha. We are hoping our new cameras will be up and running soon at Gadsden, Inverness, and downtown Birmingham. There will be 11 in all on the network within the next couple of months. Our friends at Stratus Station are working on getting still images and current conditions from the sites on our web site. Stay tuned...
TIME CHANGE: Warning... we lose an hour of sleep this coming weekend. We go on Daylight Saving Time this Sunday morning (April 2) at 2:00 a.m. That also means we get computer model data one hour later, since models are run based on UTC and NOT local time. DST is not exactly my favorite thing... but I guess the extra hour of sunlight in the evening is nice.
GOSHEN TORNADO TRAGEDY: From Bill Murray's discussion over on the seven day page: What began as a peaceful Palm Sunday quickly changed to a black day day in Alabama weather history when a powerful tornado ripped through northeast Alabama and northern Georgia on this date in 1994. By the time the storm was over twenty-two were dead and ninety-two were injured by the twister. An F4 tornado cut a 50 mile path from Ragland in St. Clair, County Alabama to the Georgia line. The most disastrous damage occurred at Goshen, where the twister struck the Goshen United Methodist Church at 11:37 am. Twenty people were killed at the church, which did not hear the tornado warning issued ten minutes earlier by the National Weather Service in Birmingham.
If you get specific, the tornado warning was issued for southern Cherokee and northern Calhoun counties at 11:27 a.m., and the church building was destroyed at 11:39 a.m.
You can see a thirty minute TV special we did on the disaster on our video page:
http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb
Just scroll down until you see the "Palm Sunday Tornado Special". Pastor Kelly Clem's story is breathtaking.
I will have the next map discussion video posted today by 3:30!
http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb
Early this morning, temperatures are below freezing at a number of locations. Not the Birmingham Airport; they are showing 42 degrees at 5:00 a.m. with an east wind at 7 mph. But, other observations include 28 at Gadsden, 32 at Anniston, and 33 at Tuscaloosa. Looks most of the outlying areas are at or below freezing. I have to wonder if this is the last freeze for Alabama this season. We see no really cold air in here for the next seven days, and the odds of a freeze get much smaller as we get into April. We have passed the average date of the last freeze here, which is March 23.
But, having said all of that, we have seen freezing temperatures here as late as April 23. So, it certainly is possible to have another freeze, but at this point I would say it is unlikely.
THIS WEEK: Today should be dry and pleasant, with the mercury reaching the mid 60s this afternoon. That will feel like a heat wave; the last time we had a high of 60 degrees or warmer was back on Tuesday of last week, March 21.
Clouds return tonight, and we will mention a chance of some rain at times tomorrow as a weak surface boundary slips into the state. Some thunder is not out of the question, but severe weather or heavy rain should not be a problem.
I think Wednesday will be dry, as the mercury rises into the upper 60s. Some spots might touch 70 degrees on Wednesday as the warming trend continues.
Moisture returns on Thursday, and we will bring back the chance of a few scattered showers. Not an all day rain or a wash-out. To the west, a severe weather situation should be unfolding Thursday for much of the nation's mid-section, in the general area from Dallas-Fort Worth to Chicago.
That system will move north of Alabama, but the trailing front should bring a band of showers and storms in here late Friday and Friday night. Severe weather potential at this time looks rather small with the main dynamics passing well to the north.
THE WEEKEND: If you believe the 06Z GFS, the weekend will be dry with mild afternoons. But, I caution you the models have been all over the road. The GFS suggests rain on Saturday will be confined to the southern third of the state, and most all of the state looks dry on Sunday. We will roll with that for now, but be aware there is potential for change in the weekend outlook as the week rolls along.
The next impulse will bring more rain and storms to the state by Monday or Tuesday of the following week (April 3-4).
STORM ALERT 2006: If you missed our TV special last night on ABC 33/40, I will try to get that posted to the web today or tomorrow. Thanks to Bill Castle for his great work as always. He is the guy who makes the Storm Alert tour and TV special happen every year.
SKYCAM NETWORK: Be sure and scroll down to see Brian's pictures from the installation of the new ABC 33/40 SkyCam Network camera atop Mt. Cheaha. We are hoping our new cameras will be up and running soon at Gadsden, Inverness, and downtown Birmingham. There will be 11 in all on the network within the next couple of months. Our friends at Stratus Station are working on getting still images and current conditions from the sites on our web site. Stay tuned...
TIME CHANGE: Warning... we lose an hour of sleep this coming weekend. We go on Daylight Saving Time this Sunday morning (April 2) at 2:00 a.m. That also means we get computer model data one hour later, since models are run based on UTC and NOT local time. DST is not exactly my favorite thing... but I guess the extra hour of sunlight in the evening is nice.
GOSHEN TORNADO TRAGEDY: From Bill Murray's discussion over on the seven day page: What began as a peaceful Palm Sunday quickly changed to a black day day in Alabama weather history when a powerful tornado ripped through northeast Alabama and northern Georgia on this date in 1994. By the time the storm was over twenty-two were dead and ninety-two were injured by the twister. An F4 tornado cut a 50 mile path from Ragland in St. Clair, County Alabama to the Georgia line. The most disastrous damage occurred at Goshen, where the twister struck the Goshen United Methodist Church at 11:37 am. Twenty people were killed at the church, which did not hear the tornado warning issued ten minutes earlier by the National Weather Service in Birmingham.
If you get specific, the tornado warning was issued for southern Cherokee and northern Calhoun counties at 11:27 a.m., and the church building was destroyed at 11:39 a.m.
You can see a thirty minute TV special we did on the disaster on our video page:
http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb
Just scroll down until you see the "Palm Sunday Tornado Special". Pastor Kelly Clem's story is breathtaking.
I will have the next map discussion video posted today by 3:30!
FDOFL!! (falling down on floor laughing!
on March 27, 2006, 6:42 am
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