Alabamians Should Prepare Now for Bitterly Cold Temperatures
I have two words for you … Bitterly Cold.
We have gone from oddly warm temps in December to severe weather then a temperature change and now you should prepare for some extremely cold weather.
An arctic airmass will invade the Yellowhammer State later this week and will stay through the holiday weekend.
This is not a sweater weather type of scenario.
This is a brutal temperature situation.
Now, we are several days ahead of these temperatures and as always I like to stress that information could change.
James Spann, ABC 33/40, and Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa Chief Meteorologist said that our area “might not reach the single digits this year, but it will be a very close call.”
How Close?
Forecast Minimum Temperature from the National Weather Service
“Temperatures will likely fall to 20 degrees or cooler across much of Central Alabama
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.”
Forecast Minimum Wind Chill Factor from the National Weather Service
“Wind chills may fall below zero Friday morning across northern portions of Central Alabama, and Saturday morning across northern and eastern portions of Central Alabama.”
Go ahead and find your big winter coat and everything that keeps you warm.
Keep in mind that “many places will go at least 48 consecutive hours below freezing… some over 72 hours. The high Saturday will be in the 25-32 degree range, and between 30 and 36 degrees on Christmas Day,” said Spann.
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What are the Snow Chances?
“Ahead of the Arctic front, some light rain is possible late Thursday afternoon. As cold air rushes into the state, the rain will likely change to light snow or snow flurries over North Alabama Thursday night and very early Friday morning,” said Spann.
Spann mentioned that in “using the reliable European global model ensemble mean, the probability of getting 1 inch of snow across North Alabama Thursday night, for now, is only 10-20 percent for areas along and north of the Tennessee River.”
“The chance of seeing a few snowflakes over the northern third of the state late Thursday night and Friday morning is fairly high, but the chance of accumulation is pretty low,” said Spann.
(Source) Click here to follow the Facebook Page for James Spann. For more from the National Weather Service Birmingham, click here.
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