RAIN OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY; FREEZING RAIN/SLEET POSSIBLE FRIDAY MORNING… Cloud coverage will increase on this Wednesday ahead of increasing rain chances tonight into Thursday. Showers and perhaps a few thunderstorms will be possible on Thursday morning. There is a chance rain may transition to sleet or freezing rain (causing ice issues) across part of our local area on Friday. Forecast confidence in that scenario remain QUITE low, and it should be vehemently emphasized that significant forecast changes will be possible over the next 48 hours. Most likely, MOST of us across south Alabama and northwest Florida will simply have a cold rain on Friday with little in the way of significant impacts. This weekend has trended drier and colder. Let’s look at a few Wednesday morning forecast notes, below.
INCREASING CLOUDINESS TODAY; WARMEST DAY OF THE WEEK… Clouds will continue to increase in coverage across south Alabama and northwest Florida today. High temperatures today will be in the upper-60s. Some locales may briefly hit 70 degrees this afternoon in what will almost certainly be the warmest day out of the next 10 days.
RAIN LIKELY OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY… While no mixed precipitation is expected tonight or into early Thursday, we may have a few rumbles of thunder, particularly near the Alabama and northwest Florida beaches tomorrow morning. Rain will be most likely in the morning hours of Thursday, although a few showers may happen in the P.M. hours as well. Highs on Thursday will be in the low-50s.
ICE & FREEZING RAIN ISSUES POSSIBLE FRIDAY MORNING… Here is where forecast confidence is quite low as we have plenty of uncertainty as to exactly how the atmosphere will look (and thus what you can expect in terms of potential impacts in your hometown). There is a chance of colder air moving in on Friday that could “over run” with some of the exiting rain in the morning hours. This means that a zone of sleet (ice pellets falling from the sky) or freezing rain (rain that falls as a liquid but freezes on contact due to air temperatures being at 30-32°) may be possible across part of the area.
ICE ISSUES MOST LIKELY ALONG AND WEST OF I-65… The zone where freezing rain and/or sleet may be most possible could end up setting up along and west of the Interstate 65 corridor. This means parts of northern Mobile, northern Baldwin, western Conecuh, Monroe, Clarke, Washington, Wilcox, and Choctaw counties have the greatest chance of experiencing ice and sleet on Friday morning. Right now, this is a “best guess,” based on the latest incoming model data. More data will clarify what is ahead in the next 48 hours.
Please check back in for updates over the next 2 days as we continue to get more data in to determine exactly what you can expect regarding the ice/sleet potential.
COLD, PARTLY CLOUDY WEEKEND… The weekend has trended toward a drier forecast solution. High temperatures this weekend will be in the 50s with morning lows in the mid- to upper-20s. A few passing clouds will be possible each day.
ANOTHER RAIN CHANCE SETS UP TUESDAY… Showers will return on Tuesday, and perhaps with that comes the next chance of some winter weather issues across parts of the Deep South. Way too early for any details on that, but confidence is growing that we will have a frontal boundary sliding by that will (at minimum) cause scattered showers to develop. Temperatures early next week will peak in the 50s with morning lows in the 30s.
APP… If you haven’t already, be sure to download the free RedZone Weather app to keep up with all the latest information on the world of weather in south Alabama and northwest Florida. redzoneweather.com/app is the link for the free download. Once you have the app downloaded to your iOS or Android device, be sure to visit the Alerts tab (lower right corner) and tap the large, yellow Alert Settings button to customize the alerts you would like to receive straight from me.
See all the details in your Wednesday morning #rzw forecast video. Have a great day!