WINTER MAKES ITS RETURN THIS WEEK; COLDEST MORNING TO BE THURSDAY… After an unseasonably warm first half of February, temperatures will be below our climatological norms for this time of year over the next week. We’re headed to an overnight low around the freezing mark by 6AM Monday. Highs tomorrow will only be in the 50s. Chilly temperatures will really set in as we get into Thursday and Friday after the passage of another cold front on Wednesday.
WIND CHILL VALUES IN THE 10s AND LOW 20s ON THURSDAY MORNING… The map attached highlights the potential for wind chill values to be in the 10s further inland with low 20s across a large swath of the local area on Thursday, February 20, 2025. Air temperatures will be below freezing down to the Interstate 10 corridor. Cold temperatures are expected throughout the day on Thursday into Friday. Highs on Thursday will only be in the 40s with highs in the 50s on Friday.
RAIN AND STORMS ON WEDNESDAY… Rain and thunderstorms are likely to our west on Tuesday across parts of east Texas and Louisiana. The Storm Prediction Center has includes areas near Houston (TX), Galveston (TX), Lake Charles (LA), Baton Rouge (LA), and New Orleans (LA) in their low-end, Level 1 (out of 5) severe weather risk valid for Tuesday into Tuesday evening. Gusty winds and perhaps a tornado or two may become possible. This same system will move across our region on Wednesday, most likely in the morning hours. For now, the overall severe weather risk remains quite low, if not zero, in most spots across south Alabama and northwest Florida. Rain is likely at times on Wednesday, particularly in the A.M. hours. If severe weather parameters increase, I will let you know in the days ahead.
WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE THIS MORNING; POWER OUTAGES CONTINUE ACROSS ALABAMA… The latest snapshot from the power outage tracker continues to show thousands of people across Alabama without electricity due to storm damage across the state. Monroe and Clarke counties in SW Alabama in our local area was particularly hard hit last night with trees reported down in several spots across each county. Wind damage was widespread across central Alabama as well. Multiple apparent tornadoes happened in west-central Alabama. The threat of tornadoes did not verify locally but the widespread damaging wind threat did materialize last night, particularly across inland counties.
My next full forecast video will be posted by 7:15AM tomorrow morning. Join us for that as we dig into the details. Have a great Sunday night!