SHOWERS TODAY; SLICK SPOTS POSSIBLE ON LOCAL ROADS; COLD WEEKEND… Take it slow if you’re on the road this morning as we have ongoing areas of sprinkles and light rain happening across the area. These showers may happen in zones where temperatures are at or below freezing, meaning freezing rain will continue to be a possibility over the next hour or two. This means that bridges and roads could become hazardous if ice accumulates in a given area. Rain showers will continue to be possible over the next few hours. Temperatures will remain quite cold into the weekend with a hard freeze likely Saturday night into Sunday. A few more Friday morning forecast notes are below.

RAIN ENDS LATER TODAY; COLD ALL DAY… Showers will continue to move out of our region to the east later today, meaning most of the rain will come to an end by 3PM. We may have a few residual showers into the evening hours, but most spots should be drying out by that point. Temperatures will only peak in the low-40s this afternoon. Some spots across the interior of southwest Alabama may only peak in the upper-30s. Cold day!

CLEARING SKIES SATURDAY AFTERNOON; HIGHS IN 50s THIS WEEKEND… Cloud coverage will gradually diminish in the late morning and early afternoon hours on Saturday. Temperatures will remain quite chilly throughout the weekend with highs on Saturday and Sunday only near 50 each day. Rain is not anticipated on Saturday or Sunday.

HARD FREEZE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING… Saturday night into Sunday morning will feature the coldest temperatures our area has experienced in quite some time. Overnight lows by 6AM Sunday will be in the low- to mid-20s. That is the projected air temperature (aka what you see on the thermometer). That value does not take into account the wind speed, meaning wind chill values will be a bit lower. Please remember to bring outdoor pets inside this weekend during this hard freeze.

NEXT RAIN CHANCE: LATE MONDAY INTO TUESDAY… Saturday, Sunday, and the daytime hours of Monday are expected to be dry. Our next weather system will set up to our west in the form of a developing area of low pressure on Monday. This system will move across our region late Monday into Tuesday, bringing our next chance of showers.

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 Friday morning #rzw forecast video. Have a great weekend!

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY EXPANDED; FREEZING RAIN THIS MORNING… Icy bridges and overpasses will continue to be the main concern over the next few hours this morning as areas of freezing rain develop across parts of south Alabama and northwest Florida. The National Weather Service has expanded the ongoing Winter Weather Advisory to now include Escambia (AL), Covington, and portions of Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties. Please take it slow if you’re driving this morning as ice may develop rather quickly on local bridges.

RADAR UPDATE: LIGHT RAIN HAPPENING AS OF 6AM… Light rain is noted on radar as happening in parts of Escambia (AL) and Santa Rosa counties as of 6 o’clock this morning. It appears more light rain will happen over the next few hours across the southern half of our local area in zones that are included in the Winter Weather Advisory. This would not normally be a problem, but in this case, we have temperatures at or just below 32 degrees, meaning any liquid rain that happens will freeze on contact. Freezing rain will continue to be a possibility through 9-10AM.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TILL NOON… In addition to the previously included counties (Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia [FL]), the National Weather Service has opted to now include all parts of Escambia (AL), Covington, and portions of Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties in their Winter Weather Advisory valid until Noon. This Winter Weather Advisory is in effect due to the potential of a light ice glaze happening. From NWS Mobile: “Delay travel if possible. If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with extreme caution and be prepared for sudden changes in visibility. Leave plenty of room between you and the vehicle ahead of you. Allow extra time to reach your destination. Avoid sudden braking or acceleration and be especially cautious on hills or when making turns.”

I’ll have a full forecast video posted by 7:15AM. Have a nice Friday morning and please stay safe!

ICY BRIDGES POSSIBLE FRIDAY MORNING; FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE… If you know someone who may be less “weather aware” than you, please let them know about the potential for freezing rain in parts of our local area tomorrow (Friday) morning. The main window for any freezing rain issues will be from 3AM to 9AM on Friday. We encourage everyone, including folks who may not be included in the highlighted “greatest threat” zone (in the graphic attached) to take some extra time tomorrow morning and take it slow in the morning commute. The forecast has not changed that much since previous updates. Here’s what you need to know tonight:

– A strong, Arctic cold front moved through our area earlier today. Temperatures have crashed into the 30s this evening. Temperatures near freezing are expected by daybreak.

– Scattered rain showers will become possible overnight. Precipitation will fall in the form of liquid rain as there is a mass of warmer (above freezing) air in the mid-levels of the atmosphere. Once the rain falls down to near the surface of the earth, temperatures will be at or near the freezing mark, thus creating an instant “flash freeze” effect, thus causing the potential for minor ice accumulation issues.

– The zone of potential greatest impact from freezing rain has shifted farther SOUTH from previous updates. This is because it appears rain will be more confined to the southern half of the area as opposed to near the I-65 corridor as discussed in previous updates.

– The National Weather Service believes the greatest probability of bridge icing issues will happen in parts of Mobile, Baldwin, and Escambia (FL) counties, thus why they have a “Winter Weather Advisory” out for those counties. Please keep in mind that this advisory area may have to be modified as we go into the overnight, including the possibility that more counties will have to be added into the advisory zone.

– Please keep in mind that this is a low confidence forecast. There IS a chance this event could “overperform” and cause more widespread issues on area roadways. There IS also a chance, however, that the event could “underperform” and rain/precipitation remains completely offshore. There is also a real chance that temperatures remain slightly above freezing (33-35°) at the surface tomorrow morning, potentially helping to limit more widespread icing issues.

– Take it slow in the morning commute tomorrow and be highly aware of the potential for ice on local bridges, overpasses, and puddles on roadways that may freeze over. Please pass this key message to family and friends that may not be as “weather aware” as you are.

– Freezing rain issues are most likely from 3AM to 9AM tomorrow morning. Temperatures will likely warm into the low-40s tomorrow afternoon despite cloud cover hanging tough.

My next forecast video will be posted by 7:15AM Friday morning. Have a nice evening and please stay safe!

FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE BUT LESS LIKELY; HARD FREEZE (LOW-20S) SUNDAY MORNING… The chances of sleet and freezing rain happening Friday morning across south Alabama and northwest Florida have lessened somewhat since previous forecast updates. The latest model guidance shows much of the rain and precipitation on Friday morning remaining offshore in the northern Gulf. This scenario has the potential to largely mitigate any freezing rain/icing issues across the local area, IF it verifies. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for Baldwin, Mobile, and Escambia (FL) counties due to some light rain showers being possible Friday morning that could lead to bridges having ice issues. Regardless of where you specifically are across our local area tomorrow morning, please take it slow and allow extra time for travel tomorrow morning! A few more Thursday afternoon forecast notes are below.

BRIEF WINDOW FOR FREEZING RAIN FRIDAY MORNING… Forecast confidence has been and continues to be LOW regarding the potential for freezing rain and sleet happening across parts of our area Friday morning. The latest high resolution weather model guidance shows most (if not all) of the rain and precipitation remaining to our south over the northern Gulf of Mexico on Friday morning. IF this scenario happened, it would mean most communities would probably not have any significant ice/sleet accumulation issues. The concern now is that a few light rain showers may happen Friday morning that could cause ice accumulation problems on bridges and overpasses. That is why a Winter Weather Advisory has been issued (more info below) for 3 local counties.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR 3 LOCAL COUNTIES… The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Mobile, Baldwin, and Escambia (FL) counties. From NWS MOB: “While still uncertain, there is the potential for light freezing rain overnight tonight into Friday morning. It is possible most rainfall remains over the northern Gulf of Mexico, but any light showers over the advisory area will allow for a light glaze of ice accumulations on elevated surfaces, overpasses, and bridges. Some increased albeit moderate confidence in this scenario has necessitated the issuance of a Winter Weather Advisory.”

HARD FREEZE LIKELY SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING… Perhaps the most impactful weather hazard over the next 72 hours will be the potential for a hard freeze across much of the region on Saturday night into Sunday. Temperatures will dip well into the 20s by late Saturday night. Some spots, especially communities north of U.S. Highway 84, will be around 20 degrees by Sunday morning at 6AM. That is the air temperature, not the wind chill. The wind chill values will be even lower (mid-10s possible). Please remember to bring outside pets inside during the bitter cold nights that are ahead.

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.

I will have more updates posted throughout the day and into the night, as needed, in the RedZone Weather app. Have a nice Thursday evening!