A good Friday afternoon to you! I had a great time speaking to the 3rd grade at Faucett-Vestavia in Northport this morning! Look for video tonight on WVUA news at 5, 6, and 10.

Here comes the cold air, after a few nice days. Temperatures are cool this afternoon, with many spots in the lower 50s. With a thick deck of clouds across our state today, temperatures were not allowed to warm all that much. As a cold front works into the area from the northwest, a few showers have developed across central and west Alabama. While there is a lot of rain on radar, most of this is not reaching the ground. The atmosphere is so dry, that most rain is evaporating before reaching the surface. Expect the sprinkles and light rain to continue on and off for parts of the area through midnight tonight.

The Arctic cold front will arrive sometime late tonight. This will significantly drop temperatures to frigid values this weekend, as many spots deal with the coldest air so far this winter season. Clouds will stick around for much of our Saturday, and there could even be a few morning snow flurries. Don’t expect anything major or any travel issues, but a few flakes may fly around early in the day. The best bet for that would occur north of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. The cold weather will be the big story, with afternoon highs in the lower 40s on Saturday and middle 40s on Sunday. I wouldn’t be shocked if some spots stay in the 30s both days. Any exposed new vegetation will become susceptible to the extreme cold at night, as lows fall into the upper teens and lower 20s both Sunday and Monday morning. Despite a mostly sunny sky on Sunday, temperatures will remain very cold.

The deep upper air trough won’t stick around long, as the progressive pattern continues. Temperatures will start to modify Monday and Tuesday afternoon, with highs in the middle 50s on Monday and lower 60s on Tuesday. Another fast moving disturbance will move through the southeast on Tuesday and Wednesday. This will bring a good chance of showers and light rain on Tuesday. The best bet for rain will be east of the area on Wednesday, but a stray shower is still possible. There are no signs of anything cold behind that system. Temperatures may actually warm a little on Wednesday and Thursday. Look for highs in the upper 60s on Wednesday and Thursday. Skies will remain partly to mostly cloudy Monday through Friday.

The big severe weather setup for the end of next week has really faded away in our forecast data. That being said, confidence in the next Thursday – Sunday time frame is still very low due to model inconsistency. Models are all over the board late next week due to the placement of an upper level low and northern branch of the jet stream. When you have an upper level low becoming a key player in the forecast 6 to 8 days out, data is going to be all over the board. Upper level lows are very hard to predict, so it may take a few extra days to pin down the forecast late next week.

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.com or searching WVUA-TV Weather. We also have a new like page on facebook, called WVUA-TV Weather. Since we’re running out of room on the friend page, I recommend you like us on facebook. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Also, join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 4, 5, 6 and10 pm and weekends at 10pm for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

WVUA Chief Meteorologist Richard Scott

rscott@wvuatv.com

Good morning! Cold air is flooding the Nation this morning, as a true Arctic front moves southeast. The core of the cold air is over the northern Plains this morning, where many spots are below 0. The pink to purple shade is for temps below 0. Model data continues to trend colder, so we’ve had to make another forecast change for the weekend.

A few showers are possible today, with highs in the middle 50s. We’ll have lots of clouds through Saturday morning. The cold front will arrive tonight, with a strong north wind through the day on Saturday. A few snow flurries are possible early Saturday morning, but most of that will occur north of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. Don’t be shocked if you see a few flakes around sunrise. This will not cause any issues and will not stick. We only expect a few flurries, but it will still be fun to see. Highs will top out between 35 and 43 on Saturday, with wind chill values below freezing all day. Winds will go light on Sunday, with a high between 39 and 43. Lows will fall between 17 and 21 Sunday and Monday morning. Even with the sun out on Sunday, temperatures will remain very cold!

We’ll start a quick warming trend next week.

I’ll be speaking to the 3rd grade at Faucett-Vestavia in Northport this morning. Look for video on WVUA news at 5, 6, and 10. Have a great day!

WVUA Cheif Meteorologist Richard Scott

rscott@wvuatv.com

A good Thursday afternoon to you! While it’s been a nice, sunny day, temperatures didn’t reflect the extra sun. Many spots only topped out in the middle 50s today, with a light north wind. A cool airmass has taken over the state for today and Friday, but much colder air is soon to follow.

The upper air pattern is supportive of cold air to flood much of the nation. The first cold front moved though early Wednesday morning and has allowed the drop in temperatures. As a disturbance works around the base of the trough, a strong cold front will develop across the northern Plains late today. The front will quickly move southeast and will put all of the area in the deep freeze. Since warm weather has allowed an early bloom of many trees and plants, a hard freeze ahead will threaten any exposed vegetation. It’s too early to know if this will have any major impacts to the spring growing season.

The lift ahead of a cold front should be just enough to spark a few showers late on Friday. Skies will become mostly cloudy during the midday hours, with showers sometime after lunch. Moisture levels will remain pretty low, so I don’t expect widespread heavy rain. This will be a lot like Tuesday night’s light rain and sprinkles. Some data hints at a few sprinkles or snow flurries early Saturday morning for parts of the area. The best chance of this would occur for areas near to north of Tuscaloosa. Snow flurries are much more likely across the Tennessee Valley and less likely along Interstate 20/59. If you see a few flakes, it would be fun to see and would not cause any issues. Meanwhile, the big story would be the very cold temperatures Saturday and Sunday. Data has trended even colder for Saturday and Sunday, with highs in the middle 40s and lows in the lower 20s Saturday night and Sunday night. Skies will become sunny Saturday evening and on Sunday.

We continue in a progressive pattern, so additional changes are expected early next week. This will come in the form of a warming trend and some rain. Showers will become likely on Tuesday as a south flow develops ahead of a fast moving disturbance. There won’t be any cold air behind that system. Temperatures will warm into the middle 50s for highs on Monday and lower 60s on Tuesday. Skies will become mostly cloudy on Tuesday through Thursday.  

There is some hint at a vigorous storm system arriving in our area on Thursday. This has a chance to bring strong to severe storms to parts of the deep south, but confidence is still low. Computer models are still all over the place on this system, so it will take a few more days of editing the forecast to get a good handle on it.

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.com or searching WVUA-TV Weather. We also have a new like page on facebook, called WVUA-TV Weather. Since we’re running out of room on the friend page, I recommend you like us on facebook. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Also, join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 4, 5, 6 and10 pm and weekends at 10pm for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

WVUA Chief Meteorologist Richard Scott

rscott@wvuatv.com

Here’s a look at our Alabama sunsets this Wednesday evening. Some of these pictures come from the WVUA Tuscaloosa Towercam. Other pictures were sent in from weather watcher Tina Hope and Dusty Smith from right here in west Alabama.

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.com or searching WVUA-TV Weather. We also have a new like page on facebook, called WVUA-TV Weather. Since we’re running out of room on the friend page, I recommend you like us on facebook. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Also, join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 4, 5, 6 and10 pm and weekends at 10pm for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

WVUA Chief Meteorologist Richard Scott

rscott@wvuatv.com

A good Wednesday to you! Despite a cold front moving through our state this morning, temperatures still reached the lower 60s in many spots this afternoon. Ample sunshine has slowed cold air advection for much of the area, but clouds over our northern counties, has kept temperatures in the 40s all day. This happened for areas north of Fayette, Jasper and Vernon. Once the sun sets, cold air will take over the entire state. We can expect lows in the lower 30s in many spots under a clear sky. A weak area of high pressure will cause conditions to go calm late tonight and on Thursday. We can expect ample sunshine on Thursday, but temperatures will remain cool. Look for highs to reach the upper 50s on Thursday and Friday.

Our secondary cold front is due in our area late Friday night and early Saturday morning. This will bring more clouds and even colder temperatures. Lift ahead of the cold front will help to develop a few light showers just like last night. Rain totals won’t amount to much; in-fact, most spots won’t see a drop. The best chance of any light shower or sprinkle will happen late Friday night or early Saturday morning.

Cold air advection will really drop temperatures on Saturday with a brisk north wind. Look for highs to struggle to reach 50 degrees on Saturday. Skies will gradually become partly cloudy to mostly sunny late in the day on Saturday. The core of the cold air will stay just north of Alabama, but we’ll certainly feel the change. Highs will likely stay in the 40s all day on Sunday. Skies will also become sunny on Sunday. If you have any outdoor plants that are in bloom, you may want to bring them indoors or cover them with blankets. Temperatures will drop well below freezing Saturday and Sunday night, with lows between 25 and 29 both nights. The warm weather we’ve had lately has sent many plants and trees in an early bloom. Any tinder vegetation will be susceptible to the freezing temperatures, so use protective measures before the weekend arrives.

Conditions will start to modify on Monday and Tuesday, as temperatures return into the upper 50s to lower 60s. Clouds will increase late Monday and on Tuesday as another storm system approaches. This will bring a risk of showers on Tuesday and Wednesday. At this point, the rain looks light on Tuesday and Wednesday.

We’ll really have to watch things close for the Wednesday and Thursday time frame. Some data indicates we could deal with a risk of severe weather. I will update the forecast as we get a little closer.

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.com or searching WVUA-TV Weather. We also have a new like page on facebook, called WVUA-TV Weather. Since we’re running out of room on the friend page, I recommend you like us on facebook. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Also, join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 4, 5, 6 and10 pm and weekends at 10pm for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

WVUA Chief Meteorologist Richard Scott

rscott@wvuatv.com

We’ve got a full moon on this Tuesday night, and we’ve had some great pictures sent in this evening from west Alabama viewers.  Jake Cook, Brittany Hope, and Dusty Smith sent us these pictures.

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.com or searching WVUA-TV Weather. We also have a new like page on facebook, called WVUA-TV Weather. Since we’re running out of room on the friend page, I recommend you like us on facebook. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Also, join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 4, 5, 6 and10 pm and weekends at 10pm for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

WVUA Chief Meteorologist Richard Scott

rscott@wvuatv.com

We’re watching a little rain on radar this evening. While you see several batches of light to moderate rain on radar, most of this is not reaching the ground. The airmass is very dry, so the rain is evaporating before reaching the surface, known as Virga. This is associated with some lift ahead of a cold front. While most of this is evaporating before reaching the surface, I wouldn’t be shocked if a few rain drops reach the ground. The sprinkles may be enough to turn on the windshield wipers a time or two. This activity will spread east and out of our area by daybreak tomorrow morning.

Be sure to scroll down for a full weather update.  

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.com or searching WVUA-TV Weather. We also have a new like page on facebook, called WVUA-TV Weather. Since we’re running out of room on the friend page, I recommend you like us on facebook. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Also, join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 4, 5, 6 and10 pm and weekends at 10pm for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

WVUA Chief Meteorologist Richard Scott

rscott@wvuatv.com

Check out these nice sunset pictures, captured from the WVUA Tuscaloosa Towercam. Our camera is located above Reese Phifer Hall on UA Campus.

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.com or searching WVUA-TV Weather. We also have a new like page on facebook, called WVUA-TV Weather. Since we’re running out of room on the friend page, I recommend you like us on facebook. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Also, join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 4, 5, 6 and10 pm and weekends at 10pm for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

WVUA Chief Meteorologist Richard Scott

rscott@wvuatv.com

There’s been some talk in the weather community of severe weather ahead. The model above is the 18z GFS, valid for Saturday, February 18^th. That’s nearly 10 days from now, so there’s little to no skill in a forecast this far out. Several people have asked me about this, so I just wanted to clear up this muddy water. Sure, if this model just happened to be correct, we would have severe weather from that storm system. The chance of that is very, very low at this point. We will keep an eye on model data over the next several days and see if confidence increases. I wouldn’t be surprised if this look changes drastically before then.  

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.com or searching WVUA-TV Weather. We also have a new like page on facebook, called WVUA-TV Weather. Since we’re running out of room on the friend page, I recommend you like us on facebook. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Also, join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 4, 5, 6 and10 pm and weekends at 10pm for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

WVUA Chief Meteorologist Richard Scott

rscott@wvuatv.com

A good Tuesday afternoon to you! You sure can’t beat weather like this in early February, but big changes are on the way. Models have trended sharply colder by the weekend, so our forecast has changed a bit for Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile, temperatures warmed into the lower and middle 60s this afternoon. The average high for early February is 58 degrees, so we’re well above that. The warm weather lately as allowed many trees and flowers to bloom out. This isn’t a good thing because we’ve got a long way to go before winter is over. The hard freeze this weekend will likely cause some big issues with the tender vegetation.

A good supply of sun today and some ridging has really allowed temperatures to warm up. That’s about to change over the next 36 hours, as a shortwave trough moves into the southeast. This will send a weak cold front into our area tomorrow. There isn’t enough moisture to bring any organized rain chances, but I can’t rule out a stray sprinkle tonight or early Wednesday. The cold front will provide enough lift to increase cloud cover, but any chance of rain looks very low at this point. We should still reach the lower 60s on Wednesday, if we can see enough sun before the front arrives. Temperatures will fall into the middle 30s as cool air advection takes over. A weak surface high will move into our area on Thursday, and will provide our area with ample sunshine and calm winds. Highs will only reach the upper 50s on Thursday, so despite the sun, conditions will feel pretty chilly.

Model data has become much more aggressive with the cold air advection for the weekend, so I’ve had to drop highs several degrees. The second cold front will arrive Friday afternoon, and a brisk north wind will quickly drop temperatures near freezing Friday night. Much like Wednesday’s cold front, we’ll deal with some cloud cover on Friday, but I don’t expect any rain at this point. There could be enough lift and cold air for some light snow over Tennessee, but that will stay well north of our area. Saturday will feature an increase in sunshine, but it’s going to be much colder! Look for highs between 47 and 52. Many spots will stay in the 40s all day, which will snap us back into reality of February weather. The trough will really deepen over the weekend, so the cold air will stick around for a few days. Highs will remain in the upper 40s to lower 50s on Sunday as well.

A disturbance rounding the base of the trough will increase clouds on Monday and Tuesday. This system has a chance to pick up some moisture from the Gulf and will likely bring some light rain to the area. Temperatures will be too warm for any frozen precipitation, since the core of the cold air will retreat northeast of Alabama before the rain reaches the state.

There are signs that Alabama’s weather will be a bit cooler through the rest of February. Ofcourse, forecasting anything past 7 days out is tough. We often look for trends, and cooler seems to be a trend. We’ll update the forecast as we continue to progress through the month.

Send us your weather pictures! Send them to weather@wvuatv.com. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.com or searching WVUA-TV Weather. We also have a new like page on facebook, called WVUA-TV Weather. Since we’re running out of room on the friend page, I recommend you like us on facebook. Great way to get weather updates! Plus, facebook is a great way to send us weather pictures. Simply tag us!

Also, join us live on WVUA-TV weekdays at 4, 5, 6 and10 pm and weekends at 10pm for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

WVUA Chief Meteorologist Richard Scott

rscott@wvuatv.com