WSFA Weather

The WSFA First Alert Weather blog is moving!

The WSFA First Alert Weather Team is committed to bringing you the most up-to-date information to help you plan your day and keep your family safe. This will be the final update to this blog, but you will still be able to get the same information you’re used to. The free WSFA First Alert Weather App, which is available for download in the Apple and Android app stores, is our primary tool for sending you the latest weather information.

 

Make sure you follow our meteorologists on social media for weather updates

Chief Meteorologist Josh Johnson: Facebook / Twitter

Meteorologist Eric Snitil: Facebook / Twitter

Meteorologist Amanda Curran: Facebook / Twitter

Meteorologist Vernon Turner:  Facebook / Twitter

WSFA Weather: Facebook / Twitter

 

You can also find weather updates on WSFA.com/weather.

 

Amanda Curran - WSFA First Alert Meteorologist

FIRST ALERT: STRONG STORMS THURSDAY

Late March is a weird month. One day, you're shivering in the cold. The next, you're wondering where the nearest swimming pool is. Today is swimming pool day as warm air surges ahead of an approaching cold front. That front will make things difficult tomorrow as we track our next round of rain and storms...

TODAY: Expect highs into the lower 80s as a mix of clouds and sunshine compliments a very Spring-like day. We should stay dry. 

THURSDAY: Tomorrow's weather situation remains complicated with several factors still in play on how this evolves. A line of thunderstorms will be working into west Alabama tomorrow morning. This line should not be severe, and is expected to gradually weaken further as it pushes eastward. As it fades, models suggest an additional flare up of storms into the afternoon. Those storms could have enough kick to produce a few wind issues, possible even a spinup tornado. 

There are a few factors that have trended upward with regard to severe weather potential Thursday, but several other factors remain very limiting for widespread issues. The net result likely gets us a day where isolated storms cause problems, so we'll be watching closely. 

EASTER WEEKEND: Thursday's storms quickly get out Friday and set the stage for a lovely Easter weekend. Whatever plans you have in mind, enjoy. 

WSFA First Alert Meteorologist Eric Snitil

Warming Up, But Getting Potentially Stormy?

Clouds have been prominent for the first half of our day, but a few peeks of sunshine are starting to pop up statewide. Combine that with the uptick in our southerly breeze and you have a recipe for a forecast that is warmer today than it was yesterday. Temperatures should be a good 10°+ above where we saw afternoon highs on Monday - 60s and 70s will feel nice after the cool start to our workweek.

Wet weather doesn't look to be an issue today or really even tomorrow, but we will see a significant increase of showers and isolated storms as a cold front moves into the region Thursday. 

A fairly strong upper-level trough will move eastward by late Wednesday night into Thursday, leading to not only increased lift in our atmosphere, but also the intensification of the low-level jet. This should cause convection to become more organized throughout the day on Thursday; as of right now, the threat for severe weather is rather low, but it's not at 0% either. Strong storms could be an issue for some, but it is not expected to be a setup that produces widespread impacts.  

The Storm Prediction Center has already put much of our area under a Marginal/Slight risk for the day on Thursday - with the forecast looking the way it does this seems fair. Heavy rain could be a issue for a lot of people, but the more isolated impacts look to include potential damaging winds and an possible tornado.

Quiet weather should return by late Friday, and that will help kick off a beautiful Easter weekend! Our Saturday and Sunday both feature tons of sunshine as high pressure builds into the area, and highs will range from the upper 60s/low 70s for the first half of the weekend to upper 70s/low 80s by Easter. Enjoy!!

Amanda Curran, WSFA First Alert Meteorologist
Facebook: Amanda Curran WSFA
Twitter: @WSFA_Amanda

FIRST ALERT: TRACKING STORMS THURSDAY

Cool and cloudy conditions have spilled over from yesterday, putting a damper on our morning sunrise. Initial impressions would lead you to believe we're in store for another day of zero sunshine. Hang on, the forecast isn't quite that bad...

TODAY: Clouds remain stubborn this morning, but should start to erode slightly into our afternoon. Models suggests a few breaks in the overcast developing and we could even go partly cloudy before sundown. 

In my experience, these setups are incredibly difficult to time in terms of the clouds breaking up. If it happens sooner, temperatures will surge. If clouds hang on longer (which happens a lot), we'll never hit our forecast highs. We think the Montgomery area ends up just north of 70 degrees, but this banks on at least partial sunshine developing into the afternoon. 

The Capital City Classic forecast looks great this evening with dry conditions and temperatures falling through the 60s. 

LOOKING AHEAD: We're above the 80 degree mark tomorrow with dry conditions continuing. It will be Thursday that features our next weather-maker as a cold front approaches. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop and press west to east Thursday morning into the afternoon. Most cold fronts this time of year carry at least some risk of severe weather. This will be no different. 

The Storm Prediction Center has placed much of the area under a Slight risk for severe weather Thursday. However, I still wonder if this is a little too aggressive given the overall lack of favorable ingredients for severe thunderstorms. Models suggest limited instability and poor lapse rates, which will limit the intensity of any storms. The key element that could overcome this will be the development of a wave of low pressure to our north as the front moves through. This would enhance shear & perhaps allow for a window of opportunity for severe weather. This prospect remains questionable at this stage, but there's certainly a few paths where isolated severe weather could be on the table. I continue to see this as a low-end threat, but the risk is not zero. 

We'll scoot that system out of here in time for a quiet and dry weekend. 

WSFA First Alert Meteorologist Eric Snitil

Chilly/Breezy Today, Turning Warmer by Tomorrow!!

Talk about a case of the Monday's...

We were mostly cloudy, windy and much cooler today when compared to our wonderfully warm weekend weather. Most spots in south Alabama struggled to make it into the 60s, and many cities and towns across central portions of the state just hung tight in the upper 40s/low 50s.

Our temperatures will stay consistent throughout the night with an overcast sky sticking around, but trust me when I say this major cool off was just a small hiccup in our overall weather pattern. We will get even warmer over the next few days!!

Temperatures quickly rebound into the 70s tomorrow and near 80° Wednesday ahead of our next weather maker... it arrives Thursday along with a cold front, so periods of heavy rain will be likely and some thunderstorms are also possible. The severe weather set up appears rather limited at this time, but that threat is not zero. Impacts will most likely be from heavy, soaking rain - but some strong storms could also pop up as the boundary moves through the state.

Amanda Curran, WSFA First Alert Meteorologist
Facebook: Amanda Curran WSFA
Twitter: @WSFA_Amanda

Workweek Starts Cool/Cloudy, Turns Warm (& Potentially Stormy)...

After our gloriously warm weekend, it's make to reality as cooler air has quickly made a comeback here in Alabama for the start of the workweek. Highs today will struggle, big time... many  cities and towns won't be able to get out of the 50s thanks to very little sunshine and a strong easterly breeze.

There will likely be a few spots who warm up a bit more than others, but even the "hot" spots won't be hot today; the mildest of places will likely only get into the lower 60s by the end of the afternoon.

Our Monday will also feature the potential for a few quick-hitting showers from time to time, but nothing significant in the form of storms. Most will trend on the drier side today because coverage of rain is only around 20%, but don't be surprised if you run into a rogue shower.

If you were a huge fan of the warm weekend we just had and were wondering when the Spring-like conditions returns, you won't have to wait long!! We quickly rebound into the upper 60s/lows 70s tomorrow and then we will be nearing 80° again by Wednesday. Just like this quick cool down we are experiencing now, the large jump in temperatures will be happening ahead of our next weather maker... a cold front arrives Thursday, and with it comes a better coverage of showers and some isolated storms.

The big thing we will be watching is periods of heavy rain and also a low-end threat for a few storms that could be a bit stronger. Widespread severe weather is not anticipated, but we will keep an eye on the forecast and let you know if that threat appears to grow.

Amanda Curran, WSFA First Alert Meteorologist
Facebook: Amanda Curran WSFA
Twitter: @WSFA_Amanda

COMPLETE 180

We're coming off a weekend that was generally warm, sunny & pleasant. Today will be none of those things. Cool, easterly winds will wedge us into a very different forecast today. While it's not exactly pleasant, we'll rebound quickly before tracking our next substantial storm system later in the week...

TODAY: Clouds will dominate the forecast today with a stiff east breeze aiding in keeping us much cooler. Temps from morning into afternoon won't be a whole lot different. The lack of sunshine (outside a few lucky breaks) and fresh supply of cooler air will greatly limit daytime warming. 

Afternoon temperatures may very well stay in the 40s across our eastern counties with 50s more likely across the heart of central Alabama. 

LOOKING AHEAD: We'll slowly climb out of this tomorrow, but it really takes until Wednesday to fully break out with highs back to 80 degrees. Our next storm system will arrive in the form of a cold front Thursday. Periods of heavy rain will be possible with this system, accompanied by a non-zero risk for severe weather. 

The severe element does not appear very impressive at this time. It would take a solid model shift to change that, but it's not impossible we have at least a marginal risk to watch for. 

Sunshine should return heading into next weekend. 

WSFA First Alert Meteorologist Eric Snitil

First Alert: A Few Showers Today, Cool Down Tomorrow

A massive fire ignited at the Brantley Recycling Center in Crenshaw county this morning. County EMA Director Elliott Jones has asked anyone within a quarter mile of the facility to evacuate. The Brantley High Gym will serve as a shelter for any evacuees.

PHOTO COURTESY: CRENSHAW COUNTY EMA

Cloudy skies and mild temperatures today as a frontal boundary moves through the region. The frontal passage will likely produce a few showers today so keep an umbrella close by. Rain coverage will be isolated to scattered at best. That means rain isn't grunted for your area but with will be hit-or-miss showers moving through the state. One of those showers could slide through your area so keep an umbrella within arms reach.

Highs today will be near 80 degrees this afternoon and lows tonight will be cooler than last night. We'll be behind the front tonight and that will lead to overnight lows down into the lower 50s. The cool, dry air will dominate the state tomorrow, limiting afternoon  highs in the low 60s.

We'll deal with relatively calm conditions Tuesday and Wednesday as we warm back up. We'll reach the 70s Tuesday and 80s by Wednesday. During this time we'll be watching our next storm system approach from the west. A cold front will look to sweep through the state Thursday into Friday. This will likely produce widespread rain with embedded thunderstorms.

It's still far too early to talk above severe weather potential with this system. But I will mention the potential for a few strong storms. So stay connected over the next coming days as we gain more information on this system.

 

VERNON TURNER, WSFA FIRST ALERT METEOROLOGIST

Weekend Forecast: Tons of Warmth & Some Isolated Rain

Friday's forecast was fabulous, so wouldn't it be nice to repeat it this weekend? Your wish is my command!

Saturday: It looks like as we head into our Saturday we will see another mostly dry day across central and south Alabama, but we also see the return of a southerly breeze... that will quickly increase the amount of moisture in our atmosphere and really help warm temperatures up by the afternoon. After a few days with below average temps, highs tomorrow will jump big time and go above normal for this time of year.

Highs are climbing into the upper 70s and low 80s by the end of our day, which is a good 5-10° above average. Otherwise, we will start our day off sunny and see some clouds roll in by the afternoon; it's won't be completely dry across the state, but coverage around 10% isn't widespread enough to impact everyone.

Sunday: A weak low pressure system off towards our north will start to slide into the Tennessee Valley late Saturday, so by early Sunday morning you'll notice it's a tad bit cloudier.  At first, this system will help stretch a cold front through the northern half of the state but it won't really increase our rain chances until later in the day on Sunday.

At this time models have the front weakening and stalling out by Sunday afternoon; that means we will see an elevated coverage of rain throughout the second half of our Sunday. Not everyone will see rain, and for those of you that do it looks like the intensity will be very light.

Temperature Rollercoaster: Colder air will likely return to our area quickly, so be prepared for a large temperature drop by Monday. Highs will be almost 15-20° colder than the weekend, so take note! That drop in temperature will also bring a small drop in rain coverage, but we could still see some isolated showers during the day on Monday.

Cooler air doesn't stick around long... highs by midweek are back into the 70s/low 80s, and that comes with the return of showers and some storms. We will keep an eye on the forecast and fine tune the details if the threat for severe weather was to arise.

Amanda Curran, WSFA First Alert Meteorologist
Facebook: Amanda Curran WSFA
Twitter: @WSFA_Amanda

First Alert: Our warm weekend will include a few showers

What a nice end to what has been an up and down week! Expect fair conditions this evening and tonight as we cool to an overnight low down into the upper 40s to mid 50s. If you have travel plans that will take you north we cannot rule out a few spotty showers for north Alabama and Tennessee tonight.

We'll host a few showers this weekend as we continue our warming trend. Saturday and Sunday will feature highs near 80 degrees. Saturday will likely be the drier of the 2 days. Sadly, Palm Sunday looks wetter with isolated to scattered passing showers a threat through the entire day. By no means will Sunday be a complete washout but just be mindful a few showers will be in the area.

After the weekend, we'll keep a small but elevated rain chance in place due to a backdoor cold front. This will drop afternoon highs down into the low to mid 60s Monday afternoon. Along with the small rain chance, Monday will be quite breezy.

We'll have a couple of calm days Tuesday and Wednesday before our next storm system arrives. That's good news because this late week system may bring our next round of thunderstorm activity.

It's far too early to tell if this will bring a severe weather concern. But we do know this will likely bring widespread rain and a few storms to our area late in the week. So enjoy your weekend but stay connected over the coming days. If this system presents a severe risk we'll be sure to be first to alert you days in advance!

VERNON TURNER, WSFA FIRST METEOROLOGIST