Hydrologic Outlook from the NWS…

...SPRING FLOOD OUTLOOK FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA...

THE SPRING FLOOD OUTLOOK FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA IS FOR AN ABOVE
NORMAL POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING.

EXISTING CONDITIONS...

...RAINFALL...
AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES
...ASSOCIATED WITH EL NINO...HAS PRODUCED ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL
SO FAR THIS WINTER SEASON IN CENTRAL ALABAMA.  SINCE THE FIRST
OF DECEMBER RAINFALL HAS AVERAGED FROM 100 TO 125 PERCENT OF
NORMAL IN THE NORTH AND WEST SECTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA...
TO 150 TO 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL IN THE SOUTHEAST.

RAINFALL SO FAR THIS WINTER HAS AVERAGED 13 TO 19 INCHES IN THE
NORTH AND WEST SECTIONS...RANGING TO 20 TO 25 INCHES IN THE
SOUTHEAST.  SOME REPRESENTATIVE TOTALS TO DATE INCLUDE:

LOCATION               RAINFALL DEC. 1, 2009 TO PRESENT

HAMILTON                           15.37 INCHES
JASPER                             18.75 INCHES
BIRMINGHAM                         13.19 INCHES
TUSCALOOSA                         13.89 INCHES
ANNISTON                           13.74 INCHES
DEMOPOLIS                          16.42 INCHES
SELMA                              21.42 INCHES
MONTGOMERY                         20.73 INCHES
ALEXANDER CITY                     20.00 INCHES
TROY                               24.36 INCHES

The Near Term…

The Latest Snowfall Potential 1:30 AM…

NWS Sure is Optimistic Tonight!

Winter Weather Advisory Issued…

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO
NOON CST MONDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST MONDAY.

A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
ALABAMA LATE SUNDAY AND CONTINUE INTO MONDAY MORNING. ALTHOUGH
THIS EVENT IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN AS RAIN SUNDAY EVENING...A CHANGE
OVER TO SNOW IS EXPECTED AS COLDER TEMPERATURES SETTLE ACROSS THE
AREA AFTER SUNSET. ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES WILL BE
POSSIBLE IN THE ADVISORY AREA...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE
INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR. ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE-HALF TO ONE AND A
HALF INCHES ARE EXPECTED SOUTH OF THE INTERSTATE 20...AND ALONG
THE HIGHWAY 280 CORRIDORS.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW
WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW
COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR THE LATER
UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION.

Reported Snow Accumulations Per County…

The Weather Blog is Now On Snow Alert!!!!

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW WILL BEGIN FALLING AFTER MIDNIGHT THURSDAY NIGHT ACROSS FAR SOUTHWESTERN AREAS NEAR LIVINGSTON AND DEMOPOLIS. THE SNOW WILL QUICKLY SPREAD ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL ALABAMA FRIDAY MORNING. THE SNOW WILL TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THAT SNOW ACCUMULATION OF ONE TO THREE INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA SHOULD TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS AND PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE SNOW ACCUMULATION ON FRIDAY. STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON THIS POTENTIAL WINTER WEATHER EPISODE. A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATION THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

From the National Weather Service…

...WINTER WEATHER POTENTIAL FOR FRIDAY...

OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS MUCH HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN REGARDS TO THE POTENTIAL FOR WINTER WEATHER ON FRIDAY. AT THIS TIME...THE FORECAST IS BEGINNING TO BE MORE CONSISTENT THAT THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR AN ACCUMULATING SNOW ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE TIMING FOR THIS EVENT REMAINS VERY CONSISTENT IN ALL OF THE FORECAST MODELS...AS FRIDAY LOOKS TO BE THE TARGET DAY. HOWEVER...SOME UNCERTAINTY REMAINS ON THE TRACK OF THE SURFACE LOW...WHICH WILL DETERMINE NOT ONLY THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE THAT IS OFFERED UP WITH THIS SYSTEM...BUT ALSO...HOW FAR THE FREEZING LINE WILL DIG INTO THE SOUTH. AS OF WEDNESDAY MORNING...THE BEST FORECAST FOR SNOW AMOUNTS OF AROUND 2 INCHES WILL BE BETWEEN THE INTERSTATE 20 AND HIGHWAY 80 CORRIDORS...WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES NORTH AND SOUTH OF THIS AREA. A TRACE TO ONE-HALF INCH IS EXPECTED FROM TROY TO EUFAULA. PLEASE BEGIN TO PLAN AHEAD ON HOW SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW COULD AFFECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY...BEFORE IT ACTUALLY FALLS. CHECK BACK WITH US FREQUENTLY ON THIS POTENTIAL FOR WINTER WEATHER FRIDAY. ON THE WEB...CHECK OUT OUR HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK AND OUR MULTIMEDIA IMPACT BRIEFING FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION.