Evening Thoughts

A big snowstorm is underway just to our west across Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. In fact, almost 9" of snow has already fallen in Dallas. The leading edge of the snow has now reached as far east as Central Mississippi. Light radar echoes are visible across West Alabama, but the air in the lowest 5,000 feet is still too dry for any precipitation to reach the surface. The current temperature and dew point at the Tuscaloosa Airport are 41 and 23, respectively, so it's safe to say that we should not see any precipitation before midnight. Several hours of moistening the lowest part of the troposphere will allow thermal profiles to be supportive of light snow after 3 a.m. The large majority of the snow that accumulates before sunrise should be confined to grassy and elevated surfaces. However, it's possible that there could a few slick spots around the area tomorrow morning, mainly on bridges and overpasses. Be careful if you're heading to work. The good news for the youngsters is that Tuscaloosa City and County schools are closed tomorrow.


My thoughts have not really changed much regarding snowfall amounts. Due to strong upper level dynamics, a surface low is trying to develop across the western Gulf of Mexico about 150 miles east of Padre Island, TX. Pressure falls and thicknesses suggest the low should track eastward across the central Gulf through tomorrow morning. This lines up reasonably well with what the European has consistently shown for the last few days. An average of 1.5" seems to be a reasonable forecast for the area; up to an inch in the northern part of the county and possibly up to 2" in the southern part of the county. The cities of Tuscaloosa and Northport will probably be around 1.5" when the snow ends by 3 p.m.