Rain returns on Wednesday; will there be any snow?
Rain is in the forecast for Alabama starting on Wednesday — and there could be an ice pellet or snowflake or two in there as well.
The National Weather Service is not expecting any accumulating snow or ice, and most will not see any frozen precipitation at all, likely just those that are in the higher elevations.
Highs on Wednesday are forecast to stay in the 40s and 50s across the state:
Wednesday’s forecast high temperatures.NWS
Most of the state will just get a cold rain that could help with Alabama’s ongoing drought. Some areas could get 2 to 4 inches of rain over the next week, according to NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (see the map at the top of this post).
There will be chances for rain in the forecast on Wednesday, this weekend and early next week (when there could also be some storms in the mix).
As for Wednesday: An area of low pressure is expected to develop in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico and track eastward tomorrow, according to the weather service.
That low will generate widespread rain showers that will affect most of the state from early Wednesday morning into Wednesday night.
The rain could briefly mix with ice pellets on Wednesday morning for areas in north and east Alabama, according to the weather service. Areas in the higher elevations of eastern Alabama could also see a brief rain-snow mix on Wednesday afternoon as the rain moves out and colder air moves in, forecasters said.
No accumulations are expected, according to forecasters.
The rain is expected to be gone by Thursday, but there will be two additional chances for more over the weekend and into early next week. The weather service said frozen precipitation is not likely with either system — at least right now.
The second system — expected to arrive on Monday and into Tuesday — could bring the chance of some stronger storms along with it.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has outlined an area along the Gulf Coast to watch for possible severe weather next Monday, Jan. 8:
Areas closer to the coast have the potential to see some strong to severe storms next Monday.Storm Prediction Center
Forecasters said uncertainty is high this far out in the forecast, but it’s something to monitor as the week progresses.