Winter weather and severe storm threat continue, followed by very cold temperatures

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Alabama Emergency Management Agency

CLANTON, Ala. – Saturday, Jan. 24, 2 p.m.

…The forecast for freezing rain and sleet well north of I-20 remains unchanged……Upgrade to Slight Risk for severe storms in south with Marginal Risk expanded northward to I-20 Sunday……Wind Advisory ahead of storms in southeastern sections late Sunday morning into afternoon…As of 1 pm, temperatures are still below freezing north of a Vernon – Cullman – Scottsboro line. Temperatures will continue to rise and are forecast to get above freezing between 5-8 p.m. except for the far northwestern counties under the Ice Storm Warning.Map showing a 48-hour ice accumulation forecast for Alabama, with varying ice accumulation predictions in different regions, ranging from 0.03 to 0.14 inches, including key cities like Muscle Shoals, Hamilton, and Huntsville.Map showing the 72-hour snow forecast for Birmingham, AL, with snowfall amounts indicated in inches across various regions.

The bulk of the rain will occur tonight through Sunday afternoon.  A line of showers and thunderstorms will develop and move from west to east across the state from mid to late Sunday morning through the early evening hours.  South of I-20 and especially south of a Livingston – Montgomery – Auburn line, enough instability and shear will be present that there will likely be areas of wind gusts from 40-60 mph and a few tornadoes possible.A precipitation forecast map for Alabama showing 72-hour rainfall estimates. Areas in yellow indicate 2-3 inches of expected rain, while green areas show estimates of 1-1.5 inches. The map is issued by the Weather Forecast Office in Birmingham, AL.Weather map showing the SPC Outlook for Sunday with risk levels including Not Severe, Marginal Risk, and Slight Risk in different areas of the southeastern United States, along with timeframes for each risk level.

In addition, pressure gradient winds in south Alabama ahead of the line will gust up to 30 mph at times from late Sunday morning through the afternoon.Very cold air will filter into the state behind the line of storms and it now appears there will be little to no transition to freezing rain or snow after temperatures drop below freezing.  However, there could be some snow flurries Sunday night into Monday morning.Besides very cold temperatures, gusty winds up to 30 mph are forecast Sunday night through Monday afternoon.Max temperature forecast map for Alabama, showing varying temperatures from the north to the south.Weather forecast map showing maximum temperatures for Alabama from Monday 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM CST, with temperatures ranging from 27°F to 42°F across the state.