ABC 33/40 E-Forecast

ABC 33/40 E-FORECAST
Morning Edition For Wednesday December 24, 2008
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Patton Creek 205-989-4020 Homewood 205-870-1100
Summit 205-967-5800 Crestline 205-871-0060
Downtown 205-252-5200 Tuscaloosa 205-344-4450
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...A Few Strong Storms Tonight...

SANTA WILL NEED AN UMBRELLA: On this Christmas Eve, strong south winds
will develop across Alabama today, pulling in moist air from the Gulf
of Mexico and making for a pronounced warm-up. Most places will wind
up in the upper 60s this afternoon, about 15 degrees above average for
December 24. We will mention a chance of showers during the day, but
they will be rather scattered. The main weather action this afternoon
is expected to be to the west of our state, where strong to severe
thunderstorms could break out this afternoon over the northern half of
Mississippi. This band of showers and storms will move into our state
tonight, and we expect a gradual weakening trend. But, a few strong
storms are certainly possible, especially along and west of I-65, and
we will watch the closely tonight (along with the NORAD tracking radar
that keeps an eye on activities around the North Pole!).

CHRISTMAS DAY: At this point it looks like the showers will end early
in the morning, and the sky becomes partly sunny tomorrow as cooler
and drier air slips into the state from the north. We are forecasting
a high in the upper 50s tomorrow with a decent amount of afternoon
sunshine through scattered clouds. Not a bad day for trying out those
new bikes, skates, and basketballs.

MORE CHANGES FOR THE WEEKEND: We warm up again Friday as temperatures
rise into the low 70s. Any showers on Friday should be widely
scattered with little upper support. To the west, severe storms could
break out Friday night over Arkansas and Louisiana, and those will be
moving our direction. At this time, it looks like the best chance of
rain over the weekend will come Saturday night as a cold front
approaches from the northwest. For now our risk of severe weather
seems fairly small with the best dynamic support passing well to the
north, and marginal instability values. But, as we often say, with
thunderstorms expect the unexpected, so we will be watching the radar
screens closely. Cooler air drier air moves into the state for Sunday
and the first two days of next week.

EXTREMES: Coldest place in the nation yesterday morning was Northway,
Alaska with 33 below zero. Plentywood, Montana was just behind with 32
below. Warmest spot was Pecos, Texas with 79.

LOOKING FOR A WHITE CHRISTMAS? Much of the nation is snow covered this
Christmas Eve.
Places with a good snow cover include Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit,
Cleveland, Seattle, Portland, and Minneapolis. Snow is also on the
ground across a large part of New England, where some power outages
are still being reported.

MERRY CHRISTMAS: On behalf of our entire weather team, including J.B.
Elliott, Bill Murray, Jason Simpson, Ashley Brand, Brian Peters, and
Dr. Tim Coleman, we would like to wish you and your family a very
Merry Christmas; I hope you enjoy God's richest blessings, and can
spend some good time with friends and family as we remember the real
reason for the celebration!

James Spann
jspann@abc3340.com

ABC 33/40 7 Day Planner: http://cfc.abc3340.com/abc3340/7day.cfm
ABC 33/40 Weather Blog: http://www.alabamawx.com

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TODAY
Windy and warmer. A few scattered showers during the day; showers and
storms more likely tonight. A few strong storms.
Afternoon High 68
WIND: S 12-25

THURSDAY
Partly sunny and cooler.
Morning Low 48 Afternoon High 59
WIND: E 6-12

FRIDAY
Breezy and warmer. Just a few widely scattered showers.
Morning Low 54 Afternoon High 72
WIND: S 10-18

SATURDAY
Mostly cloudy. A few showers during the day; showers and storms more
likely Saturday night.
Morning Low 58 Afternoon High 72
WIND: SW 10-20

SUNDAY
Partly sunny and cooler.
Morning Low 48 Afternoon High 58
WIND: NW 7-14

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Tonight on ABC 33/40

6:00pm ABC 33/40 News
6:30pm Wheel of Fortune
7:00pm The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and
the Wardrobe
10:00pm ABC 33/40 News
10:35pm Nightline

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