Winter comes to the Southeast | Weather

By Dr. Tim Coleman, Fox 6 Severe Weather Expert

After days of cold temperatures in the western U. S. and warm temperatures in the east (the low yesterday morning was 30 in Phoenix, but 43 in New York City), the cold front separating the cold air from the warm air has moved east.  It moved through Alabama last night and this morning.  Right now, it is 34 degrees in Muscle Shoals, but 70 in Auburn.  Heavy rain fell already, with 2.50" in BHM so far. 

Warm air will start to move over the cold air today, producing additional rain.  That is already occurring in NW Alabama, and will spread southeast.  Given the cold temperatures in NW Alabama, some of the rain could freeze on impact, mainly on bridges and in trees.  This could cause dangerous travel in NW Alabama and north and central Mississippi tonight.  Power outages are possible.  Mississippi may get the worst of the ice storm.  The NWS has issued a winter weather advisory for NW Alabama for tonight, and ice storm warnings in MS. 

Since there is already freezing rain in Haleyville, NWS may extend the winter weather advisory farther southeast to include Marion, Winston, and Cullman counties.  Here in BHM, expect a cold rain this afternoon and tonight, with temperatures falling into the 30s.  Rain may linger into Tuesday, and we may not see hardly any sunshine all week.  See Wes Wyatt's post from earlier on myfoxtracker.com for details on the icing threat today and tonight.

Read Dr. Tim Coleman's full blog here: http://birmingham.raycomweather.com/2013/01/winter-comes-to-the-southeast.html