A Winter Storm now appears likely across portions of Central Alabama Thursday night through Friday night. Confidence continues to increase for the potential of significant winter weather impacts, especially across the northern half of Central Alabama.
Precipitation is expected to begin mostly as a rain/snow mix across far southern counties that will eventually transition to all rain as temperatures rise above the freezing mark by midday Friday. Farther north, all snow is expected where significant accumulations are anticipated. Areas in between (along the I-20 corridor) should see a mixed bag of precipitation that could begin as snow during the morning and transition to a wintry mix as temperatures rise just above freezing by Friday afternoon.
Before the winter weather arrives, infrastructure and ground temperatures will already be very cold. That could be a contributing factor to closely watch in terms of potential impacts, as accumulations could add up quickly as heavier snow begins to fall.
Highlights:
What: Impactfully significant amounts of snow and/or ice accumulation. Snow and sleet accumulations between 2 and 5 inches are possible for counties included within the Winter Storm Watch. (Montgomery City is just barley inside area of impact. 90 percent of the county is not currently in watch)
Where: Northern half of Central Alabama, with greatest potential for impactful accumulations along and north of the I-20 corridor.
When: Precipitation may begin as early as late Thursday night in the west and southwest, spreading over much of Central Alabama overnight through Friday morning. Wintry precipitation should come to an end by Friday evening.
Impacts:
- Travel conditions may become difficult to dangerous across the northernmost counties (Significant and Elevated impact areas on accompanying graphic).
- Slick spots may develop on area roadways, including but not limited to bridges and overpasses along and north of the U.S. 80/I-85 corridors.
