Freezing temperatures, strong storms to arrive this weekend
MADISON – Temperatures dropping into the teens, possible tornadic activity, snow flurries and minor flooding are anticipated this weekend and early next week as a couple of storm systems bring winter weather to the Valley, the National Weather Service in Huntsville said.
Preparations have already begun locally, with road crews loading sand and salt onto trucks in case ice and snow make driving hazardous.
Jessica Chace, weather service meteorologist, said conditions will begin to worsen Saturday. She said temperatures Saturday will remain in the 60s and 70s but a system moving in will bring with it volatile weather.
“We’ll see a near 100% chance of strong and severe thunderstorms with possible tornadoes and damaging straight line winds Saturday afternoon,” Chace said. “Winds will be gusting as much as 30 to 35 mph.”
She said Sunday temperatures are expected to drop about 40 degrees with a possibility of snow flurries and sleet.
“We’ll be waking up to temperatures in the upper 40s,” she said. “By noon Sunday, temperatures will be down into the upper 30s. There’s not going to be much of a chance of any accumulation of snow,”
Sunday night temperatures will dip to the upper teens and lower 20s, she said, with Monday’s high reaching only into the lower 40s.
An Alabama Department of Transportation spokesman for North Alabama said his office will constantly monitor highway conditions.
“We advise motorists to slow down because the roads can be slick in some areas,” Seth Burkett said. “When the temperatures drop, beware of the water on the road freezing. Don’t travel through areas where you can’t see the roadway because of water over the roads.”
