Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Birmingham, AL
Issued by NWS Birmingham, AL
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822 FXUS64 KBMX 301129 AFDBMX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Birmingham AL 529 AM CST Sun Nov 30 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 522 AM CST SUN NOV 30 2025 - Significant rain amounts of one to two inches on average are expected across central Alabama today through Tuesday. - Widespread freezing temperatures will return Tuesday night through Wednesday morning. - Another storm system is poised to arrive by the end of the upcoming week with an additional opportunity for significant rainfall amounts. && .DISCUSSION... (Today through next Saturday) Issued at 232 AM CST SUN NOV 30 2025 Today through Tonight: A very pronounced CAD wedge due to a strong surface ridge centered over the Mid-Atlantic region continues to advect cooler and drier air into Central Alabama during the early morning hours. Some higher wind gusts have been observed at Birmingham and Anniston as the pressure gradient tightens ahead of the approaching cold front now moving east of the Mississippi River. Looking aloft, strong isentropic upglide is ongoing due to the easterly/southeasterly flow at the surface and strong westerly/southwesterly flow above 850mb. Overrunning precipitation continues to moisten the atmosphere from the top down, with widespread rains reaching the surface along and north of the I-59 corridor. Farther south, most of the returns haven`t reached the ground just yet but should be very soon especially in locations such as Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Demopolis. For some spots across the north, we`ll actually see some evaporative cooling occur where we can get some moderate rainfall, as dewpoints are still in the 30s at Birmingham, Anniston, and Gadsden. Thankfully temperatures aren`t any cooler or a wintry scenario would be in the cards. Where rain is able to hold off, temperatures will remain mostly steady overnight in the upper 40s to lower 50s under overcast skies. Widespread showers will continue to move southward during the day today but eventually decrease in coverage with the 500mb shortwave departing to the east and drier air working in aloft, followed by northerly surface flow as the cold front moves in by this afternoon. We`ll catch a small piece of the arctic airmass plunging southeast across the upper midwest from the 1038mb surface ridge tonight. Cold Air Advection should send temperatures down below the freezing mark across the Highway 278 corridor. The southern half of the state will remain draped in cloud cover and moisture aloft as the front loses upper support and stalls very close to the Highway 80/I-85 corridor. Lows are forecast to range from the upper 30s in Clanton to the mid 40s in Troy and Eufaula. Monday through Tuesday Night: Our break in the rainfall action won`t last long as another potent shortwave trough digs southward into the Four Corners States, along with a 500mb shortwave ejecting northeast out of Mexico on Monday. A huge plume of moisture between 850 and 700mb will quickly spread northward from the Gulf and previous cold front will move north as a warm front during the day on Monday. Plenty of isentropic lift should occur once again as another CAD wedge attempts to work in from Georgia. The result will be just what the doctor ordered in terms of treating our current drought conditions - widespread moderate to perhaps heavy soaking rain at times. A few rumbles of thunder are not out of the question across southern counties. A surface low is forecast to move northeast from Mobile Bay into southeastern Alabama through Midnight Monday night and into early Tuesday morning. Heaviest rainfall should be just north of the surface low and along and east of I-65. 1 to 2 inches of rain on average remains in the forecast, but we will likely see heavier amounts near the I-85 corridor before all is said and done. Colder and drier air will arrive once again in the wake of the departing surface low during the day on Tuesday, and for a lot of folks it will be a cold and raw day. Cold air advection will send a modified arctic airmass into the forecast area, with Haleyville struggling to get out of the 30s and prevailing winds of 10 to 15mph gusting to 20mph at times. We`ll see a large range in terms of high temperatures, perhaps reaching 60 degrees before the colder air arrives in Troy and Eufaula by Tuesday afternoon. As a surface ridge builds in just to our north over Tennessee Tuesday night, ideal radiational cooling conditions will send low temperatures plummeting into the low and mid 20s for the northern half of the CWA, and I`d bet a few colder valleys across the northeast will see some teens by sunrise Wednesday morning. Wednesday through Saturday: Typical early December temperatures are advertised for Wednesday with highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s with a zonal 500mb flow pattern. However, global guidance is hinting at another potent shortwave trough ejecting eastward from the Four Corners from Thursday through next weekend. As currently advertised, this system would be more dynamic with an additional dose of widespread showers and storms. The question will be how much more dynamic the approaching shortwave will be and the depth of the trough axis. We`ve got plenty of time to watch this evolve, but for now Thursday night through perhaps Saturday morning appears unsettled and very soggy with temperatures staying on the cooler side. 56/GDG && .AVIATION... (12Z TAFS) Issued at 522 AM CST SUN NOV 30 2025 Scattered showers can be seen on the KBMX radar early this morning. As this activity continues, we will see conditions deteriorate across all terminals. MVFR ceilings are expected in the next hour or two with IFR following by mid morning for BHM/EET/TCL. AUO/MGM will begin to come down during the early afternoon hours. This activity will gradually wane during the early evening hours. VFR ceilings slowly return through the night into Monday morning. 95/Castillo && .FIRE WEATHER... A series of storm systems will bring at least two waves of rain to Central Alabama this morning through Tuesday afternoon. Rains through this morning will be widespread but rainfall amounts should remain fairly light. RH values will remain elevated through Tuesday as a more significant system moves through the region and widespread soaking rainfall is forecast. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Gadsden 51 30 53 42 / 80 10 60 100 Anniston 53 34 54 44 / 80 30 50 100 Birmingham 51 34 53 41 / 80 20 60 100 Tuscaloosa 52 36 52 40 / 80 10 60 100 Calera 54 36 56 43 / 80 20 60 100 Auburn 59 42 58 49 / 60 40 50 100 Montgomery 60 44 61 49 / 60 30 50 100 Troy 66 45 63 52 / 40 30 40 90 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ DISCUSSION...56/GDG AVIATION...95/Castillo