Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Birmingham, AL
Issued by NWS Birmingham, AL
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879 FXUS64 KBMX 212339 AFDBMX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Birmingham AL 539 PM CST Fri Nov 21 2025 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 533 PM CST FRI NOV 21 2025 - Near-record high temperatures are forecast for parts of central Alabama on Saturday. - Showers and thunderstorms are likely next Tuesday into Wednesday. A low risk for severe thunderstorms may arise with this system. - Clear and cool conditions are currently forecast for Thanksgiving Day through the end of next week. && .DISCUSSION... (This evening through next Thursday) Issued at 207 PM CST FRI NOV 21 2025 Today through Saturday Morning: Central Alabama remains in a stable environment thus far as we go into the early afternoon as widespread showers have developed along with overcast skies. Lift thus far has been more stratiform in nature with a 500mb impulse moving through within westerly flow, along with southwesterlies at 700mb and southerly flow at the surface. A window of opportunity will still exist for a few isolated severe storms later this afternoon and through the evening hours as the warm sector that is over southern Mississippi attempts to advect northward. Lower 70s dewpoints are currently being observed at Laurel and Hattiesburg, MS at this hour, with mid 60s on the observations at Demopolis eastward to Montgomery and Troy. High temperatures have been adjusted downward quite a bit due to the overcast conditions, but we still have a few hours where some mixing can occur to get some daytime heating involved across the western and southwest counties. Where the most unstable air currently exists across southern Mississippi, we`re seeing storm development as deep layer shear also increases. We`ll be watching those storms closely, as they will be moving downstream into our western and southwestern counties later this afternoon. 0-3km SRH is expected to increase as a stronger mid-level shortwave moves along the northern Gulf coast through the evening hours. If enough of the warm sector is able to advect northward, a few severe storms will still be possible through the late afternoon and into tonight. Isolated damaging winds will be the main hazard to worry about, but we`ll likely see a few updrafts rotating as well with veering wind profiles early on. We`ll continue to keep an eye on storms as they develop. After midnight, wind profiles at the surface will continue to veer, becoming parallel with the mean flow and approaching surface front. CAMs this afternoon are picking up on additional storms developing out ahead of the front between midnight and 7am mostly along and north of the I-20 corridor. A few of these could also be on the strong side with gusty winds as 0-6km bulk shear increases to around 60 knots. These storms will move almost due east or east-southeast through Saturday morning. Saturday Afternoon through Sunday: Dry air will advect into the CWA from the west and northwest through Saturday afternoon, with rain chances ending and clearing skies by the afternoon. With cooler air lagging behind the actual front, temperatures will quickly rise into the upper 70s to lower 80s in most locations with plenty of sunshine and a northwesterly breeze between 10 and 15mph. Dry northerly flow returns during the day on Sunday with cooler daytime highs in the low to mid 70s and plenty of sunshine. Next Week: The 500mb pattern is expected to quickly change by early next week as a storm system ejects northeast into the Great Plains from the Desert Southwest on Monday. Deep southwesterly flow at 500mb will develop across much of the region, with a surface front headed in our direction by Monday night and into the day on Tuesday. With most of the upper level forcing for this system well off to the north and east, a severe threat does not appear to be in the cards at this time. However, we still have plenty of time to work out some additional synoptic-scale details in terms of the evolution of this system, so stay tuned. At the very least, welcomed showers and storms can be expected across the northwest half of Alabama with rain chances continuing into Wednesday across southeastern Alabama. A more dynamic upper trough will move across the northern plains by Thanksgiving Day and should provide enough support for another cold front to bring cooler and drier air southward through the end of next week. 56/GDG && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 533 PM CST FRI NOV 21 2025 Patchy mostly light rain was falling across central Alabama at forecast time, with ceilings all over the place (ranging from 400 ft to 10000 ft). I think the general trend through the evening and overnight hours will be for ceilings to drop, and most places should expect IFR conditions at some point tonight. I`ve removed the thunderstorm chances at TAF sites, as they`ve been very isolated thus far and I really don`t foresee that changing. Cloud bases will probably be slow to lift early tomorrow, and it may take until 18z or later before conditions become VFR. /61/ && .FIRE WEATHER... MinRHs are forecast to remain above, and winds below, critical thresholds over the next several days. Batches of showers and a few thunderstorms are forecast to affect much of central Alabama through tonight. Another round of showers and thunderstorms is likely next Tuesday into Tuesday night. && .CLIMATE... Issued at 1200 AM CST FRI NOV 21 2025 Record High Temperatures: November 22: KBHM: 79/1900 KEET: 77/2010 KANB: 79/1963 KTCL: 79/1979 KMGM: 81/2011 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Gadsden 63 77 47 70 / 70 30 0 0 Anniston 64 76 50 70 / 80 40 0 0 Birmingham 65 76 51 70 / 80 30 0 0 Tuscaloosa 65 78 50 72 / 60 20 0 0 Calera 64 79 50 73 / 80 30 0 0 Auburn 64 78 53 73 / 60 30 0 0 Montgomery 66 81 53 75 / 50 20 0 0 Troy 66 81 53 75 / 20 20 0 0 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ DISCUSSION...56/GDG AVIATION.../61/