Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Huntsville, AL
Issued by NWS Huntsville, AL
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113 FXUS64 KHUN 061538 AFDHUN Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 938 AM CST Sat Dec 6 2025 ...New NEAR TERM, SHORT TERM... .KEY MESSAGES... Issued at 938 AM CST Sat Dec 6 2025 - Low to medium chances of fog tonight, with low to medium chances of freezing fog over northeast Alabama and southern middle Tennessee later tonight as temperatures drop to freezing or just below. - Low to medium (20-40%) chances of periodic light rain late Sunday afternoon through Monday morning. - Colder temperatures return early next week with sub-freezing lows Monday night, followed by a warming trend through midweek. && .NEAR TERM... (Rest of Today and Tonight) Issued at 938 AM CST Sat Dec 6 2025 A rather large upper trough spans much of the CONUS through tonight, with a shortwave ripple moving over the region through this afternoon. By this evening, zonal flow near the base of the trough will take hold over the Tennessee Valley. At the surface, a surface boundary remains over the northern Gulf, with high pressure to the north over the Tennessee Valley and up over the Appalachians. This feature will begin to gradually shift to the northeast later tonight as a cold front approaches the region. The main thing we`ll be monitoring today is the low stratus cloud deck. As the previous shift mentioned, there remains uncertainty whether these clouds will break up through the day. If the clouds remain socked in, temperatures will not warm as much and lead to highs only topping out in the 40s for most locations. However, if clearing does occur this afternoon, temperatures could warm into the lower 50s. Our current forecast calls for the clouds hanging on a bit longer through the afternoon, with clouds breaking up late this afternoon through this evening. Thus, cooler high temperatures are anticipated at this time (mid to upper 40s). As for tonight, there is a low to medium chance (20-40%) of fog development. Some of this may actually be freezing fog over northeast Alabama and into southern middle Tennessee as temperatures drop to freezing or just below. Overall, expect lows in the lower to mid 30s. As clouds increase once again late tonight into Sunday and as the sun rises, any fog will then dissipate. && .SHORT TERM... (Sunday through Monday) Issued at 938 AM CST Sat Dec 6 2025 The base of the aforementioned upper trough will amplify just a bit and swing over the Southeast through Monday. Additionally, a surface cold front will traverse the region Sunday night as well, with high pressure pushing into the region from the west by Monday afternoon. With this front will come low to medium chances (20-40%) of rain for all of north Alabama and southern middle Tennessee. Thunderstorms are not anticipated with this activity due to the lack of any instability. As the front pushes to the southeast early Monday morning, rain chances will taper off. Dry conditions will then return for the afternoon. A bit warmer temperatures are expected on Sunday and Sunday night, but not by too much. Highs Sunday are forecast to only reach the lower 50s due to cloud cover, with mid 30s to around 40 degree lows Sunday night. Behind the cold front will come colder air due to cold air advection from the northwest. Highs on Monday are expected to merely top out in the lower to mid 40s. Some areas in the higher terrain of northeast Alabama and southern middle Tennessee may see cooler highs, in the upper 30s to around 40 degrees. && .LONG TERM... (Monday night through Friday) Issued at 1105 PM CST Fri Dec 5 2025 Back to sub-freezing lows again Monday night with clear skies and high pressure building in. Lows in the mid 20s are expected. This intrusion of colder air should be brief, as warm air advection ahead of another front moving through the western Great Lakes early next week keeps things on the warmer side. Highs in the lower 50s should warm into the 55 to 60 degree range on Wednesday with lows warming as well into the lower to mid 30s. This front seems to have a hard time pushing into the southeast and hangs up over eastern Texas into the Ohio Valley. However, a weak pre-frontal trough axis looks to be close enough to produce a few showers over the area Wednesday night into Thursday. This weak pre-frontal trough axis may focus a bit more moisture and forcing over the area Thursday afternoon into Thursday night, before pushing east of the area. This should pull the precipitation east with it as colder and drier air moves into the area. Highs look to drop back down into the upper 30s to lower 40s again on Saturday. && .AVIATION... (12Z TAFS) Issued at 549 AM CST Sat Dec 6 2025 IFR-level stratus continues to blanket the entire forecast area this morning, but very low chances for light rain will remain well south of the terminals and a light westerly flow has thus far inhibited development of BR/FG. There remains a considerable amount of uncertainty regarding when the stratus layer will eventually begin to mix out (if it does so at all), but at this point we have optimistically indicated a temporary return to VFR conditions this evening. However, with minor low-level moisture advection expected to begin ahead of a secondary cold front, there is some concern that low stratus (and perhaps some mist/drizzle) may begin to redevelop prior to 12Z Sunday, with either no (or only a brief) opportunity for clearing this evening. Sfc winds will remain light for the duration of the TAF period, with winds shifting to SSE by late mid/late aftn. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...None. TN...None. && $$ NEAR TERM...26 SHORT TERM....26 LONG TERM....KTW AVIATION...70/DD