Cooler than normal, but warming up later this week

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - March is always an interesting month for us here across the Deep South... just when you think we are settling in to a warmer than normal pattern, Mother Nature likes to remind us that it is still technically winter for a few more days. After a chilly start to our morning, we are all getting a dose of reality here because there are no 80° days ahead; the abundant sunshine is nice but highs in the upper 50s today was as warm as it got!

Temperatures will drop back into the 30s tonight and Wednesday. In fact, it looks like lower 30s will be more commonplace by Wednesday morning, which puts much of the WSFA 12 News viewing area under a Freeze Warning! Low to middle 30s are then expected by Thursday night, so frosty conditions are expected the next two mornings.

Be sure to bring the pets indoors, check on your heating system, be ready to put air in your tires, and protect your sensitive plants. Since we had so many days in the 80s, it may be wise to protect the pipes as well even though we won’t fall much below freezing.

A brief shot of warmth returns for the end of the week ahead of our next system. Dry weather with highs in the 70s can be expected Thursday before rain enters the forecast for Friday.

Friday looks rather wet at this point as a strong cold front will push across Alabama. There doesn’t appear to be a severe weather risk with that system!

What is possible is some heavier rainfall... totals will be 1-2″ for most locations by the time we wake up on Saturday. Despite this, there shouldn’t be any sort of flooding threat.

Temperatures will go from the 60s and 70s on Friday back into the 50s this weekend as a renewed shot of even colder air surges into Alabama. Overnight lows will once again be back down in the 30s, meaning the risk of frost and freeze conditions! It’s just that time of year in the Deep South: temperature ups and downs with one or two rain chances each week. That pattern looks to continue for the rest of March.

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