Cold now, big warming trend this week

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Say goodbye to winter and hello to spring... literally! Today is the last day of one season and at 4:24pm this afternoon the “vernal equinox” will happen; at that moment the sun is over the equator, making day and night equal in length. Starting tomorrow we will officially have our first full day of spring, and we will also have the beginning of a warming trend happening across Alabama.

It felt anything but spring-like this morning with subfreezing temperatures, but the very cold start has given way to highs in the mid and upper 50s today thanks to a good bit of sunshine.

We anticipate another night with near-freezing temperatures before warmer conditions become more the norm across the state. Keep in mind that frost development is a good bet under a mostly clear sky, so continue to keep plants and pets safe from the cold!

Then the warming trend begins!

Highs will go from the mid60s on Tuesday to the upper 70s on Wednesday with plenty of sunshine. We will also say goodbye to the 30s after Tuesday morning.

Plenty of sun is again in the forecast for Thursday and Friday. This will boost temperatures into the 80s each afternoon with a southerly breeze around 10-15 mph. Both days will be dry and a little on the humid side.

A cold front will push in Friday evening and night, bringing a line of showers and thunderstorms with it. A few strong, gusty storms are possible with this system given the ingredients we will have in place across Alabama, though the severe risk is very low at this point.

Cooler air will push in behind the rain for the weekend as highs return to the 70s. The sky will feature plenty of sunshine on Saturday, followed by some additional cloudiness on Sunday.

We can’t rule out a few showers and/or thunderstorms on Sunday as Gulf of Mexico air surges northward across Alabama. Right now those chances are at 30%.

Higher chances of rain return Sunday night and early next week. That setup does not look like one supportive of severe weather at this point, but it’s late March so we will keep watching!

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