Happy New Year! 2020 starts off cold this morning, with temperatures right around or just below freezing. We warm nicely today with lots of sunshine once again today and temperatures in the low 50s. Soak up the sunshine as much as you can today, because big changes are on the way Thursday.

A system currently well off to our west will slowly approach north Alabama late tonight into early Thursday. This system will bring plenty of moisture with it, leading us to a washout for Thursday. Rain will begin here in north Alabama early Thursday morning, before becoming more widespread throughout the day. Pockets of heavy rain are expected Thursday afternoon, evening, and into the overnight hours. As a result, a Flood Watch has been issued for all of north Alabama beginning at noon Thursday and lasting through 6 PM Friday. This Flood Watch means that flooding is possible given the saturated soils and high water levels we currently have in our waterways.

As of this morning, we are currently forecasting three to four inches of rainfall through Saturday morning for the entire area. Much of this will fall Thursday and the first half of Friday. Repeated rounds of heavy rain in such a short period of time could lead to flooding issues in our area waterways. In addition, flash flooding will also be possible in areas that receive these repeated rounds of heavy rain. If you live in a flood prone area, take precautions now to prepare for potential flooding. If you have any travel plans Thursday or Friday, please use caution as well as water ponding on the roadways will be likely. Stay with WAAY 31 for updates.

Spotty showers continue through the first half of Saturday as a cold front sweeps through the region. Saturday will be much cooler with temperatures in the upper 40s at midnight sinking into the 30s by the afternoon. The rest of the weekend is dry, warming back up into the low 50s by Sunday.