Snow, freezing rain heading to midstate

Freezing drizzle, light snow and bitter cold are all in the forecast for this upcoming weekend.

Overnight Saturday, temperatures will fall to around – 2 degrees, according to the NWS.

Today partly sunny skies with highs once again similar to the past few days around 30°. Thereafter, wind chills will warm into the teens.

“There will be a couple of squalls today from the mountains over in Union County”, National Weather Service Observing Program Leader Paul Head said. There is also the possibility of more snow that could delay Monday morning commutes. “Salem is looking at 2-4″ of snow, Portland 1-3” and less than an inch over here along the coast.

This evening we see the chance for freezing rain and warmer winds are ushered our way. It says travel early Saturday morning could be slippery.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 42.

An advisory may be issued early Friday morning, he said. South southeast wind around 14 miles per hour, with gusts as high as 20 miles per hour.

Tonight: Snow, mainly after 1am. Cloudy, with a high near 15. However, as we move through our Saturday morning, our temperatures will start to rise as our winds begin turning from the south, turning any wintry precipitation into liquid rain.

Friday night.Snow likely in the evening.Then snow.Freezing rain and sleet after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 31 miles per hour. Rain. Little or no additional sleet accumulation.

Saturday: Snow likely, possibly mixed with freezing drizzle, becoming all snow after 7am. Cloudy, with a temperature rising to around 45 by 5am. Southeast winds 10 to 15 miles per hour. Chance of precipitation 90 percent.

The high on Thursday was 18 degrees with below-zero wind chills. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

SEVERE WEATHER RISK SATURDAY NIGHT/EARLY SUNDAY: The Storm Prediction Center has the standard “slight risk” of severe storms late Saturday night for far West Alabama, with a “marginal risk” as far east as Birmingham.