The latest 7-day QPF map shows a lot of rain across the region this coming week. The largest slug of moisture will come in the next three days with a big storm moving through the region. We can expect some severe weather, especially in southern AL and GA and in Florida, along with several inches of rain. Some local flooding could occur in areas that have had a lot of rain or are in low-lying areas. There could be some snow and wintry precipitation in higher elevations and more northern parts of the region. There will be a break for a day or two in mid-week before the next storm moves in late in the week to bring more rain to the region, although not as much as earlier in the week. Yes, it’s an El Nino year. Fortunately, all the rain should help to reduce or eliminate a lot of the drought in the Southeast over the next few weeks.
After the second storm next weekend, much colder air is expected to move into the region with the exception of the Florida peninsula. Even areas in southern AL and GA will feel the freeze, as temperatures there could fall into the low 20s, and areas to the north could see the low teens. This could cause some problems for newly planted citrus and other trees that are not hardened off to cold weather, so producers will want to watch the forecasts carefully to see how they evolve over the week. The cooler conditions are expected to last through the end of January, although they will warm up somewhat from the cold blast in the January 16-20 time period.
