textproduct: Huntsville

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 808 AM CST Tue Feb 17 2026

- Unseasonably mild weather lasts through Saturday. Highs will be in the 60s and 70s.

- Low to medium rain chances, including a few thunderstorms from Wednesday night through Saturday night.

- Colder conditions return to the area Saturday night into early next week.

NEAR TERM

(Rest of Today and Tonight) Issued at 808 AM CST Tue Feb 17 2026

Low clouds have pushed into NW AL and will continue to slowly spread eastward by tonight in response to southerly flow as a sfc high shifts eastward off the Atlantic Coast. Highs under this cloud cover will still warm into the mid to upper 60s through most of the Tennessee Valley. Tonight, as cloud cover becomes more widespread, low temperatures are forecast to remain mild - only dropping into the 50s. A 40-50 kt LLJ will swing northeastward through the Tennessee Valley, resulting in heightened wind gusts (up to 20 mph) late this evening and overnight. This, combined with cloud cover, should prevent fog formation.

SHORT TERM

(Wednesday through Thursday night) Issued at 808 AM CST Tue Feb 17 2026

As southerly flow continues through the short term period, increased moisture advection will occur ahead of an upper level trough and subsequent low pressure system (more on that in the long term section). However, zonal flow will take over on Wednesday into Thursday, which will result in continued dry conditions and mild temperatures. Highs during this time are forecast to warm into the 60s to 70s, which is ~10-15 degrees above normal for this time of year. Low rain chances (20%) return Thursday ahead of our next system.

LONG TERM

(Thursday night through Monday) Issued at 939 PM CST Mon Feb 16 2026

At the start of the period, the first of several mid level lows will be moving through the Great Lakes Region. An associated surface cyclone will be trekking across the Ohio Valley bringing a risk for severe weather to that region. Locally, this surface cyclone looks to pass north of us and drag a cold front through from late Thursday night through the day on Friday. Mid week warm air advection will place us in a favorable thermodynamic environment for severe weather, however without proximity to the surface low, we will be lacking necessary forcing. Thus, at this time the passage of the front will be marked with increased rain chances Thursday night into Friday with chances for some embedded thunderstorms. We will be closely watching the track of the surface low to continue to assess our severe weather chances.

From Friday through Sunday, the passage of several upper level disturbances will blend together amounting to prolonged low to medium (30-60%) rain and thunder chances each day. Rain chances will decrease as flow gradually transitions to the NW through Monday, cooling highs from the 70s on Friday to the low 50s on Monday. Lows look to follow a similar trend cooling back below freezing by the start of the new work week.

AVIATION

(12Z TAFS) Issued at 442 AM CST Tue Feb 17 2026

An area of low ceilings below 008agl (IFR and LIFR) will enter far northwest AL for a few hours this morning. There is a high chance the ceilings will arrive in KMSL by 12Z, lifting to 015-025agl (MVFR) by 16Z and dissipating or moving away by 19Z with VFR conditions returning. Elsewhere VFR conditions are expected through early this evening. Additional lower clouds of 010-020agl (MVFR) are forecast to redevelop by 04-07Z. Southerly flow will gust at times today at 15-20kt.

HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

AL...None. TN...None.