textproduct: Huntsville

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1009 AM CDT Thu Sep 24 2026

- A cooler and drier airmass will filter into the region through the weekend, with highs falling into the upper 70s to lower 80s and lows in the mid 50s to lower 60s.

NEAR TERM

(Rest of Today and Tonight) Issued at 1009 AM CDT Thu Sep 24 2026

Surface high pressure ridging southward from SE Canada was the main feature controlling our sensible weather. Cooler air from this high filtering southward was upgliding, producing widespread stratus across much of the eastern Lower-48. The RAP model was showing upglide in the 300K region with resultant cloud bases ranging from ~800ft to 2500ft AGL. A few spots of clear skies were noted over parts of the Tennessee Valley. Given the on-going upglide, forecaster confidence is low on how much clearing will occur, but am expecting cloud bases to rise to or above VFR (3000 ft AGL) this afternoon. High temperatures later today from the upper 70s to lower 80s looks reasonable at this time.

To some extent, clouds should persist tonight with even cooler temperatures expected, as lows fall into mid 50s sheltered valleys to low/mid 60s near large bodies of water. If the cloud coverage diminishes, conditions could become favorable for the development of fog - some of it dense. Have put fog in the updated grids, following what some of the MOS was hinting at. There is too much uncertainty if the fog will become widespread and/or dense.

SHORT TERM

(Friday through Saturday night) Issued at 1009 AM CDT Thu Sep 24 2026

A Nor'easter type storm system was developing east of the Outer Banks. It should move northward, remaining offshore this weekend. No impacts are expected from that system. But a northerly flow rounding the western periphery of this storm will continue, making for a somewhat cooler end of the week and weekend. Am expecting more sun than clouds on Fri (with the upgliding persisting). Thus high temperatures should rise from the upper 70s to mid 80s. Even cooler Fri night as lows fall into the lower 50s sheltered valleys to mid/upper 50s near large bodies of water. Under partly cloudy skies, expect highs Sat ranging in the low/mid 80s, with lows Sat night in the mid 50s to around 60. Dry conditions should continue into early next week.

LONG TERM

(Sunday through Wednesday) Issued at 843 PM CDT Wed Sep 23 2026

Through the long term forecast, mid level ridging to our southwest will dampen, keeping troughing to our east as the primary influence for local weather. The dampening ridge paired with persistent troughing along the east coast will maintain northwest flow aloft through the period. This will maintain our cooler and drier airmass with temperatures remaining in the mid to high 80s each day. The next feature of interest looks to arrive at the end of the long term in the form of a passing mid level trough and associated surface cold front. Along and ahead of this front, light southerly surface flow looks to induce some weak return flow which may allow us to briefly break back into the 90s on Tuesday, this however is contingent on the actual timing of the front. If the front speeds up, associated cloud cover and slight increases in rain chances may keep highs on Tuesday below 90. Currently kept blended guidance for rain chances, which support the front passing through on Wednesday with highest rain chances Wednesday afternoon. With this being about a week out, timing and impacts from the front are likely to change, please check back for updates.

AVIATION

(12Z TAFS) Issued at 602 AM CDT Thu Sep 24 2026

The low stratus cloud deck persists over the Tennessee Valley at issuance, bringing MVFR (and instances of IFR) to north Alabama. We will monitor how long the low clouds actually linger through the day; but, forecast thinking has not changed since the last issuance. We're still anticipating that the clouds will hold on through the early afternoon (at least MVFR CIGs persisting at the terminals) before beginning to break up from early to mid- afternoon (VFR conditions returning at that point). With drier conditions filtering into the region, confidence is low in the recurrence of stratus clouds tonight. Lastly, expect winds to gradually become easterly through the day but remain around 5 knots or less.

HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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