Kickoff for Super Bowl XLII is 5:17 Central Time (4:17 Mountain Time in Phoenix). The weather forecast in Phoenix calls for passing showers, perhaps even a rumble of thunder. Temperatures will be in the 60s, with a brisk south wind at 10 to 20 mph occasionally gusting to 30 mph. A temperature breakdown is below. Unless you’re tailgating at the game, this is moot: the high-tech stadium features a retractable roof.

1st quarter: 65 degrees

2nd quarter: 64 degrees

3rd quarter: 61 degrees

4th quarter 59 degrees

Any predictions? Here’s my forecast: Tom Petty will not have a wardrobe malfunction. Pats or G-Men? Feel free to post your guess in the comments section.

Cool facts about the University of Phoenix stadium:

The roof has two large retractable panels that uncover the entire playing field while providing maximum shading for fans. The roof can be closed and the facility air conditioned in the hot months, while the roof can be opened to take advantage of the Valley’s world-famous climate in cooler months.

The grass field rolls out of the stadium on an 18.9-million-pound tray, residing outside of the stadium except for football and soccer events. With the field in the outboard position, the 158,000-square-foot floor is unencumbered by the turf and features a built-in utility grid.

The grass field remains outside the stadium in the sun until game day, which allows for the maximum amount of sunshine and nourishment, eliminating humidity problems inside the stadium and providing unrestricted access to the stadium floor for events and staging.

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After a gorgeous Saturday with afternoon highs in the mid 50s, the clouds will be on the increase on Sunday with some showers expected by afternoon and evening. As for tonight, we’ll see mostly clear skies with a few thin high clouds and lows in the mid 30s in the city and near freezing in the outlying areas.

In the 7 Day forecast, we are worried about severe weather chances Tuesday, especially Tuesday evening. Temperatures may touch 70 for a high with a chance for strong storms any time of the day. However, it’s Tuesday evening that a strong cold front pushes in that could trigger strong and severe storms. We will be updating you on that as we get closer.

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We shake the cold weather for the next few days.

Today looks great. Mostly sunny with highs in the middle 50s, thanks to a developing breeze from the south.

Sunday will be mostly cloudy. A few showers are possible by late afternoon, mainly west of I-65. Temperatures tomorrow should return to the middle 50s.

Monday will bring more showers, possibly a few thundershowers, and temperatures in the 60s.

The mild and occasionally wet weather will culminate in a line of thunderstorms, reaching Middle Tennessee by late Tuesday. The mild, moist air will combine with this system’s impressive wind energy, bringing the potential for strong thunderstorm wind gusts. We’ll be watching it with StormTracker, no doubt.

Behind that system, chillier weather is expected Wednesday through Friday. I could see a few flurries developing on the backside of the system during Wednesday morning. A light batch of moisture passing through could bring a few more flurries or a light wintry mix Thursday night.

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Our web site folks have just implemented a “registration system” for commenting on the entries here on www.nashvillewx.com.

All it requires you to do is to create your own username and provide a valid e mail address. You will create your own password after receiving a confirmation e mail.

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Andrea Kring in Donelson sent us these pictures of the pine tree in her yard. Here’s what happened in her own words:

“Out of NO WHERE around 4 pm-ish, there was the loudest boom we had ever heard. I thought a transformer had blown somewhere but it sounded as if it were over our home! I couldn’t see anything immediate outside to indicate that there was any evidence of a lightning strike… When my husband arrived home that evening, this is what he found outside our home. It was in the “blind spot” of my house so I didn’t see it immediately. The only indication in the house was a blown light bulb in my office. That was it! We were very lucky. This pine tree was NOT.

The damage to this pine tree is amazing and is located only 20 feet from my house. It shattered the bark and peeled strips of pine flesh off the tree. Almost like a large carrot peeler. Scary. If there was a squirrel up there, it was incinerated.

I wanted to send you these pictures that you could show your viewers regarding the danger on the amazing power of lightning.”

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We are getting reports of bursts of snow from Dickson up to Springfield. I expected this- but don’t expect much in accumulation (dusting, perhaps 1/2 “). They dropped that Winter Advisory at 6:23am; snow but not enough to close us down (”us” being the schools).

Looks like snow is going through Columbia…

Pictures anyone? Use your phone and email it to pix@wkrn.com

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We’ll have some morning snow as temperatures drop from the mid-40’s (at midnight) down to freezing by daybreak. A brisk west wind to greet you out the door with temperatures down to around freezing by daybreak and just beyond. Bursts of snow are possible across the morning- not enough to stick to the warm and wet ground over middle Tennessee save for the northwest corner. That’s where the National Weather Service office has put the Winter Advisory for the morning. So far the only schools to close are those that suffered with the wintery mix all day yesterday. With temperatures dropping to freezing and snow in the air there might be some roads getting right back to icy conditions despite the warm rains overnight.

Start sending in those pictures of snow this morning, especially if it is sticking in your yard or street. Email them to weather@wkrn.com or, if using your cell phone, pix@wkrn.com.

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