Archive for May 9th, 2012
Cool Nights, Pleasant Days
**No afternoon Weather Xtreme video today due to travel**
THIS AFTERNOON: As expected, the sky has cleared over much of North and Central Alabama this afternoon after the rain has shifted to the south and drier air takes over.
We note the morning storms near the coast produced a number of waterspouts, like these over Mobile Bay…
This remarkable image is from Twitter user @tbJowers, taken at Bayou La Batre on Mobile Bay this morning.
DOESN’T GET MUCH BETTER: Look for sunshine in full supply tomorrow and Friday, with low humidity and cool nights. Early morning lows will be around 50, but the cooler spots will easily visit the 40s. The high tomorrow will be in the upper 70s, and close to 80 on Friday.
MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND: The 12Z GFS is a little more aggressive with moisture return on Saturday; we will need to mention a chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms by afternoon; those showers and storms should be a little more numerous on Sunday as the impulse now south of Texas gets closer. The weekend won’t be a wash-out, but we will have to dodge some rain at times. Looks like highs will be in the 75 to 80 degree range.
NEXT WEEK: We will need to maintain the chance of scattered showers and storms for the first half of next week as an upper low tries to cut-off over the Southeast U.S. Highs will be generally in the upper 70s. See the morning Weather Xtreme video for more details.
WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.
CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…
I had a great time today visiting with all of the kids at Eutaw Primary School in Greene County… be looking for them on the Pepsi KIDCAM today at 5:00 on ABC 33/40 News! The next Weather Xtreme video will be posted here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow….
Dust Devil Has Wild Ride in Sin City
Screen capture from KSNV video. Read full story here.
Monday, a significant dust devil cut a path across parts of Metro Las Vegas.
A wall was collapsed at a business and telephone poles were downed.
The event was captured on a surveillance camera and Channel 3 Meteorologist Dana Wagner showed the video on air after the fact.
Here are a couple of damage reports from the National Weather Service:
5 ENE LAS Vegas [Clark Co, NV] public reports NON-TSTM WND DMG at 07 May, 03:15 PM PDT — a dust devil developed in a dirt lot near nellis boulevard and lake mead boulevard then tracked south along nellis boulevard. the dust devil knocked over a cinder block wall and a light pole at a business near nellis boulevard and kell lane. the dust devil lasted about 35 seconds at this location per an employee and was caught by a security camera. additional damage was done to telephone poles in the area as well as to another nearby business as well as the roof of a nearby apartment complex.
VEF: 5 NNW Green Valley [Clark Co, NV] broadcast media reports NON-TSTM WND DMG at 07 May, 03:30 PM PDT — damage to the roof of a business located near the intersection of eastern and flamingo. a national weather service employee surveyed the damage and interviewed the public and the damage was determined to be caused by a dust devil. in addition part of the insert of a sign and a large ceramic fountain were also damaged and an awning on the business collapsed.
Two thousand customers in northern Las Vegas lost power due to the high winds.
Away They Go–Early Afternoon in Alabama
Looking around the Alabama countryside very early this afternoon, changes are taking place. The cold font–well, cool front, is moving in. At 1 pm, you could draw a line from Fort Payne to Gadsden, Birmingham, Montgomery, cooler air is spreading in behind that line. All showers are now east of that line.
There is virtually no lightning.
The dew point is dropping steadily behind the front (translation: lower humidity) and we are headed for a cool night and an all-sunshine pleasant Thursday. When we finish the Seven Day Forecast a little later this afternoon, we will probably use a low of about 51 tonight which translates to a low of about 48 in places like Pinson and Valley Head.
A SAMPLING OF RAIN AMOUNTS LAST 24 HOURS
0.41 Ensley at Avenue W and Village Creek
1.08 Holt lock and Dam
0.84 Oliver Dam, Tuscaloosa
1.28 Tuscaloosa Airport
0.66 Troy
0.92 Calera
0.71 Birmingham Airport
0.28 West Trussville near downtown
0.48 Selma
0.15 Livingston
0.12 Demopolis
0.59 Anniston
Rain Moving Out
Click image to enlarge
Rain has pushed east of I-59 and I-65 this afternoon in Central Alabama. It is falling ahead of a trough of low pressure in the mid-levels of the atmosphere, up at about 18,000 feet. Drier air is filtering in behind the rain and skies clear quickly. It is already mostly sunny in places like Hamilton, Fayette and Parrish. Clouds are breaking up at Tuscaloosa. They will begin to break up shortly in Birmingham.
But rain is still falling across parts of Talladega, Clay, Calhon, Cleburne, Cherokee, Coosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa and Chambers Counties.
It is raining in places like Saks and Anniston. It is raining pretty heavily in Jacksonville and Piedmont. Rain is falling at Lineville.
It will begin raining in Fruithurst and Heflin soon. Talladega will experience a brief period of moderate rain shortly.
Places in Calhoun and Cleburne counties will see rain for over an hour. Other places will see shorter durations.
The rain is heaviest over parts of Elmore, Tallapoosa and Chambers counties, in towns like Camp Hill, Lafayette and Lanett. Rainfall rates are over 1/2 inch per hour in this area.
Rainfall amounts elsewhere are lighter.
0.71 inches in the 24 hours ending at 7 a.m. this morning at the Birmingham Airport. Another .11 since then.
Once the rain ends, it will be gone until at least the weekend.
Rain has kept temperatures cooler in the middle of the state, with readings hovering in the 60s. Tuscaloosa has already rebounded to 71F with a little sunshine. Places that see good sunshine this afternoon will make it well into the 70s. East Alabama locations might make it into the lower 70s at the last minute this afternoon if the sun comes out for a short while before sunset.
Tomorrow will be a wonderful weather day. We are contemplating a perfect weather watch for tomorrow, with sunshine, low humidities, a fresh north breeze and mild temperatures in the middle and upper 70s. That watch will likely be upgraded to a warning in the morning.
Drier Air Arrives Later Today
An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.
WET START: We begin the day with periods of rain and a few thunderstorms, ahead of a cold front that will pass through our state today. The rain will end from northwest to southeast, and by this afternoon most of the rain will be pushed down into South Alabama as drier air takes over. The sky will begin to clear this afternoon as the dew points begin to fall.
TOMORROW AND FRIDAY: These two days look delightful, with sunny pleasant days and clear cool nights. The high will be in the upper 70s tomorrow, and closer to 80 on Friday. Early morning lows will be around 50, with 40s likely for the colder spots. We won’t have many more of these cool mornings before the long, hot summer arrives.
THE WEEKEND: A disturbance over Texas will get closer; Saturday still looks mostly dry with only a few widely scattered showers and a high around 80. Then, moisture levels increase on Mother’s Day with a better chance of showers and thunderstorms on Sunday.
NEXT WEEK: The 00Z GFS develops an upper low over the Gulf Coast states early next week, keeping our weather rather unsettled at least for the first half of the week with scattered showers and storms; highs will be in the 77-80 degree range. See the Weather Xtreme video for more long range details.
WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.
CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…
I will be speaking to the kids at Eutaw Primary School today in Greene County… look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:30 or so this afternoon. Enjoy the day!
