Archive for August 29th, 2012
Tropical Sunset
What a sky over Alabama this evening, thanks to Tropical Storm Isaac to the southwest. This was the sunset over Birmingham… from Twitter user @jtkola
A Hurricane We Will Remember For A Long Time
The center of tropical Storm Isaac is approaching Baton Rouge tonight.
Donaldsonville is already in the center, which is certainly less defined, but winds there are ESE at 8 mph. The pressure was 28.87 inches or 978 millibars. Officially, winds are listed at 60 mph.
The center is moving slolwy north northwest.
At Baton Rouge, there is heavy rain with NNE winds at 25 gusting to 39 mph.
Some dry air has worked into the western side of the circulation, drying up the rain on that side of the storm, from Opelousas to New Ibera to Frankin and shortly to Houma.
Still getting northwest winds at 52 gusting to 64 mph at a platform 65 miles south of New Iberia.
At Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, it was raining with overcast skies, winds SSE at 35 gusting to 45 mph. The barometer is reading 29.15 inches of mercury. Rain should begin to diminish in the next couple of hours at the Airport and hopefully soon in the city of New Orleans as well. But this will not be before a record rainfall was set for the date, 5.64 inches. This broke the previous record of 4.50 inches 7 years ago. Wonder what was happening that day?
Interestingly, the Mississippi River flowed backwards last night and this morning, as a storm surge pushed all the way past Baton Rouge.
Numerous flash flood warnings across southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi and even Mobile County in Alabama.
In Alabama, there is a tornado warning for Monroe and Wilcox Counties in Southwest Alabama. This for radar indicated tornado near Pine Apple.
This storm is part of a band of scattered storms that extends from Wilcox and Dallas counties through Pike, Barbour and Henry Counties in in Southeast Alabama. This band is weakening, with the exception of the westernmost storm.
The band of showers approaching the I-20 corridor has all but fallen apart.
6-8 inches of rain will follow the slowly decaying low as it moves through Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois into Indiana.
Isaac Battering The Central Gulf Coast
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ROUGH RIDE: Isaac was downgraded to a tropical storm earlier this afternoon on the Louisiana coast, but it really doesn’t matter in terms of the impact to Southeast Louisiana and South Mississippi; unrelenting rain and wind continues in the spiral bands wrapping around the east side of the storm with major flooding and a few tornadoes. Plaquemines Parish has been hit very hard by flooding.
Isaac is packing sustained winds of 70 mph, and is creeping along to the northwest at only 5 to 10 mph. No real change in the forecast track; the circulation center will move to near Shreveport tomorrow, and then through Arkansas, Missouri, and into Illinois and Indiana.
COASTAL ALABAMA: The worst is over. There has been little damage, although some significant flooding over Mobile County. In fact, a flash flood warning was just issued for Mobile County until 8:45 p.m. The most significant flooding so far has been south of the city of Mobile. On the coast, seas are beginning to subside at places like Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, and the sun should begin to return there tomorrow.
INLAND ALABAMA: Up this way, tropical showers today so far have been generally south of a line from Tuscaloosa to Clanton to Auburn. These showers are moving north, and all of North and Central Alabama can expect occasional showers tonight and tomorrow. While a heavy downpour is certainly possible along the way, the good news is that Isaac will be far enough away to prevent any flooding issues here; rain amounts of 1 to 2 inches can be expected through Friday.
The rain won’t be continuous tomorrow and Friday, but it could rain at any time. Keep the rain gear handy. Highs will be in the 80s both days.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: This is opening week, and there are games both tomorrow night and Friday night. Showers are possible both nights, perhaps a little more likely tomorrow night. We usually don’t get too much thunder and lightning from tropical setups up like this, so I believe the games will be played, but just be ready for a passing shower from time to time. Temperatures should be mostly in the 77-82 degree range during the games.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Many questions from Alabama fans that are driving to Dallas for Saturday’s opening game against Michigan. No doubt you will be driving through the heavy rain associated with Isaac over Louisiana and Mississippi, but if you stay on I-20 I don’t expect any serious problems; there are few flood prone areas along that highway (and I have been up and down that road many, many times, especially in the 80s when I worked for KDFW in Dallas). You might consider taking I-22 to Memphis and using I-40 and I-30 to get to Dallas, but I honestly don’t think it is worth the detour.
For Auburn fans headed the other direction, to Atlanta, just a few showers around Friday and Saturday; no severe weather and nothing too heavy.
LABOR DAY WEEKEND: If you have a beach trip planned this weekend, go for it. We expect about 5 to 7 hours of sunshine each day from Panama City west to Gulf Shores with a few scattered showers and storms, but nothing out of the ordinary. Highs on the coast will be in the upper 80s, and the seas will be much, much calmer.
Around here for the weekend, the weather will be warm and humid with a mix of sun and clouds Saturday through Monday with the risk of a few scattered showers and storms each day. Highs will be in the 87 to 90 degree range.
Pretty much the same weather can be expected early next week.
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Afternoon Update…Isaac now a tropical storm
Isaac has be downgraded to a tropical storm, but continues to to cause damage across many areas. Numerous flash flood warnings and tornado warnings continue across southwestern Alabama, southern Mississippi and Louisiana.
Winds are a 70 mph and Isaac continues to creep slowly to the northwest at 6 mph. Minimal pressure is at 974 mb. Storm surge is running from around 4 feet in Mobile Bay, to over 11 feet in coastal Louisiana.
Around our neck of the woods, a tropical air mass is in place with a mostly cloudy sky with a few peeks of sunshine this afternoon. The heaviest rain chances remain to our southwest. Over the last few hours scattered showers and thunderstorms have developed across southern Alabama and are moving fairly quickly to the north and are beginning to approach the Interstate 85 corridor. None of these storms are currently severe, but there are a few strong ones with gusty winds and torrential tropical downpours.
Mobile has received the most rainfall in the state from Isaac with over 6 inches of rain. Storm surge in Mobile Bay is over 4 feet. That along with the rain has caused Water Street south of Dauphin Street in downtown Mobile to be closed because of flooding.
Over 500,000 thousand people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are without power.
Some 24 Hour Rain Amounts From You Know Where
3.58 New Orleans International Airport
8.10 New Orleans Audubon
9.02 New Orleans Lakefront Airport
4.38 Belle Chasse
5.32 Boothville
2.82 Gulf Port
3.67 Pascagoula
4.12 Mobile Brookley Field
4.67 Mobile Regional Airport
