Alabama 811 | Know What's Below.

Several Dry Days Ahead

| July 30, 2017 @ 6:50 am

Alabama is waking up to clear skies across just about all of the state with only a small streak of clouds apparent in the southwest corner of the state. Dry air has been advected into the area, so we will see a sunny day with highs climbing into the upper 80s. Our 30-year average high runs about 91, so our high today, and for several days this week, will be below seasonal averages.

The upper air pattern this morning featured a rather unusually deep trough along the East Coast of the US. That trough will wane over the next several days with the pattern becoming nearly zonal across the southeastern portion of the US by Thursday. At the surface, the large surface high centered over Iowa this morning will slowly traverse eastward into the Atlantic by Thursday bringing our surface flow around to the south by then. This will result in our moisture values climbing with precipitable water values coming up to near 2 inches by Thursday and Friday. This means that the forecast stays dry through Wednesday with showers becoming a possibility on Thursday. High temperatures will remain in the upper 80s – potentially nudging 90 or 91 degrees – through mid-week.

Also present by week’s end will be the approach of yet another surface front. We don’t see fronts reaching into the Southeast US that often in the summer months, but 2017 is an anomalous year with another one forecast to come through our area next Saturday. The surface front along with a strong upper short wave coming across the Great Lakes on Friday and Saturday should push rain chances up pretty well. Clouds and the presence of additional clouds should also keep our high temperatures in check with MOS guidance values only in the middle 80s – can this be true in August?

The strong short wave moves into Southeast Canada on Sunday, but it carves out yet another fairly deep trough over the eastern portion of the US. We should see conditions dry out once again on Sunday with highs mainly in the 85 to 89 range as the front washes out along the Gulf Coast.

Conditions are relatively quiet across the Atlantic basin with just one area of disturbed weather to watch several hundred miles from the Cabo Verde Islands. Tropical storm formation is not expected over the next several days as the system chugs westward. The eastern North Pacific was busier with Irwin and Hilary though neither was a threat to land and both are beginning to weaken.

Great weather will be occurring for the beach areas of Alabama and Northwest Florida. It should be dry through Tuesday with only small chances of showers returning by Wednesday and into the latter half of the week ahead. You can expect to see highs in the middle and upper 80s. Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page. The Beach Forecast is partially underwritten by the support of Brett/Robinson Vacation Rentals in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Click here to see Brett/Robinson’s Own Your Summer specials now!

Looking out into voodoo country, the GFS builds the Bermuda ridge into the Southeast US around the 9th of August signaling a return to some warmer than usual weather. But the ridge pattern does not last long with strong short waves moving across southern Canada carving out the trough over the eastern US once again by the 13th of August.

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.

I had a great time at the RESPECT Rally in Kelly Ingram Park yesterday handing out school supplies to a great turnout. I’ll be handling the weather duties on ABC 3340 at 5 and 10 pm today, so be sure to tune in for the latest weather forecast. I’ll have the next Weather Xtreme Video posted here first thing on Monday morning. Have a great day and enjoy the lowered humidity and sunshine. Godspeed.

-Brian-

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About the Author ()

Brian Peters is one of the television meteorologists at ABC3340 in Birmingham and a retired NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist. He handles the weekend Weather Xtreme Videos and forecast discussion and is the Webmaster for the popular WeatherBrains podcast.

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