Muggy May Days; Showers/Storms Remain Possible

James Spann | May 18, 2018 @ 5:57 am

MOIST AIR HANGS OVER ALABAMA: The overall weather pattern won’t change much across Alabama through the weekend. Moist air stays in place, along with a broad upper trough. This sets up a rather unsettled forecast with the risk of showers and thunderstorms continuing on a daily basis.

There are many big outdoor events across Alabama this weekend… this is what you can expect…

*The storms will still tend to be rather random and somewhat scattered, meaning rain distribution will be uneven. Some places will see heavy rain, others not that much.

*It is impossible to tell you exactly when and where storms will develop far in advance; you just have to keep an eye on radar trends. Most of the showers and storms will come from 1:00 until 10:00 p.m… but we can’t rule out the chance of a late night or morning shower.

*The sun will be out at times, and afternoon highs will be in the 80s.

*No organized severe thunderstorms are expected, but a few “pulse” type severe storms are possible with gusty winds and small hail.

*Heavier storms will produce a good bit of lightning; when thunder roars, get indoors! For those that are in charge of outdoor events, if there is lightning within 8 miles, everyone has to get inside, or into a vehicle.

NEXT WEEK: Still no real change. Mixed sun and clouds on a daily basis, with scattered showers and thunderstorms remaining possible. Highs mostly in the mid to upper 80s, not far from seasonal averages for late May in Alabama.

We note both global models (the GFS and the ECMWF) show some type of tropical low near the Florida Peninsula at the end of next week and at the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend. The idea seems credible, but no way of knowing details this far out. Just something to watch… see the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.

We note CPC suggests precipitation will remain above average across the Southeast U.S. through the rest of May…

ON THIS DATE IN 1995: An F4 tornado struck near Huntsville, killing one person and causing extensive damage, including the destruction of the Anderson Hills subdivision. The tornado touched down just northwest of Athens. It tracked from that point through eastern Limestone County, through Harvest, Meridianville, and New Market in northern Madison County, and ended near Princeton in northwest Jackson County. The strongest portion of the tornado’s path was near Harvest in northwest Madison County around the Anderson Hills subdivision and the Huntsville Dragway, which is the reason it is usually referred to as the “Anderson Hills Tornado”.

BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.

REGIONS TRADITION: The Regions Tradition and continues through Sunday at the beautiful Greystone Golf and Country Club! Make plans to attend one of the majors of the PGA Champions Tour! You can see legendary golfers Bernhard Langer, John Daly, Vijay Singh, and more. Juniors 18 & under are admitted free with a ticketed adult, and five-day grounds tickets are $80. Single day grounds tickets are $20. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!!!

SEC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT: The 2018 SEC Baseball Tournament takes place on May 22-27 at the Hoover Met. Don’t miss some of the best baseball in the country as the top-12 teams will battle it out in Hoover on the road to Omaha. Join us for the indoor FanFest which is free to the public, open each day of the tournament and fun for all ages. Single-session tickets are $18 each for adults and $9 each for kids 3-12. Bleacher seats are first-come, first-served in the General Admission sections. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!!!

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Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 this afternoon… enjoy the day!

Tags: ANC, showers

Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Weather Xtreme Videos

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James Spann is one of the most recognized and trusted television meteorologists in the industry. He holds the AMS CCM designation and television seals from the AMS and NWA. He is a past winner of the Broadcast Meteorologist of the Year from both professional organizations.