Warm Is The Word
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SUMMER PREVIEW CONTINUES: If this were August, highs in the mid 80s would be considered “cool”… but this is mid-March, so “hot” is the right word on this first official day of spring (the vernal equinox was just after midnight last night at 12:14 a.m.). We are forecasting a high of 86 degrees today, which is 18 degrees above the average high of 68, and within one degree of the record high for March 20; 87 set way back in 1907. The sky will be mostly sunny with scattered clouds around, much like yesterday, and the day should be dry.
Tomorrow will be warm and dry as well, but we will be watching the deep upper low to the west, that is producing lots of rain and storms over East Texas, West Louisiana, and points north. Flash flood watches are up for this region, and additional rain amounts over 5 inches are possible over the next 48 hours thanks to the slow moving storms.
THURSDAY/FRIDAY: We will bring in the risk of scattered showers and storms on these two days as the upper low gets a little closer. The latest GFS runs have shown the ULL a little closer to Alabama, so hopefully we will get enough rain on these two days to wash away some of the pollen that seems to be bothering many of us. The rain on these days won’t be continuous, and it won’t be evenly distributed. But, it will rain on us at times. Severe weather is not expected with the dynamic forcing not looking overly impressive, and SPC does not identify any formal risk here. Seems like the most widespread rain will come on Friday. Temperatures back off a bit, but remain pretty warm with March with a high near 80 both days.
WEEKEND FORECAST: A few lingering showers are possible Saturday, but they will be widely scattered, and the sun should be out at times. Sunday looks like a beautiful day with dry air settling in. The 00Z GFS is printing a high on Saturday at 80, followed by 77 on Sunday.
NEXT WEEK: We start the week dry Monday and Tuesday with highs mostly in the 77-81 degree range.
AT THE BEACH: Lots of sun for the Gulf Coast today and tomorrow from Panama City west to Gulf Shores. A few scattered showers or storms are possible Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, but still a decent amount of sunshine on those days. Sunday looks sunny, as does the first part of next week. Highs on the immediate coast will be in the low 70s. The sea water temperature is running right at 70.
VOODOO LAND: No consistency in the day 7-15 period… some runs have shown good upper troughs and a few decent rain events, but the 00Z GFS looks generally warm and dry into early April with no sign of a late season cold snap or severe weather threat. See the Weather Xtreme video for more long range ideas and details.
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I will be doing a weather program today at Hayden Elementary in Blount County… look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:30 this afternoon. Enjoy the day!
Category: Alabama's Weather
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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.Subscribe
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