Dry Days For Alabama; Tropics Heating Up
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A LITTLE WARMER: Looks like afternoon highs will ease up into the 77 to 80 degree range across the northern half of Alabama for the next five days as a ridge noses in here from the southwest. The average high this week is low to mid 70s. The air remains dry, and we still project mostly sunny days and fair nights through Friday.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: While our weather is tranquil, things will get interesting in both the tropics, and areas under the northern branch of the jet stream. Very cold air will drop down into the northern U.S. late this week, and the leading edge of that should move into Alabama late Saturday or Saturday night, and the cold front will bring a chance of showers and thunderstorms.
It is simply too early to be really specific on the timing of the rain Saturday. Model consistency is not good. But, at this point, we will simply mention a chance of showers, and possibly a thunderstorm, Saturday afternoon and Saturday night. Watch the forecast this week for timing adjustments. The high Saturday will drop into the low to mid 70s with clouds and showers.
COOL CHANGE: Then on Sunday, much cooler air invades the Deep South. The GFS hints Sunday will be sunny, breezy, and cool with a high in the low to mid 60s. There is a chance it could be colder, but it depends on the tropical action to the east, and the strength of the mid-latitude trough over the eastern U.S.
LAST GASP OF THE HURRICANE SEASON: A disturbance over the Caribbean near Jamaica should become Tropical Storm Sandy in coming days. It will move north across the eastern tip of Cuba and across the Bahamas in coming days. SSTs are warm (sea surface temperatures), and this might ramp up into a hurricane late this week over the Bahamas.
EAST COAST THREAT? Many of the more reliable tropical models, and the GFS, keep Sandy well east of the U.S. on the journey north. However, we note the ECMWF solution sets up potential for hurricane force winds along the middle and upper Atlantic coast early next week, as it drives Sandy inland. This solution would also setup a historic snow event for the Great Lakes region by the middle of next week. But, for now the ECMWF is an outlier. It will be a very interesting week for tropical fans, and most likely this will be the last system of the season of any real significance.
WORLD SERIES SNOW? I note that the World Series is scheduled for Detroit Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Sure looks cold up there, and potentially snowy on one or more days. Just something to watch for baseball fans.
Be sure and see the Weather Xtreme video for the graphics and details.
J.B. ELLIOTT: Our thoughts and prayers are with the Elliott family as they grieve the loss of our mentor’s sister after a bout with cancer. The funeral for Grace will be at 2 pm today in the chapel at Jefferson Memorial in Trussville with burial in the adjoining cemetery. Visitation is 12 to 2.
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I will be doing a weather program this morning at Maddox Middle School in Jasper… look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 p.m. 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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