Sun And Storms

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SUMMER MIX: Moist air still blankets Alabama, and we expect scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms across the state today and tomorrow, especially during the afternoon and nighttime hours. Rain distribution will be uneven, but some communities could see heavy amounts of rain. By tomorrow evening, the best chance of showers and storms will shift down into South Alabama.

The sun will be out at times, and afternoon highs will be in the 87 to 90 degree range both days.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: Drier air will move down into the northern half of Alabama tomorrow night, and our weather looks mostly dry Friday and Saturday with any showers being very widely spaced. Humidity levels will be a tad lower, and the high both days should be in the upper 80s. The TUTT (tropical upper tropospheric trough) in the Gulf should influence mainly the far southern counties of Alabama. Moisture levels will rise a bit Sunday, so we will deal with the typical “scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms”.

NEXT WEEK: Chantal is the wild card… for now we will go with the broad brush summer forecast for the week. Partly sunny each day with a few scattered showers and storms around. But, we could very well have one or two days with enhanced coverage if Chantel survives and makes the turn into the Southeast U.S., which is certainly possible. We will fine tune the forecast as we get closer. Highs next week will be generally below average… in the 87-91 degree range.

CHANTAL: The tropical storm in the Caribbean most likely weakened into an open wave last night. Hurricane Hunters were not able to find a closed circulation, but NHC is keeping the system a tropical storm for now. I would not be surprised if they drop the advisories later today. Whatever form it is in, the system will move across the southeast tip of Hispaniola and Cuba in the next 48 hours, and will be close to the Florida Peninsula by Friday. Heavy rain is the main threat, and if the lowest pressure can stay east of Florida, it might try and regenerate at some point. Still too early to determine if the system will bring a higher end rain event to Alabama next week… just something to watch for now.

The rest of the tropics are quiet.

GULF COAST WEATHER: About 6 to 8 hours of sunshine today on the coast with just a few scattered showers and storms. The coverage of rain will increase tomorrow and Friday ahead of the TUTT low, but you will still see a little sun at times. Then, sunshine amounts should increase again late this weekend. The weather next week on the coast from Panama City to Gulf Shores will all depend on the behavior and survival potential of Chantal, and it is just too early to call. For now, we will forecast routine summer weather, but keep an eye on the tropics.

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I will be speaking at the University of Alabama this morning at a weather workshop hosted by the Center for Advanced Public Safety…. look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 this afternoon. Enjoy the day!

Tags: scattered storms

Category: Alabama's Weather