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.
DRIER AFTER TODAY: We will maintain the chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms across Alabama today as a moist, unstable airmass stays in place. Chance of any one location getting rain this afternoon will be in th 40 percent category… otherwise we expect a mix of sun and clouds with a high in the upper 80s.
TOMORROW THROUGH THE WEEKEND: Not much change tomorrow; a partly sunny sky with a few scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers or storms; the high will be in the upper 80s. Then, the weather looks hot and mostly dry Friday through Sunday with a good supply of sunshine each day with a high close to 90 degrees. Afternoon showers can’t be ruled out, but they should be few and far between as Alabama get in the zone of sinking air on the far periphery of Hurricane Florence.
A FEW SHOWERS: We will maintain the chance of a few widely scattered showers and thunderstorms across Alabama this afternoon and this evening, otherwise today will feature a mix of sun and clouds with a high in the mid to upper 80s.
TOMORROW THROUGH THE WEEKEND: Alabama’s weather will trend hotter and drier, despite a major hurricane approaching the Atlantic coast. We will be in the ring of sinking air on the periphery of the system, meaning afternoon showers should be few and far between. The chance of any one spot getting wet each day is in the 10/20 percent range, otherwise we are forecasting partly to mostly sunny days and fair nights. Highs will be in the upper 80s tomorrow, and close to 90 Thursday through Sunday.
SHOWERS BECOMING FEWER IN NUMBER: As Hurricane Florence approaches the East Coast, Alabama’s weather will be trending hotter and drier for the next five to seven days. We rise into the mid to upper 80s today and tomorrow, followed by low 90s Thursday, Friday, and over the weekend. We will be on a band of sinking air (subsidence) on the far outer periphery of Florence, meaning that afternoon showers will be few and far between. The chance of any one spot getting wet each afternoon will be only in the 10/20 percent range.
RADAR CHECK: Most of the showers on radar this afternoon are across the eastern and southern counties of Alabama… generally south of I-59. They are moving northeast, and a few could linger into the late night hours ahead of a stalled front over the northwest part of the state. Temperatures are only in the 70s across North Alabama this afternoon; the average high for September 10 at Birmingham is 87.
WET AT TIMES: A stalled front over far Northwest Alabama, and an upper trough will set the stage for a good chance of showers and thunderstorms for much of our state today; the sky will be mostly cloudy with a high around 80 degrees. Drier air behind the front is confined to the northwest corner of the state… Muscle Shoals and Florence will see few, if any showers today.
Here is a Sunday morning look at the three tropical systems in the Atlantic basin… FLORENCE: This morning Florence is a tropical storm with sustained winds of 70 mph, located about 750 miles southeast of Bermuda. Conditions favor strengthening, and Florence should become a hurricane later today. The new forecast track from NHC shows Florence, […]
THE WEEKEND: Tomorrow will be much like today. Partly sunny, hot, humid with only isolated afternoon showers. The high will be at or just over 90 degrees, and the chance of any one spot getting wet is only in the 10/20 percent range. But, on Sunday, scattered showers and thunderstorms will become more numerous over the northern half of the state as a surface front drifts down into Tennessee. The high Sunday will be in the mid to upper 80s.
MUGGY DAYS: An upper high will rebuild over Alabama over the next 48 hours, meaning hot, humid weather today and tomorrow with afternoon highs close to 90 degrees; the average high for today in Birmingham is 88, so this kind of heat is only slightly above average for early September. The sky will be partly sunny, and while a few afternoon showers could pop up, they will be widely spaced. Chance of any one spot getting wet is only in the 10/20 percent range.
RADAR CHECK: In the moist air over Alabama we have a number of scattered showers and thunderstorms this afternoon… they are moving northeast and are producing heavy rain, gusty winds, and lots of lightning. Showers will end later tonight after the sun goes down.
TROPICAL MOISTURE: Tropical Storm Gordon has pulled very moist, tropical air into Alabama, so we expect a number of scattered showers and thunderstorms around today and early tonight; chance of any one spot getting wet is around 60 percent. The sky will be occasionally cloudy, and the high will be in the mid to upper 80s. The average high for Birmingham on September 6 is 88.
RADAR CHECK: As expected, the bulk of the rain across Alabama today has been on the western side of the state, on the eastern periphery of Tropical Depression Gordon, now near the Mississippi River. So far there have been no tornado warnings in Alabama, but there was one warning for parts of Clay and Oktibbeha Counties in Mississippi earlier this afternoon (I have heard of no reports of damage).
GORDON INLAND AND WEAKENING: Gordon made landfall near the Alabama/Mississippi border last night as a strong tropical storm with 70 mph winds; the center this morning is over South Mississippi… it continues to move northwest. The rain shield associated with the storm is over the western half of Alabama, generally west of I-65. Rain will continue over West Alabama through the morning, with little, if any, rain for the eastern counties of the state.
GORDON TO MAKE LANDFALL TONIGHT: Tropical Storm Gordon in the Gulf of Mexico, south of Orange Beach, continues to move steadily toward the coast this afternoon. For the northern half of the state, we have scattered showers and storms over the western counties, mainly west of I-65… they are moving to the west/northwest.
RIGHT NOW: Gordon is packing sustained winds of 65 mph, and is 230 miles east/southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. It is moving west/northwest at 17 mph. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center. The system is expected to reach hurricane strength later today, and should come onto the coast tonight on the Mississippi coast with sustained winds of near 75/80 mph.
HOT LABOR DAY AFTERNOON: Temperatures are pretty close to 90 degrees on the Labor Day afternoon across Alabama… showers are small, and rather isolated. They are moving to the west/northwest, and will dissipate once the sun goes down later this evening.
EYES ON THE GULF: We have a quiet Labor day morning across the great state of Alabama; generally dry with just a few showers near the Gulf Coast. The northern half of the state will enjoy a good supply of sunshine today with only isolated showers this afternoon; scattered showers and storms will be more numerous over the southern counties…. the high will be pretty close to 90 degrees.
