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.
WATCHING THE GULF: Alabama’s weather over the next five days will be determined by tropical developments in the northern Gulf of Mexico. What is now “Potential Tropical Cyclone Two” should become a tropical depression by midday, and Tropical Storm Barry tonight.
RADAR CHECK: Showers and thunderstorms are increasing across Central Alabama this afternoon… they are moving to the west, thanks to the tropical cyclonic circulation in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The storms are producing heavy rain, gusty winds, and lots of lightning, and we will hang on to the chance of scattered storms through tonight.
This morning the National Hurricane Center initiated advisories on “Potential Tropcial Cyclone Two”, which should become Tropical Storm Barry within 36 hours. NHC now expects Barry to become a hurricane before reaching the Louisiana coast Saturday. WATCHES ISSUED: A Storm Surge Watch is in effect from the mouth of the Pearl River to Morgan City. […]
WATCHING DEVELOPMENTS TO THE SOUTH: A disturbance over the Northeast Gulf of Mexico is forecast to become a tropical storm within the next 48 hours, and will have a big impact on Alabama’s weather. We don’t expect much change in our weather situation today; hot and very humid with showers and storms forming this afternoon and tonight in scattered spots. Like yesterday, they will be strong with heavy rain, gusty winds, and very frequent lightning.
RADAR CHECK: We have scattered strong thunderstorms in progress across Alabama this afternoon over the eastern and southern counties of the state; they are moving southwest. Away from those storms it is a hot, humid summer day with temperatures mostly in the mid 90s.
HOT, MUGGY JULY DAY: A heat advisory is in effect for much of Central and Northwest Alabama today, where highs will be in the mid 90s and humidity levels will be pretty oppressive. But, all 67 counties will be hot and humid with high in the 90s. A few showers and storms will form during the heat of the day, but they should be fairly widely scattered.
RADAR CHECK: Slow moving thunderstorms are dumping heavy rain on parts of West and South Alabama this afternoon, but most of North and East Alabama is dry. The storms in progress are moving slowly to the southwest, and will fade later tonight. Away from the showers, temperatures are mostly in the low to mid 90s, and humidity levels are pretty oppressive.
On their new afternoon update, NHC continues to show an 80 percent chance of a tropical depression forming over the northern Gulf of Mexico within 5 days. Conditions favor a tropical low forming just off the coast by Wednesday. This will most likely drift westward, and new runs the American (GFS) and European (ECMWF) global […]
RADAR CHECK: Another classic summer afternoon across Alabama. The day is hot and humid, and we have the usual random array of scattered showers and thunderstorms on radar. Stronger storms are producing frequent lighting and heavy rain, and are moving slowly eastward. They will fade away once the sun goes down later this evening. Away from the storms, the sky is partly sunny with temperatures between 90 and 95 degrees.
NEW DAY, OLD FORECAST: The overall weather pattern won’t change much for Alabama through the weekend. Partly sunny, hot, humid days with “scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms”. Most of the storms will between 1:00 and 9:00 p.m.. and odds of any one spot getting wet will be around 40 percent. Afternoon highs will be mostly in the 90-94 degree range. Just what you expect in early July in Alabama.
RANDOM STORMS IN SCATTERED SPOTS: We have a classic mid-summer afternoon across Alabama on this Independence Day. The sky is partly sunny, temperatures are generally in the 89-92 degree range, and we have an array of scattered showers and thunderstorms in progress in random places. The showers are moving slowly to the east, and will fizzle out once the sun goes down later tonight. Most of the storms should be over by fireworks time at 9:00 p.m.
HAPPY FOURTH: Classic summer weather is the story for Alabama on this Independence Day. Partly sunny, hot, humid with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the peak of the daytime heating process. Most of the storms will come from 1:00 until 9:00, meaning a reasonable chance most (but not necessarily all) of the fireworks shows tonight should be rain-free.
RADAR CHECK: As advertised, we have your classic case of scattered, random showers and thunderstorms across Alabama this afternoon. A few neighborhoods are getting heavy rain… the showers are moving slowly eastward. Temperatures are generally in the 86-91 degree range, and the showers will fade away tonight.
SUN, HEAT, STORMS: Hot, humid weather will continue across Alabama through the weekend, which is exactly what you expect in July. And, every day we will deal with “scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms”. They have been few and far between over the past two days across North/Central Alabama, but they should increase in number today as moisture and instability values are expected to be higher. In fact, we have a few showers on radar early this morning over West Alabama.
RADAR CHECK: You can almost count the number of showers and thunderstorms over the northern half of the state on one hand this afternoon; most of the action on radar is over the southern quarter of the state. Like recent days, showers are moving little, and away from them the sky is partly sunny with temperatures generally between 91 and 95 degrees.
SUMMERTIME WEATHER: It is a familiar forecast for Alabama today, and each day for the rest of the week. An upper ridge covers the southern U.S.. and the primary band of westerly winds aloft (the jet stream) is well to the north, not far from the Canadian border. This leaves us in a pattern of hot humid days with the risk of showers and thunderstorms during the peak of the daytime heating process. They form in random, scattered places, and there is no way of knowing in advance exactly when and where they pop up. And, they are most likely between 1:00 and 9:00 p.m.
