Bill Murray is the President of The Weather Factory. He is the site's official weather historian and a weekend forecaster. He also anchors the site's severe weather coverage. Bill Murray is the proud holder of National Weather Association Digital Seal #0001 @wxhistorian
Barry appears to be getting a little better organized this morning and could reach hurricane intensity before making landfall Saturday morning on the Louisiana coast.
Tropical Storm Barry remains disorganized tonight but will strengthen on Friday. It will make landfall Saturday on the Louisiana coast, bringing flooding, storm surge, high winds, and possibly some tornadoes to a wide area of the southern United States.
Storms have popped up this afternoon in an area of convergence and higher moisture. Dangerous lightning and heavy rains are the main threats.
Barry should become a hurricane late Friday night or early Saturday. It will bring storm surge, flooding rains, and strong winds to areas near and east of where the center tracks.
STorms are dropping southeastward into parts of Central Alabama this morning. They will bring lightning, gusty winds, and perhaps some small hail, but also cool thing down with some beneficial rains.
An upper level low will bring better rain chances to the area today, but still the probability any one Central Alabama spot gets rain is about 50/50. All eyes will be on the Gulf of Mexico later this week to see if a tropical depression or storm can form.
Widely scattered showers and storms are affecting the western parts of Alabama this afternoon. The strongest ones are over Pickens and Sumter Counties. We will be keeping an eye on the northeastern Gulf of Mexico for the possibility of a tropical depression or storm forming around midweek.
A fairly typical summertime forecast is in store for the week ahead, with hot temperatures and isolated to scattered afternoon and evening showers and storms.
Fog is reducing visibilities to 1/4 mile or less across parts of the area this morning.
Visibilities are reduced in spots over West Alabama to less than 1/4 mile this morning.
Storms will affect Northwest Alabama around midnight tonight. The stronger ones could have damaging winds. Other storms over western Mississippi will arrive in western Alabama by 5-6 a.m. They should be weakening. Afternoon storms east of I-59 will have the potential to be severe with large hail and damaging winds.
Widely scattered showers and storms have formed in the hot, moist atmosphere across Alabama and Mississippi. Additional storms over Arkansas, western Tennessee, and northwestern Mississippi are being watched closely in case a watch is needed further to the southeast.
Showers and storms are starting to form over North and Northeast Alabama at this hour. Isolated strong storms are expected elsewhere this afternoon and we wil be wacthing for storms that develop to our west to move into Alabama after 6-7 p.m.
Fewer storms will be around today, but the ones that are could still be strong with damaging winds the primary threat. Rain chances will ramp back up Monday and then down into midweek.
The watch that was in effect until 9 p.m. has been canceled.
Storms over Central Alabama will maintain their intensity for the next few hours, but strong storms over the Tennessee Valley will weaken over the next couple of hours.
