Hot & Dry Here, Florence Soaks The Carolinas: It’s The Midday Nowcast For Central Alabama

CONDITIONS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA AT 11:45 AM
Radar is free of any rainfall at this point across Central Alabama as there is a good bit of sunshine reaching the surface. Temperatures are currently in the mid-80s to the lower 90s, with Tuscaloosa and Anniston being tied as the hot spot at 91 degrees. Birmingham was sitting at 90 degrees.

Off to our east, you can clearly see Hurricane Florence continuing to hug the Carolina coastline, bringing great amounts of storm surge flooding, very heavy rainfall leading to freshwater flooding, damaging hurricane-force wind gusts, and several tornadoes.

WHAT TO EXPECT TODAY & TONIGHT IN CENTRAL ALABAMA
While subsidence from the far western side of Hurricane Florence will keep much of the eastern half of Central Alabama dry throughout the day, there will be a small risk of a few isolated to scattered showers and storms for the western half and the extreme southern parts of the area. Skies will be mostly clear to partly cloudy throughout the area and highs will be in the lower to mid-90s. Any shower/storm activity will begin to diminish quickly over the area, but there will be a very slight risk of a few showers over the western and extreme southern parts of the area through 7:00 pm. Temperatures will start off in the mid to upper 80s for the kickoff of tonight’s high school football games and will fall into the upper 70s to the lower 80s by the final whistle.

CENTER OF FLORENCE IS NOW ONSHORE & NEARLY STATIONARY
As of the 10:00 am CT advisory from the NHC, maximum sustained winds have dropped to 80 MPH with gusts up to 95 MPH, and the minimum central pressure is now up to 958 MB (28.29 inches). Movement is to the west-southwest at 3 MPH. Current position has it just inland near Cape fear, North Carolina. Life-threatening storm surges and hurricane-force wind gusts continue in the area, along with the expectation of catastrophic freshwater flooding over portions of the Carolinas.

Rainfall totals exceeding 14 inches have been reported at several locations across southeastern North Carolina. An additional 20-25 inches of rainfall can be expected over southeastern coastal North Carolina and into far northeastern South Carolina, with isolated storm totals of 30-40 inches. The remainder of South Carolina and North Carolina, and into southwest Virginia, can expect totals of 5-10 inches, with isolated totals up to 15 inches possible. This rainfall will produce life-threatening flash flooding.

A Tornado Watch is in effect for much of eastern North Carolina until 5:00 pm ET as a few tornadoes are possible throughout the day. This watch will most likely be expanded in area and in time as Florence will not be moving fast at all.

Just over a half million customers in eastern North Carolina are currently without power due to the effects from Hurricane Florence.

From Michael Sprayberry, Director of the North Carolina EMA: “Rescues are being coordinated by a number of different teams. Swift water rescue resources are conducting rescue missions in counties, along with county rescue teams.”

Florence is expected to slowly curve to the northwest over the weekend while weakening into a depression, then finally curving to the northeast and accelerating away by the beginning of the week. Even though she will grow weaker in strength, Florence will still cause massive flooding with the incredible amounts of rainfall over areas that have seen more of their fair share of rain this year.

THE REST OF THE TROPICS
Isaac continues to be torn apart by wind shear and has weakened to a tropical depression. More than likely, Isaac will degenerate into an open wave by the end of the weekend, but there is a very slight possibility that he could survive just enough to reach the Gulf of Mexico and conditions that could be conducive to some redevelopment. We’ll continue to keep our eyes on Isaac throughout the next several days.

Both Helene and Joyce are well out in the open Atlantic and will not be a threat to the US Mainland. The Azores will feel the effects from Helene on Saturday and tropical storm warnings have been issued. The remnants of Joyce may move over the Azores sometime during the first part of next week.

The disturbance in the western Gulf of Mexico is only given a 20% chance of developing into a depression before moving onshore in Texas later today. Even with it not becoming a depression, heavy rainfall and gusty winds can be expected across portions of northeastern Mexico and Texas through Saturday.

A broad area of low pressure may form near Bermuda late this weekend or early next week, but only a small chance of development is expected while it sits nearly stationary.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEATHER
Auburn hosts LSU tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 pm CT. Skies will be mostly sunny with a kickoff temperature near 90 degrees, falling into the upper 80s by the fourth quarter.

Alabama visits Ole Miss Saturday evening at 6:00 pm CT. Skies will be mostly clear and temperatures will fall from near 88 at kickoff into the low 80s by the final whistle.

UAB hosts Tulane Saturday at noon CT. Skies will be mostly sunny with temperatures rising from 87 at kickoff, to near 90 by the end of the game.

BEACH FORECAST CENTER
Get the latest weather and rip current forecasts for the beaches from Fort Morgan to Panama City on our Beach Forecast Center page. There, you can select the forecast of the region that you are interested in.

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ON THIS DAY IN WEATHER HISTORY
1944 – A very destructive hurricane swept across Cape Hatteras and Chesapeake Bay, side swiped New Jersey and Long Island, and crossed southeastern Massachusetts. The hurricane killed more than four hundred persons, mainly at sea. The hurricane destroyed the Atlantic City NJ boardwalk.

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