Hot Afternoons; Dry Through The Weekend

HIGHS STAY IN THE 90s: A strong upper ridge across the Southeast U.S. will deflect rain producing systems north of us through the holiday weekend. Strong sinking air associated with the ridge will generally prevent afternoon showers and storms from forming… although we could see a brief shower later today around Muscle Shoals in the northwest corner of the state.

We are forecasting mostly sunny hot days and fair nights through the Memorial Day weekend. We will be in the low 90s today and tomorrow, then mid 90s by Friday and over the weekend. Some places will reach the upper 90s, right at record levels for late May in Alabama.

NEXT WEEK: Hot, dry weather continues Tuesday and Wednesday, but the ridge breaks down later in the week, opening the door for showers Thursday and Friday. No severe storms are expected, and rain amounts probably won’t be too heavy. See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.

YESTERDAY: Birmingham officially reached 90 degrees for the first time this year; last time the high was at or over 90 was on October 6, 2018. Tuscaloosa soared to 94, and tied the record high for May 21.

TROPICS: Andrea was a brief sub-tropical storm in the Atlantic west of Bermuda… it dissipated yesterday. The season “officially” begins June 1. The names to be used this year are Barry, Chantal, Dorian, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya. Van, and Wendy.

ON THIS DATE IN 2011: One of the most devastating tornadoes in the nation’s history directly killed 158 people and injured over 1,000 in Joplin, Missouri. It reached a maximum width of nearly 1 mile during its path through the southern part of the city. This particular tornado was unusual in that it intensified in strength and grew larger in size at a very fast rate. The tornado tracked eastward across the city, and then continued eastward across Interstate 44 into rural portions of Jasper County and Newton County. It was the third tornado to strike Joplin since May 1971. The Joplin EF-5 tornado was the first single tornado to result in over 100 fatalities since the June 8, 1953, Flint, Michigan tornado.

SEC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT: The 2019 SEC Baseball Tournament continues through the weekend at the Hoover Met. Don’t miss some of the best baseball in the country as the top-12 teams will battle it out in Hoover on the road to Omaha. Join us for the indoor FanFest which is free to the public, open each day of the tournament and fun for all ages. Single-session tickets are $18 each for adults and $9 each for kids 3-12. Bleacher seats are first-come, first-served in the General Admission sections. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!!!

BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute show anytime on your favorite podcast app. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.

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Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 this afternoon… enjoy the day!

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Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Weather Xtreme Videos