A Few Showers Today; Rain More Widespread Tomorrow

RADAR CHECK: We have a few scattered showers over West Alabama early this morning, but most of the state is dry. Temperatures are in the 50s across Northeast Alabama, with 60s elsewhere… not as cool as yesterday morning due to a cloud cover. Clouds stay in place today with the potential for a few showers, mainly over the western half of the state; the high will be in the mid-70s for most communities. Showers will increase statewide tonight as the remnant circulation of Beta approaches.

TOMORROW: Tomorrow will be a wet day for the state with rain likely. A few thunderstorms are possible, especially over the southern counties where some surface-based instability develops south of a northward moving warm front. SPC has introduced a low end, “marginal risk” of severe thunderstorms for the southern 2/3 of Alabama…

A few storms over the southern half of the state could produce strong gusty winds, and there is an outside risk of a brief, isolated tornado. We will watch radar trends closely during the day, but this doesn’t seem to be a major threat. The heaviest rain is expected over the northwest counties, where amounts of 2-3 inches are possible. This is where they received little if any rain from Hurricane Sally a week or so ago. The rest of Alabama can expect amounts from 1/2 to 2 inches. For the flash flood risk looks relatively low.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: Models have trended drier. We will still mention a chance of showers Friday, especially over the eastern half of the state. The day will be warmer and more humid with a high in the low to mid-80s as the warm front pushes north of the region. Then, for the weekend, look for a mix of sun and clouds Saturday and Sunday with just a few widely scattered showers both days. The best chance of scattered showers will come from noon to 10:00 p.m., but it now looks like a decent part of the weekend will be dry. Warm and muggy conditions will continue with highs between 84 and 87 for most communities, a little above average for late September.

NEXT WEEK: Not much change Monday; partly sunny and warm with just a few widely scattered showers around. Then, showers become more likely Tuesday as a cold front pushes through the state. Much cooler, drier air rolls Wednesday through Friday with highs dropping to near 70, and lows around 50. Many communities will see lows in the 40s over North/Central Alabama by Thursday and Friday morning; See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: UAB travels to Mobile to take on South Alabama tomorrow night (6:30p CT kickoff)… the sky will be mostly cloudy, but just a small risk of a shower during the game. Temperatures will fall from the low 80s at kickoff, into the upper 70s by the final whistle. Saturday Auburn will host Kentucky at Jordan Hare Stadium (11a CT kickoff)… expect a partly sunny sky with a brief shower possible. Temperatures will rise into the low 80s during the game. And, Alabama travels to Columbia, Missouri to take on Mizzou Saturday night (6p CT kickoff); the sky will be clear with temperatures falling from near 82 at kickoff, through the 70s during the second half.

For the high school games Friday night, the sky will be mostly cloudy, but the risk of a shower for any one specific stadium now looks small. Temperatures will fall slowly into the mid to upper 70s.

TROPICS: Beta is now a remnant low over Louisiana; Teddy is a post-tropical system moving into Nova Scotia, and Paulette has dissipated (again) in the eastern Atlantic. The rest of the Atlantic basin, for a change, is very quiet.

ON THIS DATE IN 1975: Eloise made landfall as a category three hurricane near Panama City Beach, generating wind gusts of 155 miles per hour, which demolished hundreds of buildings in the area. The storm’s severe winds, waves, and storm surge left numerous beaches, piers, and other coastal structures heavily impaired.

Wind-related damage extended into inland Alabama and Georgia. Further north, torrential rains along the entire East Coast of the United States created an unprecedented and far-reaching flooding event, especially into the Mid-Atlantic States. In that region, an additional 17 people died as a result of freshwater flooding from the post-tropical storm; infrastructural and geological effects were comparable to those from Hurricane Agnes several years prior. Across the United States, the damage amounted to approximately $560 million. The storm killed 80 people along its entire track; due to the severe damage, the name “Eloise” was retired from the Atlantic tropical cyclone naming lists.

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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