Warm Afternoons, Pleasant Nights
BLUE SKY AND SUNSHINE: Alabama’s long dry spell continues through the weekend with sunny days and clear nights. Afternoon highs will be in the low 80s through Friday, but a dry cold front will bring an airmass change for the weekend. Highs drop into the low to mid 70s Saturday and Sunday, with lows well down in the 40s by early Sunday morning. Colder pockets over North Alabama will likely visit the 30s for the first time this season by then.
NEXT WEEK: Still no sign of any rain for Alabama. Highs next week will be mostly in the 70s, with lows in the 50s. Long range guidance suggests the next chance of some rain here will come in the October 15-20 period, but of course at that range there is no guarantee. But, remember, November marks the beginning of our tornado season (November through May), and frequent rain/storm producing systems will return then.
Some notes on the dry conditions (based on data at Birmingham)…
*Today is the 9th consecutive day with no measurable rain.
*Our last measurable rain was on September 25, but the amount was only 0.03″.
*We have gone without measurable rain on 23 of the last 24 days.
*The last day with over one tenth of an inch of rain came on September 4, when the total was 1.55″
TROPICS: A tropical wave in the eastern Atlantic has a high chance of becoming a tropical depression or storm over the next few days, but it will turn northward, and unfavorable environmental conditions will mean the system will likely dissipate this weekend far from land.
NHC is also monitoring a tropical wave located a few hundred miles east of the southern Windward Islands… it is producing disorganized showers and
thunderstorms. Some slow development of this system is possible during the next several days while the wave moves generally westward at 15 to 20 mph, reaching the Windward Islands and the eastern Caribbean Sea by midweek and the western Caribbean over the weekend. For now there is only a 30 percent chance of development over the next five days.
IF anything develops in this region global models move it generally westward toward Central America, but it is too early to know the final destination or intensity… just something to watch for now.
ON THIS DATE IN 1957: The world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik, was launched on October 4th, 1857 by the Soviet Union. Sputnik was about the size of a beach ball and weighed 183.9 pounds. It took about 98 minutes to orbit Earth on an elliptical path.
ON THIS DATE IN 2005: Hurricane Stan, a minimal Category 1 Hurricane with 75 mph maximum sustained surface winds, made landfall near Punta Roca Partida, Mexico, at 4 AM EDT on this day. While not a particularly strong hurricane, the torrential rains caused flooding and landslides, which resulted in 1,513 deaths in Guatemala.
BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.
Look for the next update here by 3:00 this afternoon… enjoy the day!
Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS
About the Author (Author Profile)
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.Subscribe
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