Hot, Steamy Weather Through Tomorrow; Heat Levels Drop Saturday
SIZZLING SUMMER WEATHER: Afternoon temperatures are expected to reach the upper 90s today, and mid 90s tomorrow across Alabama. And, with the high humidity levels a heat advisory is in effect for much of the state as the heat index could reach 105. Nothing surprising for late July in Alabama.
We will keep an eye on radar trends today; a few strong storms could drop southward out of Tennessee this afternoon. SPC has defined a “slight risk” of severe thunderstorms (level 2/5) for the northeast corner of the state, with a “marginal risk” (level 1/5) as far south as Hamilton, Birmingham, and Roanoke.
While most of the state will be hot and dry today, any storm that moves through Northeast Alabama this afternoon could produce strong straight line winds.
Most of the state will be dry during the day tomorrow, but a band of thunderstorms will likely push into the state tomorrow night ahead of a surface front. Those could also be heavy with potential strong winds.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: The surface front will continue to sag southward Saturday, and the best chance of showers and storms will be over the southern 2/3 of the state. This won’t be an all-day kind of rain, but a passing shower or storm is a fairly decent possibility mainly south of I-20. Heat levels drop considerably; the high Saturday will be in the 80s over the northern half of the state, with low 90s for the southern counties.
Dry air will cover much of Alabama Sunday with lower humidity levels. Early morning lows will drop well down into the 60s over the northern counties, with potential for upper 50s in a few cooler spots for a brief preview of fall. A few scattered storms will remain possible Sunday over far South Alabama, but even there it certainly won’t rain all day. The high Sunday will be close to 90.
NEXT WEEK: For now the week looks quiet with seasonal temperatures. Afternoon storms will be isolated, and highs will be in the low to mid 90s… See the video briefing for maps, graphics, and more details.
TROPICS: Tropical Storm Don, with winds of 50 mph, remains far from land in the Atlantic. It will become post-tropical in 4-5 days over the North Atlantic.
Elsewhere, A tropical wave located a few hundred miles south of the Cabo Verde Islands is currently interacting with the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The combination of these features is producing a broad area of showers and thunderstorms over the eastern and central tropical Atlantic. While dry air to the north may prevent significant organization during the next few days, environmental conditions could become more conducive for some development by this weekend as the wave moves westward across the central tropical Atlantic. NHC gives the system only a 20 percent chance of development.
There are no tropical systems near the U.S. or the Gulf of Mexico.
ON THIS DATE IN 1977: A flash flood hits Johnstown, Pennsylvania killing 84 people and causing millions of dollars in damages. This flood came 88 years after the infamous Great Flood of 1889 that killed more than 2,000 people in Johnstown.
ON THIS DATE IN 2005: Hurricane Emily made landfall in northern Mexico. When its sustained winds reached 160 mph on the 16th, Emily became the strongest hurricane ever to form before August, breaking a record set by Hurricane Dennis just six days before. It was also the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin, beating Hurricane Allen’s old record by nearly three weeks.
Look for the next video briefing here by 3:00 this afternoon… enjoy the day!
Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Weather Xtreme Videos
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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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