Summer Nights (And Days, Too)

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player below, and on iTunes…

Anyone remember the movie Grease? How about this summer song from John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John:

“Summer lovin’ had me a blast
Summer lovin’ happened so fast
I met a girl crazy for me
Met a boy cute as can be
Summer days driftin’ away, to uh-oh those summer nights
Uh Well-a well-a well-a huh
Tell me more, tell me more
Did you get very far?
Tell me more, tell me more
Like does he have a car?
Uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh
She swam by me, she got a cramp
He ran by me, got my suit damp
I saved her life, she nearly drowned
He showed off, splashing around
Summer sun, something’s begun, but uh-oh those summer nights”

That song was out in the late spring and early summer of 1978… a time of transition for me; I left the world of rock and roll radio and entered the TV business. I started doing news and weather for WCFT-TV, Channel 33, in Tuscaloosa at the ripe age of 22. Funny that I am still doing the weather on Channel 33 today (of course, combined with WJSU, Channel 40, and we are now known as ABC 33/40).

THE HEAT CRANKS UP AGAIN: New day, old forecast. We might be a degree or two “cooler” today, but I doubt if anyone notices the difference. Highs in the 98 to 103 degree range, hardly any chance of showers this afternoon due to the warm air aloft associated with the upper ridge.

Unfortunately, the GFS is coming in with a stronger ridge pattern for the weekend and early next week. Maybe the idea of backing off the heat slightly was wishful thinking; the 00Z GFS MOS is showing 101 for Birmingham on Tuesday of next week. Good grief. But, by the end of next week a nice upper trough forms over the eastern half of the nation, which brings down a surface front to the Tennessee Valley and a chance of showers and storms one week from today.

TROPICS CRANKING UP? The 00Z Canadian continues the idea of a tropical storm/hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico next week; it moves it under the heat ridge toward the Texas/Mexico coast. Satellite images this morning do show a significant wave in the central Caribbean, so that idea sure could have some merit. If it happens, it should bypass Alabama to the south.

And, the GFS continues to develop a hurricane well to the east of the U.S. Atlantic coast in the August 20-24 time frame, but the model keeps it over the open water. All voodoo for now, but it does look like a ramp up in tropical activity is ahead.

WEATHER PARTY: Get all the latest weather news over on our sister site, WeatherParty.com. Be sure and register while you are there; you can submit stories and vote on them to determine what is published on the front page. Be sure and check out the article about the Mississippi judge shutting down all outdoor school activities (including high school practices) prior to 7 p.m. due to the heat.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 30 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather hosted by David Black and featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.

Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:30 this afternoon… enjoy the day and STAY COOL.

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