Very Hot Weekend Ahead

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THIS MORNING: The core of the heat ridge remains west of Alabama, and a somewhat disturbed northwest flow aloft remains in place across Alabama. A little light rain is falling this morning over parts of North and Northeast Alabama, and stronger storms are seen over West Tennessee. Seems like the air aloft is cold enough today for more scattered showers and storms, with a high in the mid 90s in most spots. However, we note the NAM is printing a high of only 89 for Birmingham… I guess where clouds are in place this morning, and a storm happens to form early this afternoon, that might be true somewhere, but most folks will deal with highs in the 90s again today.

OUR WEEKEND: The upper ridge strengthens… so heat levels rise, and rain chances drop. There is always some risk of a pop-up afternoon storm somewhere this time of the year, but most places will be dry tomorrow and Sunday with a good supply of hazy sunshine and highs in the 95-100 degree range.

NEXT WEEK: The hot and mostly dry weather continues Monday and Tuesday, but a big upper trough will beat the heat ridge down over the latter half of the week, opening the door for an increase in the number of showers and thunderstorms by Thursday and Friday, along with decreasing heat levels. And, the GFS continues to suggest that deep tropical moisture from the western Gulf of Mexico could even be involved by that following weekend, giving us a chance at some badly needed rain in the June 24-26 time frame. Just maybe our string of consecutive 90 degree days will come to an end. We will see.

LAST NIGHT: More strong storms fired up in scattered pockets across Alabama late yesterday; one storm in the Hoover/Pelham area produced hail to nickel size and high winds; it was responsible for knocking power out to over 13,000 Alabama Power customers at one point. A gas station near the intersection of I-459 and Acton Road was heavily damaged by a microburst. A few fires were also reported due to the frequent, intense lightning associated with the storm. A total of 2.97″ of rain was measured in the Rocky Ridge area of Hoover.

WEEKEND AT THE BEACH: Expect about 8-10 hours of sunshine each day through early next week along the Gulf Coast with only isolated thunderstorms. Highs along the immediate coast will be in the upper 80s, with 90s inland. The sea water temperature at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab last night was 84 degrees. No sign of any tropical storm formation for the next 3-5 days.

NO BURN ORDER: All 67 counties in the state of Alabama continue under a Drought Emergency, often referred to as a “No Burn Order,” which prohibits all outdoor burning. Under this rule, it is illegal for any person to set fire to any forest, grass, woods, wildlands or marshes; to build a campfire or bonfire; or to burn trash or other material that may cause a forest, grass, or woods fire. If convicted, the penalty for violating the No Burn Order is a fine of up to $500 and/or up to six months in jail.

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Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:30 this afternoon… enjoy the day!

Tags: hot

Category: Alabama's Weather