Tropical Mischief In The Gulf This Weekend
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RIGHT NOW: Another hot, but relatively comfortable August afternoon across Alabama. Birmingham soared to 97 degrees at 3:00, but the dew point is only 53, with a humidity of 22 percent. A “dry heat”. No rain on radar.
TOMORROW THROUGH FRIDAY: The weather generally looks dry on these three days, with humidity levels slowly rising and highs in the low to mid 90s. You might see a shower or two on radar during the afternoon and evening hours, but the chance of any one spot getting wet is only about one in ten, and not really worth the mention in the formal forecast.
LABOR DAY WEEKEND: A very tricky forecast due to the possibility of a tropical storm in the Gulf. Saturday looks mostly dry one way or another, with only isolated showers. Then, our weather Sunday and Monday all depends on our Gulf of Mexico system.
Watch the Weather Xtreme video for details… the GFS brings the tropical storm to the Louisiana coast Sunday evening, with widespread rain over Louisiana and the southern part of Mississippi and Alabama. Then, the moisture combines with an approaching cold front to bring a good chance of rain and storms statewide Monday.
However, the ECMWF shows the tropical storm near the southern tip of Texas, and gives us a rather dry look Sunday, and only a few showers Monday with the passing front due to the lack of deep moisture.
For now we will continue to lean in the direction of the GFS and bring in a better chance of rain and storms here late in the Labor Day weekend, and we will adjust the forecast as needed in coming days. If the system in the Gulf does indeed become a tropical storm, the name will be Lee.
LONG RANGE: Dry, continental air rolls into the state Tuesday, and that should set the stage for sunny days and fair nights Tuesday through Thursday of next week with lower humidity and cool nights.
TROPICS: Katia should become a hurricane in the East Atlantic during the next 24 hours as it moves to the west/northwest. Katia is forecast to be a major hurricane northeast of Puerto Rico Saturday… and most of the recent global model runs recurve the storm over the open Atlantic with no U.S. landfall. We note the hurricane could be close to Bermuda early next week, however. Again, see the Weather Xtreme video for all of the graphics and details.
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Category: Alabama's Weather
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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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