Settling Into A Summer Routine
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JULY IN ALABAMA: After a nasty heat wave this past weekend, temperatures are backing down into a more “normal” range for mid-summer in Alabama in coming days. We note yesterday’s official high in Birmingham was only 88 degrees… quite the change from Sunday’s 104. Of course, we can thank the early morning convection yesterday for the heat relief.
Today’s forecast is your standard July formula. No real synoptic scale weather features around here; the primary storm track is well to the north of Alabama, near the Canadian border. The sky will be partly sunny, we should reach the mid 90s this afternoon, and during the heat of the day the air becomes buoyant. Rising air parcels lead to a few thunderstorms that tend to form in rather random locations. Actually, often they are along small scale boundaries that you never see on the synoptic scale maps, and until they get on radar you just don’t know when and where the storms will come. Part of the frustration of forecasting summer weather in Alabama.
The high today should peak in the 90s… mostly mid 90s over Central and East Alabama, and upper 90s over the western counties.
REST OF THE WEEK AND THE WEEKEND: Quite frankly there is no reason to depart from this forecast for the next 4 to 5 days. Highs in the 90s, partly sunny days, and the daily risk of a pop-up storm, mostly during the afternoon and evening hours. The chance of any one spot getting wet is around one in three. Another words, very routine mid-summer weather.
The GFS does suggest an upper trough forms over the eastern U.S. next week, which might push a surface front down our way, perhaps giving some enhancement to thunderstorm formation. See the Weather Xtreme video for the details.
GULF COAST WEATHER: The tropics are quiet, so no tropical storm or hurricane mischief for the Gulf Coast in coming days. Expect about 7 to 9 hours of sunshine daily along the coast through the weekend, with a few widely scattered showers and storms around. Afternoon highs on the immediate coast will be in the 87 to 90 degree range, with mid 90s inland. Sea water temperatures are generally in the low to mid 80s from Panama City west to Gulf Shores.
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We will be on the “one a day” holiday video schedule through mid-week… but of course we will update the thunderstorm situation as they begin to fire later. Enjoy the day!
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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