Showers Thin Out Tomorrow/Wednesday

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RADAR PEEK: Most of the showers and thunderstorms this afternoon are over the eastern half of Alabama… a few strong storms are in progress between Gadsden and Anniston, and near Lake Martin and Alexander City as I write this around 3:15. Showers are moving to the east, and will die down later this evening once the sun goes down. Temperatures remain well below average… Birmingham reports 84 degrees at 3:00.

TOMORROW/WEDNESDAY: While a few showers and storms are certainly possible, these two days should be drier with increased sunshine amounts. Also, afternoons will be warmer with highs in the 87 to 90 degree range. The chance of any one spot getting wet on these days is about one in four, and the best chance comes during the afternoon and evening hours. Another words, fairly typical summer weather.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: An approaching front from the north should bring an increase in the number of showers and thunderstorms on Thursday; the high should drop back into the mid 80s because of clouds and showers. Then, on Friday, the GFS continues to insist that drier air will creep into the northern third of the state, with few, if any, showers for places like Huntsville, Muscle Shoals, Hamilton, and Cullman. We will keep the chance of showers going roughly for I-59 and points south on Friday.

OUR WEEKEND: An upper low, now over the Bahamas, is expected to retrogress in coming days, and by Saturday should be over the Florida Panhandle. This will spread moisture back into Alabama, and unfortunately it looks like we deal with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms on Saturday with a mostly cloudy sky. Showers should thin out a bit Sunday as the upper low moves west and weakens. Highs over the weekend will be in the 80s, and the best chance of seeing some decent intervals of sun will come Sunday.

NEXT WEEK: Tropical Storm Chantal is forecast by the GFS to move westward across the Florida Peninsula, and into the Northeast Gulf of Mexico, mainly as a rainmaker. This feature could enhance the chance of rain for the Gulf Coast early in the week, but it way too early to know for sure. Around here the first half of the week looks fairly routine, but deeper moisture could bring enhanced rain chances over the latter half of the week.

TROPICAL STORM CHANTAL: The system continues to pack sustained winds of 45 mph, and will move through the Windward Islands over the next 24 hours. Model agreement is good; Chantal should move over Hispaniola later this week, and be near the Bahamas by Saturday. NHC keeps the system well below hurricane strength, which is a good idea with dry air surrounding the system, and lots of island interaction ahead. This could bring a good wet-down to parts of Central and South Florida early next week. See the Weather Xtreme video for the maps, graphics, and details.

GULF COAST WEATHER: Tomorrow could be the brightest day on the Gulf Coast this week, with 6 to 8 hours of sunshine likely from Panama City to Gulf Shores with only a few scattered showers or storms. Look for better coverage of rain later in the week as the upper low comes into play; periods of rain look likely by Friday and the weekend with only a limited amount of sunshine. Highs will remain in the 80s, and sea water temperatures are mostly in the low 80s.

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Tags: drier

Category: Alabama's Weather