TRENDING DRIER: Rain lingers, mainly over the eastern half of Alabama early this morning. The rain will continue to taper off from west to east in coming hours, and by afternoon any lingering showers will be over the southeast counties of the state. The day will be breezy and cooler with temperatures falling through the 50s, and some clearing could begin over North and West Alabama this afternoon.
RADAR CHECK: We have a few lingering showers over the eastern half of the state early this morning; most of those should be gone by the time you read this. The sky becomes partly sunny as a slot of dry air punches into the state. We will mention a chance of isolated showers this afternoon over North Alabama as an upper trough passes overhead, but the moisture will be very limited, and most places will be dry. The high today will be in the mid to upper 50s; the average high for January 24 at Birmingham is 54.
RADAR CHECK: Patches of mostly light rain continue this morning mainly in areas south and east of Birmingham ahead of a rather rare July surface front over the Tennessee Valley. This front will continue to push southward today, and by afternoon almost all of the showers and storms will be down over the southern half of the state. The sky becomes partly sunny over North Alabama with a high in the mid 80s.
RADAR CHECK: As forecast, we have strong thunderstorms over the eastern half of Alabama this afternoon. They are all east of I-65, and some of the heavier storms are producing gusty winds and small hail. Otherwise, we have a mix of sun and clouds across the state with afternoon temperatures in the 80s away from the showers.
PLEASANT MORNING: Temperatures are mostly in the low 60s across North/Central Alabama early this morning, but a few spots have slipped into the upper 50s. Today will be partly to mostly sunny with a high in the 82-85 degree range; showers will be confined to far East and Southeast Alabama this afternoon.
RADAR CHECK: Most of the showers across Alabama are south of I-20; heavier thunderstorms are over parts of East Alabama’s Chambers, Lee, and Macon counties at mid-afternoon. Showers over the northern third of the state are few and far between; and temperatures are mostly in the 80s. Showers and storms will end this evening, and the sky becomes mostly fair late tonight.
DRIER AIR ARRIVES: After an unsettled weekend, drier air has moved into Alabama today. The sky will be partly to mostly sunny with a high in the mid 70s, which is below average for mid-May in Alabama. The average high at Birmingham for May 13 is 81.
ON THE MAPS: A rare August front is just west of Alabama early this morning; it will push through from northwest to southeast later today. We will maintain the risk of a few scattered showers and thunderstorms this morning, but by afternoon the best chance of rain will shift to areas south and east of Birmingham. The sky becomes partly sunny, and today’s high will be in the 87-90 degree range.
TRENDING DRIER: Showers will be rather scarce across Alabama today and tomorrow as drier air works into the state; with increasing amounts of sunshine afternoons will trend hotter. The high today will be close to 90, followed by low 90s tomorrow. The chance of a shower is not zero, but for any one spot only in the 10/15 percent range.
Tonight will be fair and cool; most communities will drop into the 40-45 degree range early tomorrow. The day tomorrow will feature sunshine in full supply; we will enjoy a high close to 70 degrees. Clouds return tomorrow night as the warm front down to the south begins to move back northward.
James Spann
@spann
