Stormy Start

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RIGHT NOW: More showers and storms are rumbling across Alabama this morning; as I write this the heaviest rain is lined up from near Eutaw to Cullman to Fort Payne. There are some embedded thunderstorms, but no severe weather in the classic sense (large hail/damaging wind). All of this will slowly move to the south during the morning hours.

Looks like we will have a break in the rain this afternoon, with potential for the sky to become partly sunny. A few more showers or storms could fire up late today, but they should be rather scattered.

THE WEEKEND: We will begin the trend toward drier weather, but we will still have to dodge showers and storms at times tomorrow and Sunday. Guidance is actually suggesting the most organized round of storms could come tomorrow night, but trying to identify specific impulses this time of the year is hard to do in advance. Highs over the weekend will be in the 87 to 90 degree range, and there should be some decent intervals of sunshine both days.

NEXT WEEK: The upper ridge begins to rebuild, which should mean a trend toward warmer and drier weather. Highs back around 90, with showers and storms become more scattered, and mostly driven by the daytime heating process. We might have one or two organized rounds of storms next week, but no way of identifying when that happens this far in advance.

GULF COAST WEATHER: Scattered showers and storms are likely on the coast today and tomorrow, with about 3 to 5 hours of sunshine. For next week, looks like about 6 to 8 hours of sunshine each day with storms becoming more widely spaced. Highs will stay mostly in the mid to upper 80s along the immediate coast.

TROPICS: The Atlantic basin is amazingly quiet for the last day of July, and tropical storm formation is not expected through early next week.

COOL JULY: The temperature failed to reach 90 degrees on 16 days during the month of July, which is pretty remarkable for Alabama in mid-summer. The hottest temperature recorded during the month of 94 degrees, which was measured on July 1, 4, and 12. The lowest temperature all month was a cool 59 degrees on July 20.

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I am headed to Double Springs this morning for a weather program… I will be back in the office by early afternoon and the next Weather Xtreme video should be posted by 3:30. Have a great day!

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