Weather Xtreme: Mainly Dry & Mild Through Midweek, Rain Possible on Thursday

THE CENTRAL ALABAMA WEEKEND

Saturday will feature a good bit of clouds and only a little bit of sunshine throughout the day as we’ll have a southwesterly flow bringing those clouds up from Tropical Storm Beta. We’ll stay dry across much of Central Alabama with only a very small chance of an isolated shower south of I-20. Highs will be in the mid to upper 70s.

Cloud cover will stick around through Sunday, but we’ll lose that small chance of showers as all of Central Alabama will be dry and mild. Highs will be in the upper 70s to right at 80 degrees.

NEXT WEEK

A reinforcing shot of cooler and drier air will move into Central Alabama for on Monday as high pressure sets up to our north-northeast, but we’ll not lose the clouds. Highs will be in the lower to mid-70s.

It will be the same story for Tuesday as well. Mostly cloudy skies with very little sunshine. Highs on both days will be in the lower to mid-70s.

At this point, we look to stay dry throughout much of Wednesday, but tropical moisture from Beta will be moving into the southwestern and southern parts of the area during the evening and spreading northward during the overnight hours. North of I-20 looks to stay dry with rain possible south of the interstate. Highs will be in the upper 70s to right around 80 degrees.

Rain doesn’t look like it will make it up north past I-20 on Thursday with rain being like for the southern half of the area. Even though it doesn’t show rain for the northern half, I can’t help but put a chance in the forecast. No matter what, it will be a cloudy and gray day. Highs will be in the upper 70s to the lower 80s.

Much of Central Alabama will remain dry on Friday, but a stray isolated shower or two may be possible. The good news is we’ll see a decent bit of sunshine. Afternoon highs will warmer, up in the lower to mid-80s.

STILL VERY BUSY IN THE TROPICS (AS OF 10 PM FRIDAY)

Beta: Storm surge and hurricane watches have been issued for much of the Texas coast, while a tropical storm watch is issued to as far east as Morgan City, Louisiana, as Tropical Storm Beta will be moving just offshore along the coastline. The center was located about 305 miles east of the mouth of the Rio Grande and was moving north-northeast at 12 MPH. A slow westward motion is expected to begin late Saturday, with a slow northwestward motion forecast to begin late Sunday and continue through late Monday. On the forecast track, the center of Beta will slowly approach the Texas coast into early next week. Maximum winds were at 60 MPH with higher gusts and Beta is expected to strengthen into a hurricane by Sunday.

Storm surge could reach as high as 1-3 feet to 2-4 feet along the Texas coast to as far east as Morgan City. Rough surf is expected along the Texas and Louisiana coasts with larger waves reaching as far away as the Alabama and Western Florida Panhandle Gulf Coast. Life-threatening rip currents can be expected along much of the northern and western Gulf Coast through at least Friday.

Teddy: Category 4 Hurricane Teddy continues on a path that will take it very close to the island of Bermuda which is still recovering from Paulette moving over within the past week. Winds were at 130 MPH and movement was to the northwest at 13 MPH. The eye was located about 730 miles to the southeast of Bermuda. This general motion is expected to continue for the day or so, followed by a turn toward the north late this weekend. On the forecast track, Teddy will be approaching Bermuda late Sunday or early Monday. Some fluctuations in intensity are likely through Saturday, with a weakening trend forecast to begin on Sunday. A tropical storm watch has been issued for all of Bermuda as tropical storm conditions will start to affect the island on Sunday. Teddy will become extratropical by Tuesday morning and may move onshore over Nova Scotia on Tuesday evening still at hurricane strength.

Wilfred: The center of poorly-organized Wilfred was located about 830 miles to the west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands and moving to the west-northwest at 18 MPH. Winds were at 40 MPH and some slight strengthening is possible Saturday before weakening likely begins by Sunday. No change in direction is expected over the next few days and is currently no threat to land.

Post-Tropical Cyclone Paulette is located near the western Azores. The cyclone is forecast to move southward for the next couple of days and then stall over marginally warm waters a few hundred miles south of the Azores by the end of the weekend. The cyclone could redevelop tropical characteristics late this weekend or early next week while it moves little. For more information about marine hazards associated with this system, see High Seas Forecasts issued by Meteo France.
* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…30 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days…medium…40 percent.

Another tropical wave is forecast to move off the west coast of Africa by early Saturday. Some slow development of the system will be possible thereafter while it moves generally west-northwestward over the far eastern Atlantic.
* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days…low…20 percent.

ON THIS DATE IN WEATHER HISTORY

1947 – The eye of a hurricane passed directly over New Orleans, and the barometric pressure dipped to 28.61 inches. The hurricane killed fifty-one persons and caused 110 million dollars damage. It produced wind gusts to 155 mph while making landfall over Fort Lauderdale FL two days earlier.

1955 – Hurricane Ione made landfall near Morehead City, North Carolina with winds near 100 mph. 16.63 inches of rain fell at Maysville, North Carolina. Extensive flooding caused severe damage to crops. 40 blocks of New Bern, North Carolina were underwater at one point. 7 people lost their lives and total damage was $88 million. This was the third hurricane to cross eastern North Carolina in 5 weeks. Never before had so many hurricanes had affected the area within such a short period of time. The remnants affected Newport, Rhode Island with .47 inches of rain, and a low barometer of 29.39 inches the following day.

1967 – Hurricane Beulah deluged Brownsville TX with 12.19 inches of rain in 24 hours, to establish a record for that location. Hurricane Beulah made landfall on the 20th near the mouth of the Rio Grande River, where a wind gust to 135 mph was reported by a ship in the port.

1974 – Hurricane Fifi caused catastrophic flooding in Honduras. An estimated 6200 people were killed and damages total $1.8 billion. Many cities were more than 80 percent destroyed with over 150,000 left homeless. The country’s banana crop was completely destroyed.

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Get the latest weather and rip current forecasts for the beaches from Dauphin Island, AL, to Panama City Beach, FL, on our Beach Forecast Center page. There, you can select the forecast of the region that you are interested in.

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Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Tropical, Weather Xtreme Videos