Showers/Storms Fewer In Number Today/Tomorrow

A FEW AFTERNOON SHOWERS/STORMS: We do note a few isolated showers early this morning over the northwest corner of Alabama, but the rest of the state is rain-free as the day begins with temperatures around 70 degrees. Upper ridging builds over the region temporarily, and that should mean a decrease in the number of showers and thunderstorms both today and tomorrow; odds of any one spot getting wet both days are in the 20-30 percent range. Most of the scattered storms will come from 1:00 until 11:00 p.m.. otherwise expect a partly sunny sky with a high in the 87-90 degree range. The average high for Birmingham on July 14 is 91.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: Another upper trough approaches the state, and we expect an increase in coverage of showers and thunderstorms on these three days. It doesn’t mean a “washout”, but you will have to dodge an occasional passing shower or thunderstorm, especially during the afternoon and evening hours. The chance of any one spot getting wet Friday and over the weekend is 55-65 percent. Otherwise, we are forecasting a mix of sun and clouds each day with highs in the mid to upper 80s.

NEXT WEEK: Not much change in the overall pattern; look for partly sunny, warm, humid days with scattered showers and thunderstorms each day, mostly from about 1:00 until 11:00 p.m. Temperatures will remain below average for mid-summer in Alabama… highs will be generally in the upper 80s. Still no sign of any excessive heat issues for our state for the rest of July. See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.

TROPICS: A non-tropical area of low pressure, located several hundred miles south-southwest of Cape Race, Newfoundland, is producing near-gale winds, but there only a few showers and thunderstorms present to the east of its center. Although environmental conditions are only marginally conducive during the next couple of days, some slight development of this system is possible as it drifts generally southwestward over warmer waters. Toward the end of the week, the low is expected to accelerate northeastward and open up into a trough of low pressure to the south of Atlantic Canada.

The bottom line is that the Atlantic basin will likely remain quiet, and tropical storm formation is not expected through the weekend.

LIGHTNING FATALITIES: So far, only two people have been killed by lightning in the U.S. in 2021. One death came in Georgia, one in New Jersey. However, on Sunday in the city of Jaipur in Rajasthan, India, 23 died after lightning hit Amer Fort – a popular tourist spot on the outskirts of the city.

ON THIS DATE IN 1995: On the evening of Friday, July 14th, thunderstorms producing severe weather were occurring over Upper Michigan and adjacent portions of Ontario near Sault Saint Marie. By late evening the storms had evolved into a bowing line just northwest of the Mackinac Bridge. At 10:17 PM EDT, the thunderstorm gust front hit the bridge, and a gust to 90 mph was measured. Sustained winds of 80 mph continued on the bridge for ten more minutes. Thus began the intense “Ontario-Adirondacks Derecho” that would cause hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of damage, several deaths, and many injuries as it raced southeast from the northern Great Lakes to the Atlantic coast.

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Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:00 this afternoon… enjoy the day!

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