Mostly Cloudy, Showery Weather Through The Weekend
RADAR CHECK: Rain is falling early this morning over parts of East and South Alabama, otherwise the sky is cloudy with temperatures in the 68-72 degree range. Much like yesterday, clouds will cover most of Alabama through the day with few periods of rain likely along with a rumble of thunder or two. Heaviest rain will be near the Gulf Coast; a flash flood watch remains in effect for Mobile, Baldwin, Washington, and Escambia counties; some communities there received over five inches of rain yesterday. Temperatures won’t get out of the 70s today because of clouds and showers.
TOMORROW THROUGH THE WEEKEND: There simply is nothing to sweep out the moisture, so the weather won’t change much. The sky will remain mostly cloudy, and each day we expect occasional showers, and possibly a thunderstorm or two. Understand these days won’t be a total “wash-out”, but some rain is likely from time to time. No way of knowing exactly when and where the showers happen; if you have something planned outdoors you will simply have to watch radar trends. Temperatures remain below average because of the clouds; highs will be in the 75-80 degree range.
NEXT WEEK: The unsettled pattern continues much of the week with some risk of showers and thunderstorms on a daily basis. A cold front will be approaching the state Wednesday, but it looks like it will hang up just north and west of the state, keeping us in a moist airmass. Highs will be in the low 80s much of the week… See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.
TROPICS: A tropical wave is northeast of the Bahamas; there is a high chance this becomes a tropical depression or storm within the next 24-48 hours… it will move north, and then northeast staying east of the U.S. Despite the fact it remains offshore, this system could bring high surf to portions of the southeast and mid-Atlantic U.S. coasts tomorrow.
Another wave is in the eastern Atlantic about 500 miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Also a high chance of development with this feature; it will be near or just north of the Leeward Islands in 5 days or so; most likely this recurves into the Atlantic before reaching the U.S.. but this isn’t totally carved in stone.
And, a tropical wave located just inland over Africa is expected to emerge off the west coast of Africa in the next day or so. Thereafter, environmental conditions are forecast to be somewhat conducive for additional development while the system moves west-northwestward to northwestward over the far eastern Atlantic. This won’t impact the Lesser Antilles or the U.S.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the high school games Friday night, the sky will be mostly cloudy, showers are very possible, so take the rain gear (but it won’t rain at every stadium). Temperatures will fall slowly through 70s during the games.
ALABAMA AT FLORIDA (2:30p CT kickoff): It will be a warm, humid day in Gainesville. A few passing showers and thunderstorms are likely during the game (take the rain gear)… temperatures will fall from near 84 at kickoff, into the low 80s by the fourth quarter.
AUBURN AT PENN STATE (6:30p CT kickoff): A passing shower can’t be ruled out during the game in State College (especially the first half), otherwise mostly fair with temperatures falling from around 80 at kickoff, into the low 70s by the final whistle.
UAB AT NORTH TEXAS (6:30p CT kickoff): The sky will be clear in Denton, Texas Saturday evening. Temperatures will fall from around 90 degrees at kickoff, to near 80 by the fourth quarter.
NORTH ALABAMA AT JACKSONVILLE STATE (6:00p CT kickoff): It will be a warm, humid Saturday night; a shower or storm can’t be ruled out, mainly during the first half. Temperatures will fall from near 80 at kickoff, into the mid 70s by the final whistle.
TROY AT SOUTHERN MISS (6:00p CT kickoff): A few showers are likely during the first half of the game, otherwise it will be a warm, humid night in Hattiesburg with temperatures falling from the low 80s into the upper 70s.
ON THIS DATE IN 1928: The Okeechobee Hurricane, also known as the San Felipe Segundo Hurricane was one of the deadliest hurricanes in the history of the Atlantic basin. This Hurricane made landfall near West Palm Beach, Florida as a Category 4 storm during the evening hours of the 16th. The storm surge caused water to pour out of the southern edge of Lake Okeechobee, flooding hundreds of square miles as high as 20 feet. This storm killed over 4,000 people, including 2,500 in Florida.
ON THIS DATE IN 2004: Powerful Hurricane Ivan made landfall just west of Gulf Shores as an upper end Category 3 Hurricane. Ivan packed 120 mph sustained surface winds and a historic storm surge… the magnitude and extent of the damage and destruction over Baldwin County in Alabama and Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties in Northwest Florida exceeded that of both Hurricane Frederic (September 1979) and Hurricane Opal (October 1995).
Four days later, Ivan’s remnant surface low completed an anticyclonic loop and moved across the Florida peninsula. As it continued westward across the northern Gulf of Mexico, the system reorganized and again took on tropical characteristics on September 22. The National Weather Service determined that the low was in fact a result of the remnants of Ivan and thus named it accordingly. On the evening of September 23, the revived Ivan made another landfall near Cameron, Louisiana as a tropical depression.
ON THIS DATE IN 2020: Hurricane Sally made landfall in Gulf Shores as a strong Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. Sally produced widespread wind, storm surge, and freshwater flooding across coastal AL and the western Florida Panhandle. Flood and wind damage also extended well inland into inland southwest Alabama and south central Alabama. Sally was an extremely slow moving hurricane, which prolonged and exacerbated the local impacts. The storm was moving at less than 5 mph at the time of landfall, resulting in a long duration of tropical storm and hurricane force winds, storm surge, and torrential rainfall.
There were 3 direct fatalities as a result of Sally. One fatality occurred in the Wolf Bay area (Baldwin County AL.) Two men were riding the storm out on their boat and at some point during the storm attempted to swim to shore. One of the men made it to a pier and was rescued and hospitalised; the other man drowned. The second fatality occurred on Innerarity Point, FL (Escambia County FL) where a 45 year old woman drowned when the vehicle she was driving was overtaken by the incoming storm surge. The third fatality occurred in Perdido Key, FL (Escambia County FL) when a 27 year old man drowned trying to retrieve a boat that was swept away by the surge and high surf.
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Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:00 this afternoon… enjoy the day!
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James Spann is one of the most recognized and trusted television meteorologists in the industry. He holds the AMS CCM designation and television seals from the AMS and NWA. He is a past winner of the Broadcast Meteorologist of the Year from both professional organizations.Subscribe
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