Dry Weather Continues; Showers Possible Late Next Week
PLEASANT LATE SEPTEMBER DAY: A low level easterly flow has helped to bring in somewhat cooler air into Alabama today; temperatures are in the upper 70s and low 80s in many areas, which is below average for September 28. Clouds are persistent over the southwest counties… the sky is mostly sunny elsewhere. Tonight will be mostly fair with a low in the 60s.
Look for sunny warm days and fair nights tomorrow through Sunday with highs in the 85-91 degree range as the dry pattern continues across the Deep South.
NEXT WEEK: Not much change for the first half of the week. Dry weather continues through Wednesday with highs in the 80s. Global models continue to suggest an upper trough and surface front will bring some risk of showers by Thursday or Friday, followed by noticeably cooler air over the weekend (October 7-8). See the video briefing for maps, graphics, and more details.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: The sky will be mostly fair for the high school football games across Alabama tomorrow night with temperatures falling through the 70s.
Saturday, UAB travels to New Orleans to take on Tulane (11:00a CT kickoff). The sky will be partly too mostly sunny with an outside risk of a brief shower or storm during the game. Temperatures will rise from near 84 at kickoff to 88 degrees by the final whistle.
Auburn hosts Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium (2:30p CT kickoff)… the sky will be mostly sunny. Temperatures will hover in the mid to upper 80s through most of the game.
And, Alabama will be in Starkville to take on Mississippi State (8:00p CT kickoff). Expect a clear sky with temperatures falling through the 70s.
RACE WEEKEND: Sunny warm days, fair nights at Talladega today through the weekend with highs in the 80s.
TROPICS: Tropical Storm Philippe, winds of 50 mph, is about 550 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands. The system is moving very little. NHC is keeping the system on the board as a tropical storm through early next week, and holding it east of the Lesser Antilles. Long range guidance suggests that if Philippe survives, it will head north and then out into the open Atlantic.
Tropical Storm Rina formed this morning a little east of Philippe. Winds are 40 mph, and NHC keeps it below hurricane strength over the next five days as it gains latitude. A very good chance this one won’t impact any land areas.
No tropical systems are expected near the Gulf of Mexico for at least the next seven days.
ON THIS DATE IN 1998: Hurricane Georges made landfall near Biloxi with maximum winds of 110 mph and a minimum pressure of 964 mb, making it a Category 2 hurricane. After landfall, Georges moved very slowly across southern Mississippi and weakened to a tropical depression by the morning of the 29th when the center was about 30 miles north-northeast of Mobile. Hurricane Georges produced a storm surge of 7-12 ft in Mobile and Baldwin Counties with a 5-10 ft surge across the western Florida Panhandle, which caused extensive damage across coastal communities.
ON THIS DATE IN 2022: Ian peaked as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 160 mph early on September 28, while progressing towards the west coast of Florida, and made landfall just below peak intensity in Southwest Florida on Cayo Costa Island. In doing so, Ian tied with several other storms to become the 5th-strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in the contiguous U.S.
Hurricane Ian caused 161 fatalities: 5 in Cuba, 150 in Florida, 5 in North Carolina, and 1 in Virginia. Ian caused catastrophic damage with losses estimated to be around $113 billion, making it the costliest hurricane in Florida’s history, surpassing Irma of 2017, as well as the third-costliest in US history, behind only Katrina of 2005 and Harvey of 2017 respectively. Much of the damage was from flooding brought about by a storm surge of 10–15 ft.
The cities of Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Naples were particularly hard hit, leaving millions without power in the storm’s wake and numerous inhabitants forced to take refuge on their roofs. Sanibel Island, Fort Myers Beach, and Pine Island bore the brunt of Ian’s powerful winds and its accompanying storm surge at landfall, which leveled nearly all standing structures and collapsed the Sanibel Causeway and the Matlacha Bridge to Pine Island, entrapping those left on the islands for several days.
Look for the next video briefing here by 6:00 a.m. tomorrow…
Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Weather Xtreme Videos
About the Author (Author Profile)
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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