Rain For South Alabama Wednesday

ANOTHER CHILLY MORNING: Here are some temperatures across Alabama just before sunrise…

Gadsden 38
Fort Payne 38
Jasper 39
Chelsea 39
Remlap 40
Talladega 40
Hueytown 41
Morris 41
Anniston 42
Montgomery 43
Cullman 43
Decatur 44
Tuscaloosa 46
Birmingham 46
Dothan 47
Mobile 47

Today will feature a sunny sky with a high in the 75-81 degree range this afternoon. We stay dry tomorrow with a high not too far from 80 degrees for most Alabama communities.

WEDNESDAY: A disturbance loaded with tropical moisture, partly from Lidia (expected to be a hurricane when it moves into Mexico from the eastern Pacific tomorrow night), will bring a beneficial rain event to South Alabama. The most widespread and heaviest rain will be south of U.S. 80 (Demopolis to Montgomery to Opelika), where 1-3 inches are likely. Some light rain is possible as far north as I-59 (Tuscaloosa to Birmingham to Gadsden)… the northern third of the state will likely miss the rain completely.

Thursday will be a dry with a partly sunny sky; the high will be in the 70s for most places.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: An approaching cold front will bring a chance of showers statewide Friday and Friday night. Unfortunately it looks like rain amounts will be rather light and spotty with limited moisture available. Then, the sky will clear Saturday morning, and Sunday will feature sunshine in fully supply. The high Saturday will be in the 70-75 degree range, then dropping into the 60s Sunday.

NEXT WEEK: For now most of the week looks dry with sunny pleasant days and clear cool nights; highs will be mostly in the 60s with lows in the 40s. See the video briefing for maps, graphics, and more details.

TROPICS: A small area of low pressure with disorganized thunderstorm activity has formed in the extreme southwestern Gulf of Mexico about 75 miles northeast of Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. Further development, if any, is expected to be slow to occur while the system moves slowly northwestward. Around midweek, the low is forecast to merge with a frontal system over the western Gulf of Mexico. NHC gives it only a 10 percent chance of development.

And, a low-latitude tropical wave located several hundred miles south of the Cabo Verde Islands continues to produce a large area of showers and thunderstorms. This system has become better organized since yesterday, and environmental conditions appear conducive for gradual development of this system during the next several days. A tropical depression is likely to form around midweek while it moves west-northwestward or northwestward across the eastern tropical Atlantic. This feature will likely turn northward, and will be no threat to the Lesser Antilles or the U.S. NHC gives it a 90 percent chance of development.

DROUGHT MONITOR: Parts of Southwest Alabama are in an “extreme drought” (D4)… a “severe drought” (D3) covers much of North, West, and South Alabama. Conditions are not as bad over the eastern counties, but conditions there are “abnormally dry” (D0).

The Alabama Forestry Commission maintains a “fire alert” for the entire state. Permits for outdoor burning will no longer be issued until further notice. Anyone burning a field, grassland, or woodland without a burn permit may be subject to prosecution for committing a Class B misdemeanor.

ON THIS DATE IN 1804: The famous Snow Hurricane moved ashore near Atlantic City on this day. After briefly passing through Connecticut and into Massachusetts, cold air was entrained in the circulation with heavy snow falling between New York to southern Canada. Berkshires Massachusetts and Concord New Hampshire record two feet of snow with this hurricane. This storm produced the first observation of snow from a hurricane, but not the last. Hurricane Ginny of 1963 brought up to 18 inches of snow to portions of Maine.

ON THIS DATE IN 2001: An unusually strong fall outbreak of tornadoes spawned at least 23 twisters across parts of Nebraska and Oklahoma. Hardest hit was the town of Cordell, OK, but a 22 minute lead time led to an amazingly low casualty count: only nine injuries and no fatalities.

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

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