Sun, Heat, Haze, And Storms

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CLASSIC DOG DAY AFTERNOON: This is just what you expect in late July in Alabama. A hot hazy day, temperatures in the low to mid 90s, and showers and storms in scattered, random locations.

Had a nice shower pass over the ABC 33/40 studio site in Riverchase about 30 minutes ago, dropping our temperature down into the upper 70s for a brief time. As I write this at 3:30, the heavier storms are over Greene, Pickens, and Sumter Counties of West Alabama, and to the south over Montgomery County. Showers and storms today are moving slowly to the west/northwest.

Birmingham reports 93 degrees at 3:00… but Tuscaloosa had cooled down to 80 thanks to a nearby storm within the hour.

TOMORROW THROUGH THE WEEKEND: Honestly I think we can broad brush the forecast with more of the same. Very routine mid-summer weather, with partly sunny days, highs in the low to mid 90s, and the risk of scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms. I know that doesn’t help those trying to plan an outdoor party, golf outing, or picnic, but there simply is way to forecast exact timing and placement of the airmass storms that fire up so quickly on a summer afternoon in Alabama.

The GFS continue to show a hotter and drier look by the middle of next week as the upper high strengthens, but that is certainly not carved in stone, as the model has tried to do that a number of times this summer 5 days out, and it turned out to be wetter and not as hot.

HERE COMES DON: I expect NHC to upgrade the disturbance near the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula any moment to tropical depression four. This should become Tropical Storm Don soon, and it is headed toward the Texas Gulf Coast by Friday night or Saturday. See the Weather Xtreme video for the details and graphics.

Model spread is not as great today… spaghetti plots are clustered over the middle or lower coast of Texas, and most of the intensity models keep the system as a tropical storm by the time of landfall (but not all of them; one brings it up to a category one hurricane). Again, we stress this could very well be a blessing for the Lone Star State, that has been so hot and so dry in recent weeks, with potential for beneficial rain. Interests along the Texas coast will need to keep an eye on this one one way or another.

The rest of the Atlantic basin is quiet.

GULF COAST WEATHER: Don won’t impact the Central Gulf Coast directly… but there will be scattered to numerous showers and storms in the region from Panama City west to Gulf Shores tomorrow with only a limited amount of sunshine. However, expect increasing amounts of sunshine Friday through Sunday with showers and storms becoming more widely spaced. Highs will be in the mid 80s tomorrow, and in the 87-90 degree range Friday and over the weekend.

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I had a great time today visiting with the kids in the summer program at the Anniston campus of Gadsden State Community College… be looking for them on the Pepsi KIDCAM today at 5:00 on ABC 33/40 News. The next Weather Xtreme video will be posted by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow….

Category: Alabama's Weather