Brighter Days Ahead

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

THIS AFTERNOON: How about 59 degrees in Birmingham at 3:00… almost 30 degrees below the average high of 88 for September 6, and almost 40 degrees cooler than the high of 97 we had just three days ago on September 3. The day feels even cooler thanks to low clouds, light rain, and drizzle covering much of North Alabama.

But, to the south, we note the sun is shining brightly on our Demopolis SKYCAM, and the sun is trying to break out in Tuscaloosa. Nothing but sun down on the Alabama Gulf Coast this afternoon.

REST OF THE WEEK: We project partly sunny days and fair nights tomorrow through Friday, with just a slow warming trend. We expect low to mid 70s tomorrow, upper 70s Thursday, and low 80s by Friday.

WEEKEND PEEK: The 12Z GFS still looks dry for most of Alabama, so we will forecast partly sunny days with highs back in the low to mid 80s Saturday and Sunday. We still might consider some outside risk of a shower over the northern third of the state, but for now the air looks pretty dry. The only possible fly in the ointment would be tropical developments…

SOUTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO: A disturbance in the Bay of Campeche could become a tropical storm during the next 48 hours. The GFS drifts the system to the west, with landfall over the Mexican Gulf Coast. However, we note the ECMWF pulls it northeast in response to the upper trough over the eastern U.S., with landfall near Mobile Bay Sunday morning. This, of course, would mean a very wet and windy Sunday for much of Alabama if the Euro is correct.

I honestly see credibility in both solutions, but for now we will roll with the GFS and discount any possible tropical system in Alabama Sunday. But, that could change.

REST OF THE TROPICS: Hurricane Katia will recurve east of the U.S. Atlantic Coast, and west of Bermuda in coming days and it no threat to land. A strong disturbance in the Central Atlantic should become Tropical Storm Maria over the next few days; long range guidance shows this one taking a track similar to Katia, with recurvature east of the U.S. early next week. And, yet another organized wave has emerged off the coast of Africa. See the Weather Xtreme video for all of the graphics and details.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.

FOLLOW ALONG: Here are our weather team Twitter accounts….

I enjoyed speaking today at safety meetings at Protective Life here in Birmingham.. Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow…

Tags: brighter

Category: Alabama's Weather