May 1 To Feel More Like June 1
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SPRING HEAT WAVE: Temperatures at 2:00 around Alabama include 90 at Montgomery, 89 at Tuscaloosa, and 87 at Birmingham and Anniston… right at forecast levels for today. The sky is generally sunny, with scattered clouds over the northern counties. Nothing is showing up on radar, and we will stay dry tonight.
REST OF THE WEEK: A 5880 meter 500 millibar ridge will hold over the Gulf Coast states, keeping us very warm, and mostly dry. We might see a few isolated showers or storms tomorrow afternoon, mainly over the northern quarter of Alabama, but even they should be few and far between. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday look dry with a good supply of sunshine on all three days. Afternoon highs will remain in the 86 to 90 degree range; the average high for early May is around 79 degrees.
WEEKEND PREVIEW: The core of the upper ridge is forecast to move west of Alabama over the weekend, but our weather stays very warm with highs remaining somewhere between 86 and 90 degrees. We will have a light northwest flow aloft, and weak ripples in that flow might trigger a shower or two somewhere, but widespread rain is not likely… just a slight risk of any one spot getting wet Saturday and Sunday with a partly sunny sky both days. It will feel more like June instead of May.
NASCAR fans will need the sunscreen this weekend at Talladega for sure.
LONG RANGE: Still evidence from the GFS of an upper trough forming over the eastern third of the nation in the May 10-15 time frame that will bring a cooler pattern. And, on the positive side, no sign of any severe weather issues here for the next two weeks, but on the negative side, prospects for a big, beneficial rain event don’t look good either. See the Weather Xtreme video for details and all of the graphics that go along with this discussion.
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. We will record this week’s show at 8:30 CDT tonight… you can listen live via uStream.
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I had a great time today at Moundville and Riverchase Elementary Schools… be looking for those kids on the Pepsi KIDCAM today at 5:00 and 6:00 on ABC 33/40 News! The next Weather Xtreme video will be posted by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow…
Category: Alabama's Weather
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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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