Moist, Unsettled Weather Continues
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 MORNING: After a night of heavy rain and flash flooding across parts of the state, rain continues this morning in the broad area from Tuscaloosa down to Selma and Montgomery. Nothing severe, but a few heavy downpours and a good bit of lightning.
Most places have had enough rain for a while. NEXRAD rain estimates suggest up to 8 inches of rain last night near Gordo and Reform, and just east of Greensboro, where serious flooding issues developed. U.S. 82 was closed for a while in Gordo, and there were some water rescues in both Pickens and Hale Counties.
THE DAY AHEAD: We will forecast scattered to numerous showers and storms again today. The severe weather threat is not as high today; if we do have severe storms the best chance will come over the southern half of the state this afternoon. With high precipitable water values still in place (around 2 inches), heavy rain is possible in spots, and with the ground saturated we will need to keep an eye on potential training echoes and flash flooding issues. We won’t get out of the 80s because of the clouds and rain.
REST OF THE WEEK: The air aloft should be warmer tomorrow through Friday, meaning the air will be a bit more stable, and showers and storms should become fewer in number. We could see some rain at times, but the showers and storms will be rather scattered, and mostly during the afternoon and evening hours. The weather heats up a bit with a high at or just over 90 on these three days. We note the GFS runs wild with MOS highs in the 94 to 97 degree range, but with the wet soil those numbers sound too high; I don’t think it gets that hot.
WEEKEND FORECAST: Finally some changes in the UA pattern as a big upper trough begins to form over the eastern third of the nation. This will help push a cold front into the state on Saturday, and it sure looks like the weekend will begin with a good chance of showers and storms. It won’t rain all day Saturday, but it could rain at any time, and a strong thunderstorm is not out of the question. The GFS is printing a high of 87, but we might not get out of the low 80s Saturday because of clouds and rain.
Rain is a distinct possibility for the in-state college football games Saturday.
Then, on Sunday, the weather turns noticeably cooler. The 00Z GFS shows an upper low trying to form just north of here, and if that solution is correct we will need to mention an outside risk of a stray shower Sunday due to the very cold air aloft associated with the ULL. We won’t get out of the 70s Sunday with fresh north breeze; any showers should be light and spotty, and most likely north of Birmingham.
NEXT WEEK: A good chance we visit the cool 50s early Monday morning, and possibly Tuesday morning. The high should be only in the low 80s Monday and Tuesday as the dry, continental air takes over. Humidity levels will finally be much, much lower. See the Weather Xtreme video for details on the big change.
TROPICS: Tropical Storm Leslie is moving very slowly northward over the open Atlantic, and could threaten the island of Bermuda as a hurricane this weekend… then possibly getting close to Nova Scotia early next week. For now Leslie is no threat to the U.S., and certainly no factor in our weather here across the Deep South. NHC has upgraded a small disorganized system to T.D. 13 in the open Atlantic; it is no threat to land. Again, see the Weather Xtreme video for the 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. We will produce this week’s episode tonight at 8:30 p.m. CDT; you can watch live here.
CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…
Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:30 this afternoon as we get back into the regular production schedule. Enjoy the day!
Category: Alabama's Weather
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
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
