Very, Very, Very Gorgeous Weather

The latest edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme Video is available in the player below and on iTunes.

Holy winter coat, Batman, can this be August in Alabama. I’m doing the Weather Xtreme Video this morning from Mt. Cheaha, and with the steady westerly breeze, I’m actually a tad on the chilly side with a temperature in the mid-60s. And I’m not even showing the coldest temperatures in the state with the mid 50s across Northeast Alabama. Having lived in Alabama close to 20 years, I have noted that sometime in mid to late August, we usually see an early season cold front that brings a nice air mass change with some cooler and drier air. I’ve always felt that it is nature’s way of giving us a small taste of Fall to help us get through a few more weeks of hot weather.

But for now, speaking of the next 7 days, we are going to be seasonally cool. And it could be wet. The trough has taken up semi-permanent residence over the eastern half of the country, so we’re under a northwesterly flow pattern. While we are dry now, it looks like moisture is likely to surge back beginning late Sunday and into Monday and Tuesday. The increased moisture along with a series of disturbances or short waves moving through the northwesterly flow will bring some good chances of rain and storms to Central Alabama. I think our best chances come on Tuesday but they begin to increase late Sunday and Monday.

Later this coming week, my confidence in the forecast becomes a lot less. It would seem that the northwesterly flow pattern will stay with us though a bit weaker. There are also additional disturbances traveling down the western side of the trough. These disturbances will be hard to time, so I think it will be a case of mentioning showers and storms just about every day.

Main severe weather threat stays well north of Alabama along the main storm track across the northern tier of the US. But we’ll have to maintain some vigilence on these large thunderstorm clusters because they can often produce some significant weather.

Tropics are quiet at this time. Interesting to note that the two big hurricane forecast groups have each indicated growing confidence in an above normal hurricane season as far as storm numbers go. And we are on the verge of hitting the most active period in the season – now through the first of October.

Long range GFS model output suggests little change in the overall pattern with a continuation of the trough over the eastern US. That should keep us well out of any excessive heat.

It is gorgeous on Mt. Cheaha this morning. Got to get back to the trailer and make sure the corn is out for the deer. It only took them 40 minutes to find the corn after we arrived on Wednesday. They know the real suckers when they see us. But it’s worth it to watch them so close. Have a great weekend. God bless.

-Brian-

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