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Anyone remember Sly and the Family Stone from the early 70s?
“End of the spring and here she comes back
Hi Hi Hi Hi there
Them summer days, those summer days
That’s when I had most of my fun, back
high high high high there
Them summer days, those summer days”
I am not sure you can have too much fun on these summer days with Alabama’s summer heat. Hot weather will be our big story all week, but then, what do you expect in early August around here? This is the hottest part of the year, and this kind of heat really isn’t all that unusual. Anyone that has lived around here for a while certainly knows that. You often lots of hyperbole during hot spells in the summer, and yes, the heat can be dangerous if you overexert yourself outdoors during the afternoon hours, but this weather isn’t too far from the ordinary for mid-summer.
The hot weather this week won’t rival our big-time heat waves in Alabama, like 1935, 1943, 1952, and 1980. Now, those heat waves were really dangerous, and nothing like the weather we will see this week. September will be here before you know it.
THE WEEK AHEAD: The weather won’t change all that much through Thursday; daily highs in the 96 to 100 degree range with lots of hazy sunshine and only isolated afternoon thunderstorms. Where the storms develop, the lightning will be pretty wicked and some strong winds are possible, many neighborhoods will remain bone dry. Birmingham’s rain deficit for the year is now 19.43″, and it will probably top 20 inches by the end of the week.
LATE THIS WEEK AND THE WEEKEND: The GFS shows the primary heat bubble shifting to the west, and an upper trough forms over the eastern seaboard. Unfortunately, the model really doesn’t show much rain with a surface front associated with the trough, but the heat levels should back down a bit by Saturday and Sunday with highs in the low 90s.
LONG RANGE: Upper heights do back down by mid-month, and the weather looks fairly routine in the August 15-22 time frame with the daily chance of scattered afternoon storms, and highs in the 88 to 93 degree range. Unfortunately, no sign of any big, widespread rain event, and nothing of note showing up in the tropics.
Thanks to Brian Peters, J.B. Elliott, Bill Murray, and Ashley Brand for covering all the bases for me last week while I took a little time away from weather maps. I was able to “stay off the grid” for much of the week, and the down time was needed and greatly appreciated.
I have a long road trip this morning; I will be speaking to all the employees of the Randolph County school system at Randolph County High School in Wedowee. Everyone is gearing up for the beginning of school, which is later this week for many Alabama systems. I will be back in the office by early afternoon, and look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:30!
