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OCCASIONAL SHOWERS AND STORMS: The weakness in the heat ridge aloft will persist across Alabama and the Deep South through the weekend, meaning the weather will be wet at times with an occasional strong storm.
This morning the radar is relatively quiet across Alabama, but we note a huge MCS (mesoscale convective system) over South and East Texas bringing some badly needed rain to our friends to the west. We expect more showers and storms to crank up here later today and tonight, with the stronger storms producing heavy rain, strong winds, some small hail, and lots of lightning. The high today should be only in the upper 80s due to the clouds and showers.
TOMORROW THROUGH SUNDAY: No real change; each day will feature scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms with a mix of sun and clouds. While the best chance of showers will come during the afternoon and evening hours, we can’t rule out a nighttime or morning storm as well. Afternoon highs will be mostly in the 88-91 degree range, a welcomed break from the intense heat we have been dealing with in recent weeks.
The coverage of the rain in summer is always rather uneven, but if you average out the rain totals between now and Sunday, additional amounts of 1 to 3 inches is likely statewide.
NEXT WEEK: The upper ridge strengthens a bit early next week, meaning heat levels should go up, and coverage of scattered showers and storms will lessen a bit. Highs should be back in the mid 90s by Tuesday and Wednesday. This typical summer pattern should persist into early July. See the Weather Xtreme video for more long range notes.
POWER SITUATION: Alabama Power reports 6,800 customers are still without service as of 5:00 a.m. due to the storms yesterday afternoon. At one point yesterday around 45,000 people had no power.
GULF COAST WEATHER: Unsettled conditions will continue along the coast through the weekend. Expect about 2-4 hours of sunshine each day from Panama City west to Gulf Shores, with scattered to numerous showers and storms on a daily basis. Highs will be in the upper 80s, and the sea water temperature at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab last night was 86.5 degrees (F).
TROPICAL WEATHER: The Atlantic basin remains very quiet, and tropical storm formation is not expected through the rest of the week. Keep in mind the peak of the hurricane season usually holds off until August and September.
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