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.
RADAR CHECK: While we have noted some big storms near the Alabama Gulf Coast, and up north near the Tennessee border, the radar is actually very quiet across North/Central Alabama this afternoon. Seems like an upper low west of Alabama is giving the best coverage of showers and storms today to areas west and south of here. Lots of heavy downpours over Mississippi this afternoon, where precipitable water values are also much higher.
Temperatures are pretty comfortable for mid-July; Tuscaloosa reports only 88 degrees at 2:00… Birmingham reports 90, while Anniston is up to 92.
THE DAYS AHEAD: Still no big change in our thinking. With a stalled surface front to the north and a weakness in the height fields above, we expect scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms around here through mid-week with potential for beneficial rain. The guys at HPC suggest rain of 2-3 inches over North-Central Alabama through Saturday, with 4 inches possible up over the Tennessee Valley. Understand even under these circumstances the rain distribution very uneven due to the nature of summer showers and thunderstorms, but the cumulative rains should be very helpful in coming days.
Both the NAM and the GFS are forecasting highs in the 80s around here on Wednesday and Thursday. Not bad at all for the middle of July in Alabama.
WEEKEND PEEK: For now it looks like pretty routine summer weather around here Saturday and Sunday. Highs in the low 90s, a mix of sun and clouds each day with the chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms.
LONG RANGE: No sign of any runaway heat for Alabama and the Deep South for the rest of July as the core of the serious heat stays out west. Like I stated here a week ago, I sure get the idea the worst of the summer heat is behind us. Sure, it is always hot in July and August, but I seriously doubt we see the consistent triple digit heat like we saw at the end of June and the first of July. See the Weather Xtreme video for the details and graphics.
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 be live tonight from 8:30 until 10:00 p.m… watch here.
CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…
I had a great time today visiting the kids at the Alabama Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Alabama out in Hueytown… be looking for them on the Pepsi KIDCAM today at 5:00 on ABC 33/40 News! The next Weather Xtreme video will be posted here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow…
