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I think the storms we are seeing on radar this afternoon is a sign that the end of triple digit heat is here. Now, make no mistake, the weather will stay hot for the next seven days, but afternoon highs will back down into the 90s.
RIGHT NOW: SPC has issued a mesoscale discussion for Alabama; the outflow boundary from the overnight storms across Georgia is moving slowly westward, and that will serve as a focus for a few more storms this afternoon and this evening. NWS tells us they believe the primary boundary is from Sylacauga to Selma, and some of the storms that form near it could produce strong winds over isolated areas during the next few hours.
Away from the storms, the heat is the big story. This is the 14th day this month with temperatures of 100 degrees or hotter, a new record (the old record was 12 days in September 1925). Some 3:00 p.m. observations include:
Tuscaloosa 103
Anniston 103
Birmingham 101
Montgomery 93
Dothan 87 (!!)
TOMORROW AND OVER THE WEEKEND: Models continue to suggest the upper air high overhead will weaken a bit, and with increasing moisture and instability, a few afternoon showers and storms will form. The coverage should slowly increase on a daily basis through the weekend and into early next week, but they will be scattered; the “hit and miss” kind of storms we often see on a hot summer day. Highs will slowly drop; we expect upper 90s tomorrow, and mid 90s over the weekend.
NEXT WEEK: Looks like we will need to mention a chance of scattered, mainly afternoon showers and storms on daily basis next week with highs generally in the 91 to 96 degree range. And, toward the end of the week, and approaching front should bring a general increase in the number of showers and thunderstorms by Thursday and Friday. Bring it on!
LONG RANGE: The GFS continues to show a nice upper trough over the eastern part of the North American continent in the September 7-10 time frame, which should mean a good chance of showers and storms along the surface front, and just maybe a shot of cooler, Canadian air. There is no sign of any triple digit heat on the 12Z GFS past today. Hurray!
TROPICS: Nothing really organized across the Atlantic basin at this time….
WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 30 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather hosted by David Black and featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. Note you can listen to the show right on the blog now… see the player on the top left.
WEATHER PARTY: Get all the latest weather news over on our sister site, WeatherParty.com. Be sure and register while you are there; you can submit stories and vote on them to determine what is published on the front page. Many interesting stories over there today.
Nice to have some folks from our corporate office down today; ABC 33/40 is owned by Allbritton Communications of Washington, D.C… the Allbritton family has been so supportive over the 11 years the station has been in existence, and they have provided us with the tools we need to make this a top notch weather organization. And, of course, I have had the freedom to hire the best meteorologists as well. I am also thankful for the stability they have provided; most other stations in our market have been sold, in some cases multiple times, since 1996.
The next Weather Xtreme video will be posted by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow….
