An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player below, and on iTunes…
A familiar site across Alabama this afternoon… scattered showers and storms on a hot, humid summer afternoon. We have loud thunder right now at ABC 33/40 (we are in Riverchase, near the intersection of Valleydale Road and Riverchase Parkway), and the rain has just started as I write this. The NWS has issued a “significant weather alert” for Shelby County due to this storm.
Like all previous days this week, the storms across Alabama this afternoon will produce lots of lightning, heavy rain in spots, and they have the potential for a few wet microbursts. They will diminish late tonight as the air becomes stable.
OUR WEEKEND: The GFS continues the trend of holding the surface front up near the Tennessee border, where it dissipates late in the weekend. We still expect scattered to numerous showers and storms tomorrow afternoon, and I am not totally sure that Sunday will be much different, although the storms should thin out over the northern third of the state.
NEXT WEEK: The GFS looks a tad wetter for the first half of next week, and it might be on the right idea. I think it is best just to roll with a standard summer forecast for Monday through Wednesday. Hot and humid with morning sun and scattered afternoon storms. Highs in the 90 to 95 degree range.
Interesting to note that the GFS shows another surface front approaching late next week that might enhance the coverage of showers or storms by Thursday.
LONG RANGE: Still looks like we will have a rather soupy airmass in place on most days for a daily chance of afternoon convection through mid-July. No sign of any excessive heat; highs mostly in the low to mid 90s. The southwest part of the U.S. will be sizlzing, however, where an upper air high takes over. We are expecting 115 degree heat for Phoenix over the weekend.
TROPICS: Disturbed weather continues across the Florida peninsula and the Bahamas, but tropical storm formation is not expected due to hostile upper air winds.
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.
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.
I sure enjoyed seeing the kids in the Camp Birmingham program this morning at Smith Middle School in Huffman… be looking for them on ABC 33/40 news at 5:00 this afternoon! This weekend I will be down in Clay County; I speak at the Lineville Baptist Church Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m… be sure and join us if you live close by.
Brian Peters will have the video updates over the weekend… my next Weather Xtreme video will be posted by Monday morning at 7:00. Enjoy the weekend!
