At Mid-Afternoon

**No Weather Xtreme video this afternoon due to travel**

FROM THE ALABAMA GULF COAST: I have actually been down here today shooting video elements for a children’s ministry event at my church next week (if you listened to Rick and Bubba this morning, you know I am a pirate this year… AARRG!). But, we did stop in a couple of spots and look for signs of oil since there have been media reports of oil coming ashore on the Baldwin County coast this morning.

We spent a good bit of time at the public beach, around the Hangout, with no sign of oil, and then we drove the 20 mile stretch down to Fort Morgan, and found no evidence of oil there either. Seems like the oil reports were rather isolated; one media report said oil was seen near the State Park, just a mile or so east of the public beach. We simply ran out of time and didn’t get down there. Bottom line is that the oil, for now at least, seems to be rather isolated.

See some of my pictures from Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan below…

THE ALABAMA WEATHER SITUATION: Scattered showers and storms continue over Alabama this afternoon. Flash flooding problems are easing over Northeast Jefferson County; the most widespread rain was over Northwest Alabama. Down this way, on the Alabama coast, we have clouds, but so far very little rain today. The bulk of the rain associated with the upper low to the west is over Mississippi and Louisiana.

THE WEEKEND: The upper low will weaken into an open wave and move northeast of Alabama over the weekend, leaving us in a rather moist environment. That means, of course, some risk of scattered showers and storms tomorrow and Sunday. Lots of model disagreement concerning the placement and coverage of the storms this weekend, but as usual the best chance of a storm will come during the afternoon and evening hours.

NEXT WEEK: The 12Z GFS is relatively dry on Monday and Tuesday as an upper ridge noses in here from the west. A few showers and storms will show up Wednesday.

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 featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40. You can even listen here on the blog; look for the player on the top left.

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We will get back to the regular two a day Weather Xtreme video production schedule Monday… Brian Peters will have the video updates tomorrow and Sunday. Enjoy the weekend!