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.
WATCHING THE RADAR: The morning MCS (mesoscale convective system) that moved through Alabama has left the air rather cool and stable, and so afternoon development ahead of the front front is a no show. There are no showers over the northern two-thirds of Alabama as I write this update.
Not sure if the air can sufficiently destabilize for storms tonight, but we will have to keep that chance in the forecast with the front to the north and some decent upper air support for August.
WEEKEND FORECAST: It all depends on where you are, and where our front stalls. Models have been in fair agreement this will be somewhere along I-20… meaning areas north of Birmingham will have a generally dry weekend with only widely scattered showers, while areas south of I-20 will continue to see at least scattered showers and storms both days. Temperatures remain below average with highs in the 80s both days.
NEXT WEEK: Model consistency is a little better today… both the NAM and the GFS are indeed showing moisture surging northward Monday, meaning we will need to raise the chance of showers and storms for the first half of the week. Actually looks like some kind of tropical wave feature will enhance the chance of rain by Tuesday or Wednesday, so the idea of lower humidity and cooler nights is off the table for Alabama now. Showers should thin out by Thursday and Friday as the wave moves away. See the Weather Xtreme video for all of the details and graphics.
GULF COAST WEATHER: About 2 to 4 hours of sun can be expected through early next week along the stretch from Panama City west to Gulf Shores; expect scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms with highs in the mid 80s. Sea water temperatures are generally in the low to mid 80s.
TROPICS: Tropical Storm Gordon is in the Central Atlantic and is moving east, in the general direction of Portugal, so we won’t worry about that one. Old Tropical Depression 7 is trying to regenerate in the Bay of Campeche, but this will move into Mexico tomorrow and really won’t have time to develop much. And, finally, a tropical wave over the far eastern Atlantic has some potential for slow development on the long journey west, but dry air across that part of the Atlantic basin will be a problem for this one. Again, the Weather Xtreme video has all of the graphics and details.
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.
CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…
Brian Peters will have the video updates tomorrow and Sunday… look for my next Weather Xtreme video here by 7:00 a.m. Monday. Enjoy the weekend!
