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.
THIS AFTERNOON: Very quiet in the weather office. Nothing on radar; a rather large temperature spread with upper 70s in place like Fort Payne, Cullman, and Haleyville, but upper 80s at Tuscaloosa. There is a mix of sun and clouds.
TOMORROW AND FRIDAY: The weather still looks generally dry on these two days with highs generally in the mid 80s. Clouds will increase Friday night, but any rain should hold off until after midnight.
SATURDAY SOAKER: Wet weather will headline the forecast for Alabama as the weekend begins. The GFS, ECMWF (European), and GEMS (Canadian) models all show potential for a good soaker for the state, with rain amounts of 1 to 2 inches likely, and maybe even a little more in spots. The rain should begin early in the day, maybe even before daybreak over Northwest Alabama. While there could be a few breaks in the rain, it sure looks like a good 5 to 7 hours of rain during the day, with potential for some thunder as well (but no severe weather is expected).
The rain will be caused by an approaching cold front, a surface low, and deeper tropical moisture. We do note the NAM model is the outlier, looking much drier, but that solution is rejected for now.
Models are not in very good agreement concerning the end of the rain. The European wants to keep it wet here into at least part of the day Sunday, while the GFS pushes the rain out late Saturday night. We will keep a good chance of rain doing through Saturday night, and forecast the rain to taper off Sunday. The high Saturday will be in the 70s; we might touch 80 Sunday if the sun can break out a time or two.
NEXT WEEK: For now we will forecast dry weather for the first half of the week, but will keep an eye on the Gulf of Mexico for any tropical mischief that might become an issue.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: I think the high school games Thursday and Friday night will be fine with a fair sky and temperatures in the 70s. But, Saturday is a different story….
For the Alabama/Colorado State game Saturday evening in Tuscaloosa (6:00p CT kickoff), rain is likely with temperatures in the 70s. The rain might even be heavy at times, but confidence in the timing of the heavier rain is low at this point. A decent chance the heavier rain will fall before game time. Just keep an eye on the forecast as game day gets closer. Rain will also be a problem for tailgaters on the UA campus during the day Saturday.
Auburn is on the road; they take on LSU at 6:45p CT Saturday in Baton Rouge. Rain is likely through the day Saturday, and rain could very well linger into at least the first half of the game. The latest model data suggests a much smaller risk of rain during the second half. Like Tuscaloosa, temperatures should be mostly in the 70s.
TROPICAL WEATHER: A disturbance near the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico and Belize is moving into the far Southwest Gulf of Mexico (the Bay of Campeche) this afternoon, and that has decent potential to become Tropical Storm Jerry. While this could very well move into Mexico, like Ingrid, now models are showing much more uncertainty with weak steering currents. Sure looks like it will hang around the Southwest Gulf for a number of days, perhaps into next week. No way of knowing the ultimate destination now; just something to watch.
AT THE BEACH: About 4 to 6 hours of sunshine tomorrow on the coast from Panama City over to Gulf Shores with a few scattered showers. Rain and storms will become more likely Friday into Saturday; the rain could be heavy at times on the coast Saturday. Then, showers diminish Sunday, and the weather looks good early next week with a good supply of sunshine Monday and Tuesday. Highs on the coast will be in the 80s tomorrow and Friday, but only in the 70s Saturday due to clouds and rain.
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…
Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus
Instagram
I had a great time today visiting with the 6th graders at Clanton Middle School… be looking for them on the Pepsi KIDCAM today at 6:00 on ABC 33/40 News… the 3rd graders from Deer Valley Elementary will be on at 5:00. Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow….
