The latest edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme Video is available in the player below and on iTunes.
The Weather Xtreme Video starts off with a couple of images from yesterday, one from my temperature equipment showing the dramatic impact of a nearby thunderstorm and one of some spectacular lightning in Cherokee County at Pollard Bend sent in by Lee Ransum. Thanks, Lee, for sharing the picture with us.
We’re in a soupy, moist air mass, and it looks like it will stay in place today resulting in additional thunderstorms. They will still be scattered about, but chances for rain are pretty good. The Birmingham airport got almost two inches yesterday, but still some spots saw nary a drop. Our first widespread rain event seems to be shaping up around September 8th with what could be the first good cold front of the late summer ushering in the more progressive Fall weather pattern.
Temperatures will probably reach the lower 90s with some clouds and the moist air mass before showers begin to kick off.
Monday we might see a bit of drier air across North Alabama with the better chances for showers from Clanton southward. But that does not mean that there still won’t be some scattered showers around, just better chances a little further south. The moist air mass generally stays in place through the middle of the week with scattered showers possible each day. And the upper ridge returns at mid-week for one last gasp at some mid to upper 90 readings.
But a sizeable change is being forecast in the overall pattern as a trough develops on the East Coast late this week. The GFS is now suggesting a weak short wave trough in the vicinity of Memphis around Friday. This could bring us some excellent rain chances. And that feature sticks around through the weekend promising good rain chances for several days.
But the BIG news comes in voodoo land. About two weeks out, the GFS continues to promote our first solid cold front of the late summer reminding us that Fall is just around the corner. With a strong short wave moving through the Central Plains comes a cold front with much drier air and lower thicknesses. Wow, won’t it be great to see something besides above normal temperatures?
We are rapidly approaching the heart of hurricane season, and yet the Atlantic Basin remains rather tranquil. As we saw with Dean, that can change quickly, so we’ll keep a watchful eye on satellite imagery for any developments.
James should be back with the next Weather Xtreme Video by 7 o’clock tomorrow morning. I hope that you have a good Sunday and a great upcoming week. God bless.
-Brian-
