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Anybody remember the song by Johnny Rivers?
“Summer Rain taps at my window
West wind soft as a sweet dream
My love, warm as the sunshine
Sitting here by me, yeah
She’s here by me
She stepped out of a rainbow
Golden hair shining like moonglow
Warm lips, soft as her soul
Sitting here by me, now
She’s here by me”
Anytime we can get good summer rain here in Alabama without a tropical storm or hurricane involved, we are blessed, and the chance of occasional showers and storms will remain high through tomorrow.
UNSETTLED: We will forecast occasional showers and thunderstorms statewide through tomorrow thanks to a moist airmass, stalled surface front just to the north, and cooler air aloft. The rain won’t be continuous, of course, but every community across North/Central Alabama has a very good chance of receiving beneficial rain over the next 84 hours.
Yes, we still have some that feel their neighborhood has a “force field” overhead that keeps it from raining, but the cumulative rains between now and Friday should make that idea fade away. The NAM is printing 0.98″ for Birmingham, while the GFS is at 1.35″ over the next two days. But, the synoptic scale models don’t have the resolution to handle summer rain events here due to the somewhat scattered nature of the heavier convection; the guys at HPC have North/Central Alabama in a zone where 2 to 3 inches are likely, and that sounds correct here.
“COOL” FOR JULY: Both the GFS and the NAM are printing a high of only 84 degrees today… interesting yesterday during our 6:00 news I showed an Alabama temperature map (for the northern two-thirds of the state), and all of the reporting stations were in the 70s because of clouds and rain. A very nice break from the heat here in the dead of summer. Most places won’t get out of the 80s today and tomorrow; by Friday the high will be near 90.
FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: The air aloft warms a bit, and the showers and storms should become a little more scattered on these three days. Temperatures will trend upward slowly, with low 90s likely Saturday and Sunday with a mix of sun and clouds both days. Look for similar weather early next week… we might even see some place with mid 90s by Monday or Tuesday.
But, the good news is that we don’t see any evidence of “runaway” heat like we dealt with 10 days ago… in fact the GFS continues the idea of an upper trough over the eastern U.S. late in the month that could mean temperatures a little below average here. See the Weather Xtreme video for details.
GULF COAST WEATHER: We are forecasting about 5 to 7 hours of sun each day on the Gulf Coast from Panama City west to Gulf Shores, but you will have to deal with a few passing showers or storms from time to time. Highs will be in the 86 to 89 degree range on the immediate coast, and the water temperature remains in the mid 80s at most spots.
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Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:30 or so this afternoon. Enjoy the day!
