CRISTOBAL WEAKENS TO A DEPRESSION: Cristobal is inland this morning over Southwest Mississippi and has weakened to a depression. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 35 mph with higher gusts. Additional weakening is expected through Tuesday. However, Cristobal is expected to strengthen some as it becomes an extratropical low tomorrow night and Wednesday. Continue reading →

ON THE MAPS: An upper low will settle into northern Tennessee later today, and will help to bring the chance of a few scattered showers to Alabama later today and early tonight. Best chance of showers will come from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m., and odds of any one spot getting wet are in the 30/40 percent range. Otherwise today will feature a mix of sun and clouds, and temperatures will be below average for mid-may with highs only in the mid 70s for North Alabama. The average high for May 19 at Birmingham is 82. Continue reading →

RADAR CHECK: An upper low will form over Tennessee over the next 24 hours, and will keep Alabama’s weather cooler than average for mid-May, and a bit unsettled. We have scattered showers and thunderstorms on radar this afternoon; they are very random, and moving the north. There isn’t much lightning, and some spots are seeing some sunshine. Temperatures are in the 75-82 degree range, but a few spots are only in the 60s because of clouds and rain. Continue reading →

UNSETTLED WEATHER: A fairly deep upper low will develop over the Southeast U.S. over the next 24 hours, and is cut off from the stronger winds aloft… meaning it will hang around for a few days. This feature will bring cloudy periods to the state, cooler than average temperatures, and scattered showers and thunderstorms. The storms will be rather random, so no way of being able to give a start/stop time for any specific location. And, while no severe storms are expected, heavier showers and thunderstorms will be capable of producing small hail thanks to the cold air aloft associated with the upper low. Continue reading →

RADAR CHECK: We have patchy showers across Alabama early this morning ahead of a cold front approaching the state. The rain will be more widespread later this morning into the afternoon hours. The air will be cool and stable over the northern half of the state with temperatures holding in the 60s, but a few strong to severe storms are possible over Southwest Alabama, where SPC defines a “slight risk” (level 2/5) of severe thunderstorms. Continue reading →

RADAR CHECK: Showers and thunderstorms continue to develop over the northern half of Alabama this afternoon. Heavier storms will be capable of strong gusty winds and some small hail, but the severe weather threat is practically over. A morning thunderstorm complex on the Gulf Coast helped to block the inflow of moist air up into the northern half of the state, reducing instability. SPC still maintains a low end “marginal risk” (level 1/5) for the eastern half of the state. Continue reading →

WET AT TIMES: Today will be a mostly cloudy day across Alabama with potential for some rain at times; there might even be a strong thunderstorm this afternoon in spots. SPC maintains a low end, “marginal risk” (level 1/5) of severe thunderstorms for a part of West and Southwest Alabama later today. Continue reading →

BIG CONTRAST: A stalled front is bringing another big thermal contrast to Alabama this afternoon. North of the front at 2:00 p.m. Huntsville and Muscle Shoals report 54 degrees, while to the south Montgomery has soared to 81. The sky is partly sunny over most of the state, although clouds are hanging trough over the northern third of the state. There are a few patches of light rain on radar across the Tennessee Valley, but most of the state is dry. Continue reading →

ON THE MAPS: A stalled front is over South Alabama this morning, and again we have a big temperature range across the state. At 5:00 a.m. CT, Haleyville reports 43, while Dothan is at 65 on the south side of the boundary. The front will slowly drift northward today; the sky will be mostly cloudy and we will have a few scattered showers around later today and tonight. Nothing widespread, nothing heavy. The high will be in the 60s over the northern half of the state, with mostly 70s for South Alabama. A few spots there could touch 80. Continue reading →

ON THE MAPS: A cold front is stretched out across Alabama this afternoon, roughly along I-20. North of the front, temperatures have dropped into the upper 50s at places like Cullman and Haleyville. South of the front, temperatures are in the 70s over the southern half of the state. Clouds cover North/Central Alabama, and some light rain continues to fall. The rain will end tonight as the boundary begins to lift northward as a warm front. Continue reading →