James Spann has the Independence Day forecast for Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
EARLY MORNING FIREWORKS: An easterly wave was responsible for the development of some robust thunderstorms across Alabama during the pre-dawn hours; they brought nature’s fireworks with a vivid lightning display, and in some cases strong, gusty winds. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for parts of Shelby and St. Clair counties a little before 3 a.m.; a few trees were brought down by that storm.
The storms have mostly dissipated at daybreak.
Today will be pretty typical for the Fourth of July in Alabama — hot, humid, a decent amount of sun and a few pop-up storms this afternoon and early tonight. The chance of any one spot getting wet later today will be 1 in 4, and the high should be in the 90- to 95-degree range for most places.
THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Not much change with partly sunny, hot days and scattered, mostly afternoon and evening thunderstorms around. Highs will be 89-92 for most communities. We could see an increase in the number of showers and thunderstorms Friday night as a surface front drifts southward through Tennessee.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: The front will be stall out around the Alabama/Tennessee state line; this will bring rather unsettled weather Saturday and Sunday; the sky will be cloudy at times, and we expect scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms. Afternoon highs will be in the 80s both days.
NEXT WEEK: Hot, humid weather is the story. The stalled front just north of here will dissipate Monday, and through the week it is the usual summer situation with the risk of pop-up afternoon storms each day. Otherwise, expect partly sunny days with a high in the low 90s for most places.
TROPICS: A disturbance south of Bermuda has a 50 percent chance of becoming a tropical depression or storm over the next five days, but if anything does form in that region, it will recurve into the Atlantic and is no threat to the United States.
Another wave in the far eastern Atlantic won’t develop because of dry air and cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures. The rest of the Atlantic basin is quiet.
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