James Spann has the Alabama forecast for the beginning of the work week from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
A FEW STORMS LATER TODAY: A drier air mass is over northeast Alabama today, so showers should be very hard to find there. The best chance of scattered storms this afternoon will be from Birmingham south and west, where deeper moisture lingers. Otherwise, today will be a typical hot August day with a partly sunny sky and a high in the low 90s for most communities.
TOMORROW/WEDNESDAY: Moisture levels will rise over northeast Alabama, so a few pop-up storms are possible pretty much statewide on these two days, but they will be widely scattered and mostly during the afternoon and evening. The chance of any one spot getting wet both days is about 1 in 4, and the high will stay in the low 90s. A few spots could reach the mid 90s, especially over west Alabama.
THURSDAY/FRIDAY: The ridge across the region will weaken, and as the air becomes more unstable, we should see a general increase in the number of scattered showers and thunderstorms. The chance of a storm for any given community is around 40 percent Thursday and 60 percent Friday. The high will be around 90 Thursday, but in the mid to upper 80s Friday with an increase in clouds and showers.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Not much change; the sky will be occasionally cloudy with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms. The best chance of showers and storms will come from 1 until 11 p.m., and highs will remain in the mid to upper 80s.
NEXT WEEK: We will roll with the standard summer forecast for much of the week — partly sunny days with scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms. Highs will be close to 90.
TROPICS: The Atlantic basin remains very quiet. A disturbance in the North Atlantic far from land is drifting south; it has only a 20 percent chance of development because of strong upper-air winds.
ON THIS DATE IN 2004: Charley moved into the Florida Gulf Coast south of Tampa Bay near Punta Gorda with sustained winds of 150 mph, a strong category four hurricane. It was one of four hurricanes that made landfall or had a direct impact on the Sunshine State that season. Charley was initially expected to hit farther north in Tampa, and caught many Floridians off guard because of a sudden change in the storm’s track as it approached the state. Along its path, Charley caused 10 deaths and $16.9 billion in damage to insured residential property, making it the second-costliest hurricane in United States history at the time. Charley was a compact, fast-moving storm, which limited the scope and severity of the damage.
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