A heat advisory is in effect from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today for a good portion of the southern half of Alabama, including the counties of Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Sumter, Greene, Hale, Perry, Bibb, Chilton, Marengo, Dallas, Autauga, Lowndes, Elmore, Montgomery, Macon, Bullock, Russell, Pike and Barbour. Heat index values in these counties will reach or exceed 105 degrees today. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids and stay in shaded areas if outside today.
SUNDAY: We’ll have a center of low pressure off to our northeast that will bring an increased risk of showers and thunderstorms across northeastern and eastern Alabama, especially north and east of the I-22 and U.S. 280 corridors. The rest of Alabama will continue with the standard risk of scattered afternoon and early evening showers and storms. There will be more clouds than sun and highs will be in the upper 80s to the lower 90s.
MONDAY: The low will have moved ever so slightly to the south, which will keep the weather in eastern Alabama unsettled throughout the day. We’ll have partly to mostly cloudy skies and a chance of scattered, mostly afternoon and early evening showers and storms, with higher coverage over eastern Alabama. Highs will be in the lower to mid-90s.
TUESDAY: The low has nudged into northwestern Georgia, which will keep the rain chances in eastern Alabama slightly higher than the rest of the state. We’ll have a chance of isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms with the heating of the day. Highs will be in the lower to mid-90s.
WEDNESDAY: The low will be stationed to our south over the panhandle of Florida, which will help scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms to develop just a little more easily than on a typical summer day. Highs will be in the lower to mid-90s.
THURSDAY: The low has washed out and ridging takes a strong hold over Alabama. We’ll continue to be hot and humid with the standard risk of scattered afternoon to early evening showers and thunderstorms. Highs will be in the lower to mid-90s.
FRIDAY: Ridging weakens a bit, which will allow for a little higher risk for scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly south of the I-59 corridor, while the rest of the area will continue with the standard risk of isolated to scattered afternoon showers and storms. Highs will be in the lower 90s.
TROPICS: All is quiet across the Atlantic basin, and the National Hurricane Center does not expect any new tropical cyclones to develop over the next five days. There is some uncertainty, as the global models have shown some consistency in trying to develop tropical mischief off the Florida Gulf Coast sometime late in the week. We’ll keep our eyes on the Gulf throughout the weekend and next week just in case this might happen. Right now, it’s just an idea on the table and not a forecast.
BEACH FORECAST CENTER: Get the latest weather and rip current forecasts for the beaches from Fort Morgan to Panama City on our Beach Forecast Center page. There, you can select the forecast of the region you are interested in.
WEATHERBRAINS: You can listen to our weekly 90-minute netcast any time on the web at WeatherBrains.com or on iTunes, Stitcher or Spotify. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including the meteorologists at ABC 33/40.
For more weather news and information from James Spann, Scott Martin and other members of the James Spann team, visit AlabamaWx.