Published On: 07.07.21 | 

By: James Spann

James Spann: Occasional showers for Alabama through Thursday; drier this weekend

James Spann has the midweek forecast for Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

RADAR CHECK: We have large areas of rain on radar this morning across Alabama as an upper trough continues to interact with a very moist air mass. The overall setup won’t change much through Thursday; the sky will be mostly cloudy with periods of rain and a few thunderstorms likely statewide. Temperatures will likely hold in the 70s all day today, and the high Thursday will be in the low to mid 80s with only a very limited amount of sun. Temperatures reach the mid 80s Friday with intervals of sun and scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms. Rain amounts of around 1 inch are likely through Friday, but some spots could see more where heavier downpours develop.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Precipitable water values will come down, the air will be drier, and showers and storms will be thinning out Saturday and Sunday. Look for a partly sunny sky both days with just a few widely scattered showers and storms during the afternoon and evening hours. Odds of any one spot getting wet both days are 20-30%, and highs will be mostly in the upper 80s, still a little below average for mid-July in Alabama.

NEXT WEEK: For now, it looks like we will be dealing with pretty routine summer weather through the week — partly sunny days with the threat of random, scattered showers and storms most days from around 1 until 11 p.m. Afternoon highs will remain mostly in the upper 80s.

ELSA: Elsa weakened to a tropical storm overnight; top winds are down to 65 mph, and the center is about 70 miles west/northwest of Tampa. Landfall comes later today near Cedar Key; from there the system moves through south Georgia and across the eastern parts of the Carolinas.

Wet, breezy weather continues over the north Florida Peninsula this morning, and a Tornado Watch is in effect. The direct impacts of Elsa remain east of the central Gulf Coast (Gulf Shores, Pensacola, Destin, Panama City Beach), but there will be a high danger of rip currents today and Thursday. The surf will settle down by Friday and the weekend.

The rest of the Atlantic basin is very quiet, and additional tropical storm formation is not expected through early next week.

RAIN UPDATE: Here are rain totals for the year so far, and the departure from average:

  • Mobile — 46.2 inches (11.53 inches above average)
  • Tuscaloosa — 41.74 (12.3 above average)
  • Birmingham — 37.08 (5.6 above average)
  • Dothan — 34.56 (6.29 above average)
  • Muscle Shoals — 33.83 (3.75 above average)
  • Huntsville — 33.39 (3.31 above average)
  • Montgomery — 30.69 (3 above average)
  • Anniston — 29.04 (0.32 below average)

ON THIS DATE IN 2004: A tornado occurred in the Rockwell Pass area of Sequoia National Park, California. Since the elevation of the tornado’s ground circulation was approximately 3,705 meters (12,156 feet) above mean sea level, this is the highest-elevation tornado documented in the United States.

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