James Spann: Hotter, drier weather ahead for Alabama
RADAR CHECK: Again today, scattered showers and storms have formed across Alabama, some of them producing very heavy rain. They are moving to the south/southeast and will slowly diminish after sunset. Away from the storms, we have a mix of sun and clouds with temperatures around 90 degrees at mid-afternoon.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: An upper ridge will build into Alabama over the weekend, meaning the weather will trend hotter and drier. Yes, there will be a few thunderstorms around during the afternoon and evening hours, but they will be widely spaced. Odds of any one spot getting wet Saturday and Sunday will be 10-20%, and highs will be in the low 90s, right at seasonal averages for late July in Alabama.
NEXT WEEK: The ridge holds and the weather won’t change much — hot, humid days, a few isolated afternoon storms, highs mostly in the low 90s. For some places it will be the hottest week so far this summer.
TROPICS: An area of low pressure off the southeastern United States coastline continues to produce a large region of disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Environmental conditions appear marginally conducive for additional development, and a tropical depression could form over the next couple of days as the system meanders over the Gulf Stream. Steering currents are weak, and it won’t move much in the short term. It’s too early to know the final destination.
ON THIS DATE IN 2010: A United States record-setting hailstone fell from a powerful supercell thunderstorm moving southeast across central South Dakota. The hailstone fell near Vivian, South Dakota. It measured 8 inches in diameter and 18.625 inches in circumference, and weighed 1.9375 pounds. This hailstone broke the previous United States record for diameter (7 inches – June 22, 2003 in Aurora, Nebraska) and weight (1.67 pounds – Sept. 3, 1970 in Coffeyville, Kansas. The Nebraska hailstone retained the record for circumference (18.75 inches). Several other stones of 6 inches or more in diameter were measured during the storm survey.
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