James Spann: Dry pattern continues for Alabama, with warmer afternoons
James Spann forecasts dry, warmer weather for Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
QUIET WEATHER PATTERN: Dry air remains in place across Alabama this morning with temperatures generally between 55 and 62 degrees at daybreak. Look for a sunny sky again today with a high in the mid 80s; the average high for Birmingham on Sept. 27 is 83. Dry weather continues Tuesday and Wednesday with a warming trend; temperatures will reach the upper 80s in spots Wednesday afternoon.
THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND: There is evidence that moisture levels will rise a bit Thursday and Friday, with some risk of isolated showers. But most places will stay warm and dry, with a high in the mid 80s. For the weekend, we expect a partly to mostly sunny sky Saturday and Sunday with highs in the mid 80s. The chance of a shower is so small we won’t mention it in the forecast.
NEXT WEEK: The weather pattern still looks relatively quiet and warm. There would be sufficient moisture for a few isolated or widely scattered showers on a day or two, but prospects for a significant, widespread rain event look low for now.
TROPICS: Sam is a little weaker this morning, but still a major hurricane with sustained winds of 130 mph. It is in the Atlantic about 800 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands and is expected to remain a major hurricane over the next five days. Thankfully Sam will turn north and remain well east of the U.S., and will most likely pass east of Bermuda in five to seven days.
Out in the deep tropics are two tropical waves with a high chance of becoming a tropical depression or storm this week. It’s way too early to know whether these systems will affect the Lesser Antilles or the U.S.
RAIN UPDATE: These are rain totals since Jan. 1, and the departure from average:
- Mobile — 72.93 inches (20.54 inches above average)
- Tuscaloosa — 58.76 (18.79 above average)
- Huntsville — 54.53 (14.43 above average)
- Birmingham — 54.11 (10.45 above average)
- Dothan — 51.83 (9.72 above average)
- Muscle Shoals — 50.65 (9.99 above average)
- Montgomery — 44.27 (5.31 above average)
- Anniston — 38.94 (0.37 below average)
ON THIS DATE IN 1906: The second September storm of 1906 was one of great violence. The hurricane reached the central Gulf Coast with destructive winds and unprecedented tides. At Pensacola, the tide was 10 feet above normal. At Mobile, property damage was severe. An estimated 134 lives were lost on the central Gulf Coast from this storm.
ON THIS DATE IN 1985: Hurricane Gloria swept over the Outer Banks, then rushed across Long Island, New England and Canada. It was the first significant hurricane to hit New England in 25 years and brought heavy rains and high winds to the Mid-Atlantic states as well.
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