James Spann: Alabama gets its hottest weather so far this year through Friday
James Spann has a hot midweek forecast for Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
HERE COMES THE HEAT: We are projecting a high in the low 90s Wednesday and low to mid 90s Thursday and Friday as we will deal with the hottest weather so far this year across Alabama. Here are the record highs for Birmingham each day:
- Wednesday (May 18) — 98 (1962)
- Thursday (May 19) — 98 (1962)
- Friday (May 20) — 97 (1962)
It won’t be as hot as May 1962 and no records are in danger, but highs will be about 10 degrees above average. Most of the state will be dry through Friday with mostly sunny days and fair nights, but an isolated thunderstorm or two is possible near the Tennessee state line.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: The upper ridge over the region will break down and moisture levels will rise, opening the door for the return of scattered showers and thunderstorms Saturday. The chance of any one spot getting wet is 35-45%; otherwise the day will be warm and humid with a mix of sun and clouds and a high in the mid 80s. On Sunday, we expect more clouds than sun with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms — not a washout, but some rain is likely at times. The high Sunday will be between 77 and 82 degrees as heat levels continue to come down.
NEXT WEEK: A warm, humid air mass will cover Alabama and we will have the chance of scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms through most of the week with highs generally in the 80s. For now the weather for the Memorial Day weekend looks pretty routine, with partly sunny days and some risk of scattered showers and storms.
TROPICS: Ignore the social media hype; the Atlantic basin is quiet now, and the Gulf of Mexico will likely stay quiet through the rest of May. The season officially begins June 1.
ON THIS DATE IN 1883: A massive tornado outbreak in Illinois affected the northern and central parts of the state. At least 14 strong to violent tornadoes touched down, killing 52 people.
ON THIS DATE IN 1980: Mount Saint Helens erupted, spewing ash and smoke 63,000 feet into the air. Heavy ash covered the ground to the immediate northwest, and small particles were carried to the Atlantic coast.
BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.
WEATHER BRAINS: You can listen to our weekly show all about weather any time on your favorite podcast app. James Spann and a team of meteorologists from around the nation bring on interesting guests; it’s a great podcast for weather geeks.
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For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit AlabamaWx.
