James Spann: Dry Friday ahead for Alabama; showers, storms over the weekend
HOT MAY DAY: Temperatures are between 88 and 93 degrees across most of Alabama this afternoon with a good supply of hazy sunshine. The smoke and haze in the upper atmosphere is coming from wildfires burning in the southwestern U.S. The sky will be mostly fair tonight with a low in the low 70s.
Friday will be another hot, dry day with a partly to mostly sunny sky and a high between 88 and 92 degrees.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: The upper ridge over the region weakens and moisture levels rise. For Saturday, expect a mix of sun and clouds with scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms. Odds of any one spot getting wet are 35-45%, and the high will be in the mid to upper 80s. On Sunday, the sky will be mostly cloudy with occasional showers and thunderstorms. It won’t rain all day, but periods of rain are likely with afternoon highs in the upper 70s and low 80s.
NEXT WEEK: A surface front just northwest of the state will wash out Monday and we will be in a moist, unstable air mass through the week with somewhat elevated rain chances. Look for scattered to numerous showers and storms each day with highs mostly in the 80s.
GETTING DRY: Birmingham’s rain total for May is only 0.39 inch. We have measured only 0.05 inch since May 2, and the last time we saw more than an inch of rain was April 16, when we picked up 2.59 inches. We still have a surplus of 5.08 inches for the year, however.
HANGOUT MUSIC FESTIVAL: For those of you headed to Gulf Shores, here is the weather situation for the weekend:
- Friday — A mix of sun and clouds; just an outside risk of a brief passing shower or storm with a high between 85 and 88.
- Saturday — Occasionally cloudy with scattered showers and storms. Not an all-day rain, but be ready for a passing shower or storm from time to time. The high will be in the mid 80s.
- Sunday — Mostly cloudy with a few showers and storms likely. Still, not a washout. Expect a high between 80 and 85 degrees.
ON THIS DATE IN 1780: The infamous “dark day” in New England tradition. At noon, it was nearly as dark as night. Chickens went to roost and many people were fearful of divine wrath. The “dark day” was caused by forest fires west of New England.
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