James Spann: A few showers for Alabama Wednesday, then dry through the weekend
RADAR CHECK: We have a few small, isolated showers across central and south Alabama this afternoon, but for most of Alabama the sky is partly sunny with temperatures in the 80s. We will maintain the chance of a few isolated showers this evening, mainly along and south of I-59, but most communities will stay dry.
A few widely scattered showers and storms are possible Wednesday; odds of any one spot getting wet are 20-30%. Otherwise Wednesday will feature a mix of sun and clouds with a high between 85 and 88 degrees. Then, a nice push of dry air rolls into the state late Wednesday night.
THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND: We expect some really nice September weather on these four days — sunny days, lower humidity and fair, cooler nights. Highs will be in the mid 80s Thursday and Friday, followed by upper 80s over the weekend. Lows will be mostly in the 60s, but early Friday most north and central Alabama communities will drop into the 50s; it will be the coolest morning so far this season.
NEXT WEEK: The weather will likely stay warm and dry Monday and Tuesday; then moisture levels rise a bit over the latter half of the week with the return of scattered showers and thunderstorms. Highs will be in the mid to upper 80s through the week.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: Expect perfect weather for the high school games across the state Friday night; the sky will be clear with temperatures falling from the upper 70s at kickoff into the upper 60s by the final whistle.
Saturday, Auburn hosts Alabama State at Jordan-Hare Stadium (11 a.m. kickoff). Look for a sunny sky during the game with temperatures rising from near 84 degrees at kickoff to around 87 by the fourth quarter. Alabama will host Mercer at Bryant-Denny Stadium (3 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be sunny with temperatures falling from 88 degrees at kickoff to near 80 degrees by the end of the game.
UAB is on the road, taking on the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens (2:30 p.m. CT kickoff). The sky will be sunny with temperatures falling from about 87 degrees at kickoff to near 81 by the final whistle. Jacksonville State is also on the road Saturday, taking on Florida State in Tallahassee (7 p.m. CT kickoff). A brief shower is possible during the first half; otherwise the sky will be mostly fair with temperatures hovering between 78 and 82 degrees during the game.
TROPICS: Hurricane Larry, now with winds of 115 mph, will turn north and then northeast, staying well east of the U.S. It will be close enough to Bermuda Thursday for potential tropical storm conditions there. Also, large swells will reach the U.S. East Coast Thursday.
Showers and thunderstorms have increased today over the south-central Gulf of Mexico in association with a surface trough and an upper-level disturbance. The system is expected to move slowly northeastward over the central and northeastern Gulf of Mexico during the next couple of days. Upper-level winds are currently unfavorable for development, but they are forecast to become more conducive for some limited tropical or subtropical cyclone development as the system nears the northern Gulf Coast on Wednesday and Wednesday night. The disturbance is then expected to cross the southeastern United States, and some slight additional development will be possible after it emerges off the southeastern coast late this week. Regardless of development, areas of heavy rainfall will be possible across portions of the Florida Panhandle and southern Georgia on Wednesday and Thursday, with localized flooding possible.
The National Hurricane Center gives the system a 40% chance of becoming a tropical depression or storm over the next five days. This feature won’t affect Alabama.
ON THIS DATE IN 1970: A lightning bolt struck a group of football players at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, Florida. The lightning killed two people and injured 22 others. All 38 players and four coaches were knocked off their feet.
BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.
WEATHER BRAINS: You can listen to our weekly 90-minute show any time on your favorite podcast app. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including the meteorologists at ABC 33/40.
CONNECT: You can find me on the major social networks:
For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit AlabamaWx.com.
