Saturday, August 31, 2024

Periods of Rain and Milder Temperatures Next Week

FORECAST:

Sunday (High 89, Low 70): Mostly cloudy. Numerous rounds of showers and thunderstorms are possible.

Labor Day (High 90, Low 69): Mostly sunny. An isolated shower or thunderstorm is possible. 

Tuesday (High 88, Low 67): Partly to mostly cloudy. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible. 

EXTENDED OUTLOOK:

Wednesday (High 83, Low 66): Mostly cloudy with a 40% chance of showers/thunderstorms. 

Thursday (High 80, Low 64): Mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of showers/thunderstorms. 

Friday (High 79, Low 63): Mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of showers/thunderstorms. 

Saturday (High 80, Low 61): Mostly sunny with a 20% chance of a lingering shower. 

PRONÓSTICO:

Domingo (Máxima 89, Mínima 70): Mayormente nublado. Es posible que haya varias rondas de lluvias y tormentas eléctricas.

Día del Trabajo (Máxima 90, Mínima 69): Mayormente soleado. Es posible que haya una lluvia o tormenta eléctrica aislada.

Martes (Máxima 88, Mínima 67): Parcialmente nublado a mayormente nublado. Es posible que haya lluvias y tormentas eléctricas dispersas.

PERSPECTIVA EXTENDIDA:

Miércoles (Máxima 83, Mínima 66): Mayormente nublado con un 40 % de probabilidad de lluvias/tormentas eléctricas.

Jueves (Máxima 80, Mínima 64): Mayormente nublado con un 50 % de probabilidad de lluvias/tormentas eléctricas.

Viernes (Máxima 79, Mínima 63): Mayormente nublado con un 50 % de probabilidad de lluvias/tormentas eléctricas.

Sábado (Máxima 80, Mínima 61): Mayormente soleado con un 20% de probabilidad de lluvias persistentes.

DISCUSSION:









It was a variably cloudy day in the Tennessee Valley with some rain and thunderstorms, mainly in the afternoon. The High in Cullman was 91, and the Low was 70. In Jasper the High was 93 with a Low of 68. Haleyville had a High of 88 and Low of 69. 

Elsewhere around the area, Fort Payne had a High of 89 and Low of 68. Decatur saw a High of 93 and Low of 71. Huntsville saw a High of 93 and Low of 73. Muscle Shoals had a High of 93 and Low of 71. Tupelo saw a High of 91 and Low of 74. Memphis had a High of 90 and Low of 74, doesn't look like they caught any of the rain today, just some extra clouds. Same for Nashville, looks like the Music City missed out on the rain today, High of 94 after a morning Low of 72. 

The rain and storms this afternoon and evening was just summer moisture coming from the Gulf of Mexico even though we've mainly got high pressure in place over the region and a cold front well to our North and West. These showers and thunderstorms just cooked up in the heat and humidity, and got a little more widespread today. 



Some of the thunderstorms yesterday and today did briefly reach severe limits though, producing damaging wind gusts that damaged trees and power lines. Today there was damage in Jackson County near Dutton, power lines down. And at Cedar Bluff in Cherokee County, multiple homes had trees fall on them. Have not heard of any injuries. Also part of the roof blown off a barn in Moshat, also in Cherokee County there. That county also got hit yesterday with even some roof damage reported from severe thunderstorm winds. 

The weather can always throw a curve or two, and you might have noticed on the radar/satellite images, we've got a weak tropical disturbance that has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. So today we'll look at the tropics first. 



We have three systems of concern. None are expected to do anything this weekend. And actually, that one off the West Coast of Africa, we can cross off the list. It's technically there, but it is in a very unfavorable environment to survive very long, much less develop into anything. 

There is a broad area of low pressure producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms along the Texas and Louisiana coasts. And it is expected to keep doing just that over the next week with only a low chance of further development if it were to get moving at some point. 

The system that is worth watching closely is the tropical wave located several hundred miles East of the Lesser Antilles that is also producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. It should be to the Lesser Antilles by Monday (Labor Day) and then is expected to move through the Caribbean Sea next week. As it gets into the Western Caribbean late in the week, it could become a tropical depression (or tropical storm). I know there is a lot of hype going around on Twitter/X and other social media about this, using deterministic models like the GFS to speculate on where this thing is ultimately going and how strong it will be whenever it hits somewhere. But if somebody is trying to sell you definite answers involving the coastal United States right now, they might as well be trying to sell you some oceanfront property down in Arizona, if I can borrow a line from the great George Strait. Don't buy into that. Nobody knows what this thing is going to do yet. But my guess, based on what we know now, is that it will be a tropical depression or storm in the Western Caribbean late this coming week. And from there, the serious forecasts will begin. It is still too soon for them right now. 





Way out in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Hone is coming close enough to the far Northwest Islands of Hawaii to prompt a Tropical Storm Watch for places like Kure Atoll, Midway Atoll, and other places I'm not in the mood to try to spell this evening. Probably nobody from out that way reads this blog. 



Tomorrow that cold front will drift into our region, and we'll see more rain than today, about a 50/50 chance of any one spot getting wet. We'll see a High near 90, Low near 70, because a lot of places will see some sunshine before the clouds and rain moves in. We could see isolated stronger storms capable of damaging trees and power lines again. 



Then as the front drifts further South on Monday, Labor Day, looks pretty starved for moisture around here. We could still see an isolated shower somewhere, but overall it should be a dry day, mostly sunny skies, a High near 90, Low of about 68-69.



Tuesday a secondary front is expected to drop in here. But it doesn't show up so well on the raw GFS model data. So let's use a traditional weather map. 


And here you can see why scattered rain chances are back in the cards for Tuesday, about a 40% chance of rain, High in the upper 80's, Low in the upper 60's. 


Basically the same for Wednesday except that the High is only expected to get up to the lower 80's. 


Then Thursday it looks like maybe a slight uptick in coverage of rain, maybe more like 50% instead of 40% chance, with a High near 80 and a Low only in the mid-60's. 


Then Friday, basically the same thing. Some places might dip into the upper 70's for Highs during this stretch where we have several rounds of rain and milder temperatures. After all, tomorrow starts the month of September, so in meteorological terms, we'll be into Fall, not Summer anymore. 


Looks like only minimal chances of lingering rain, more of a clearing trend on Saturday as the system finally clears out of here, High near 80, Low around 60 or so. 

So it's nice to be able to bring news of a change from the summer heat and also a change from the increased drought conditions we've had lately. 


We could easily see some places get up to 2-3 inches of total rainfall over this next week. 

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Some Rain Later This Weekend, Milder Weather Next Week

FORECAST:

Friday (High 94, Low 70): Partly cloudy, hot and humid. Widely scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible. 

Saturday (High 91, Low 71): Partly to mostly cloudy. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible. 

Sunday (High 89, Low 70): Mostly cloudy. Numerous rounds of rain and thunderstorms are possible. 

EXTENDED OUTLOOK:

Labor Day (High 88, Low 69): Partly to mostly sunny with a 30% chance of showers/thunderstorms. 

Tuesday (High 85, Low 67): Partly to mostly cloudy with a 40% chance of showers/thunderstorms. 

Wednesday (High 80, Low 66): Mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of showers/thunderstorms. 

Thursday (High 83, Low 65): Partly to mostly sunny with a 30% chance of showers/thunderstorms. 

BEACH FORECAST:

Friday (High 89, Low 78): Showers and thunderstorms likely. 

Saturday (High 90, Low 76): Mostly cloudy with a 50% chance of showers/thunderstorms. 

Sunday (High 90, Low 75): Partly cloudy with a 30% chance of showers/thunderstorms. 

PRONÓSTICO:

Viernes (Máxima 94, Mínima 70): Parcialmente nublado, caluroso y húmedo. Posibles lluvias y tormentas eléctricas dispersas.

Sábado (Máxima 91, Mínima 71): Parcialmente nublado a mayormente nublado. Posibles lluvias y tormentas eléctricas dispersas.

Domingo (Máxima 89, Mínima 70): Mayormente nublado. Son posibles numerosas rondas de lluvia y tormentas eléctricas.

PERSPECTIVA EXTENDIDA:

Día del Trabajo (Máxima 88, Mínima 69): Parcialmente soleado a mayormente soleado con un 30 % de probabilidad de lluvias/tormentas eléctricas.

Martes (Máxima 85, Mínima 67): Parcialmente nublado a mayormente nublado con un 40 % de probabilidad de lluvias/tormentas eléctricas.

Miércoles (Máxima 80, Mínima 66): Mayormente nublado con un 50 % de probabilidad de lluvias/tormentas eléctricas.

Jueves (Máxima de 83, Mínima de 65): Parcialmente a mayormente soleado con un 30 % de probabilidad de lluvias o tormentas eléctricas.

PRONÓSTICO DE LA PLAYA:

Viernes (Máxima de 89, Mínima de 78): Probabilidad de lluvias y tormentas eléctricas.

Sábado (Máxima de 90, Mínima de 76): Mayormente nublado con un 50 % de probabilidad de lluvias o tormentas eléctricas.

Domingo (Máxima de 90, Mínima de 75): Parcialmente nublado con un 30 % de probabilidad de lluvias o tormentas eléctricas.

NOTES:

Today is the anniversary of the day in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina finally weakened back below hurricane strength as it moved into Mississippi. 

And our drought conditions have expanded again in the Tennessee Valley, with most of us currently in moderate drought. 

DISCUSSION:







Here after we've passed the Noon hour, skies are fair in Cullman with a temperature of 95 degrees. The dewpoint is 70 degrees, making the relative humidity 44%. Winds have been variable today but generally out of the East/Southeast, sustained at 7 miles per hour, gusting up to 13 mph at times. The pressure is 30.15 inches and falling slowly. The heat index is 101 degrees. And we are under a heat advisory through this evening. 

Seeing a few fair-weather clouds in Jasper with a temperature of 97 degrees. The dewpoint is 72, making the relative humidity 44%. Winds are variable at 7 mph. Pressure is 30.12 inches and steady. Heat index is 105 degrees, which is right at heat advisory criteria already in the middle of the day. 

It is mostly sunny and 92 degrees in Haleyville. The dewpoint is 68, making the relative humidity 46%. Winds are out of the Southeast at 5 mph. The pressure is 30.16 inches and falling slowly. The heat index is 96 degrees. 

Decatur is mostly sunny and 95, heat index of 101. Same weather conditions in Huntsville at this hour. Fayetteville is sunny and 93 degrees, heat index of 99. Same for Winchester, also right there across the Tennessee border. 

We have that strong high pressure system parked right to our East and enough moisture flowing up from the Gulf of Mexico so that today is mostly just another scorcher, but we could see a few showers and thunderstorms around. We already see some rain on the radar, but it's light and really spread out. 



That will be the case again tomorrow, although as the shortwave trough pushes farther to the East and closer to our region, we'll see some increase in clouds and rain chances. Chance of rain tomorrow still about 1-in-3 for any one spot. High should get up to about 94-95 tomorrow after a Low tonight near 70. 



Rain chances climb a little more Saturday as the shortwave trough and front approach the region, about a 40% chance of rain instead of 30%, High closer to 90, Low about 70 or so again. 



Then on Sunday the cold front starts to drop into our region. Rain chance should be about 40-50% with a High in upper 80's, Low still near 70. 



Then Labor Day, it looks like the main frontal boundary will be just to our South. We'll have a reinforcing drier cold front crossing the Tennessee border behind it. Rain chances should drop to about 20-30% with a High in the upper 80's and Low in the upper 60's. 



Some guidance has been wanting to ramp our rain chances back up on Tuesday, but for now, only going to bring the chance back up to 30%. Still expecting a High in upper 80's, Low in upper 60's. That front will be stalling out, but it looks like it'll mainly affect Central and South Alabama with better rain chances, lower rain chances for North Alabama or up into Tennessee. 



Then on Wednesday we may see a better coverage of rain and thunderstorms, thinking more a 40-50% chance. This stalled front may become the focus for a few waves of moisture in the extended. So might have to give the rain chances on Tuesday more respect too. The extended does look unsettled here. Wednesday is probably the day with the best chance of rain. And with the extra clouds and rain, the GFS wants to show a High of only 80, so maybe only upper 70's for Tennessee counties. And in light of that, will adjust forecast, also for Tuesday, probably looking more at mid-80's instead of upper 80's. We're nearly into the Fall season, so the temperature patterns and any rain chances are going to be more dynamic than in the summer where it tends to go back to the same basic pattern. 



Then next Thursday looks like the rain chances come back down to about the 40-30% bracket, scattered showers and thunderstorms, a mix of sun and clouds, High temperature in the lower 80's and Low in about the mid-60's. 

Beyond that, the guidance is unclear, and I'm not the biggest fan of 10-day-outlooks anyway. 




There is a tropical wave in the Atlantic that isn't going to do anything over the next couple days, but may form into a tropical depression early next week as it approaches the Lesser Antilles. And you do have to keep a close eye on all of them this time of year, and especially this year. 



We have Tropical Depression Gilma grazing the Northern Hawaiian Islands as it continues to weaken to a remnant low. 



And Tropical Storm Hone continues to move to the Northwest. 


Average rainfall totals for this forecast period will be about one inch.