Hot and Humid, Daily Afternoon Storms
THROUGH THE WEEKEND: Rain chances remain in the forecast each day as moisture levels will continue to slowly rise. Expect standard summer weather for Alabama and we are forecasting hot, humid days with a mix of sun and clouds. During the afternoons, expect scattered showers and thunderstorms, with the greatest coverage roughly from 2PM-9PM, and then quickly winding down after the sun goes down. Afternoon highs will be in the lower 90s and with higher dew points will make the heat more uncomfortable as well and those heat index values will be approaching the low 100s.
We note, any storms this time of year, though typically below severe limits, can cause havoc at any time. With the very high instability values in place, storms will produce tremendous amounts of lightning, which tends to be the most dangerous aspect of summer convection. Additionally, storms will produce gusty winds, which can bring down trees, plus produce tremendous tropical downpours which can cause very localized flooding. Surprisingly, though storms are not severe, sometimes they are the most intense storms some locations see over the course of the year, so keep that in mind. All storms, severe or non-severe, should be taken seriously.
TOPIC TROPICS: Across the Atlantic, no development is expected through the upcoming weekend. Of course, we are still early in the season and we still have a long ways to go in the coming months.
NEXT WEEK: Little change in the overall weather pattern this time of year, so not much change expected in the forecast. The GFS hints the upper ridge could strengthen during the latter half of the week, and with the warmer air aloft that could mean fewer afternoon storms and higher heat levels. For Alabama, July through August will usually yield the hottest temperatures of the year.
Have a great day!
Ryan
