Tropical Storm Michael And A Taste Of Fall
Tropical storm Michael is located just south of the Yucatan Channel this evening. Maximum winds are near 50 mph, and right now it is slowly moving north-northeast at around 3 mph. It’s expected to pick up speed over the next few days and move north through the gulf of Mexico. The official forecast from the National Hurricane center strengthens Michael to a Category 2 storm with max sustained winds of 100 mph prior to landfall Wednesday afternoon. The most likely area of landfall is northwest Florida, but there is still high uncertainty in the forecast. The center of Michael could very well track through southeast Alabama, which means the southeast portion of the state could be dealing with tropical storm force winds and heavy rain on Wednesday.
In the meantime, tranquil but very warm weather continues. Expect a mostly clear sky overnight with lows near 70°. Highs on Monday reach the upper 80s to around 90°. Isolated showers and storms are possible during the afternoon. Some additional scattered storms are possible Tuesday with high temperatures in the upper 80s.
Impacts from tropical storm Michael head our way Wednesday. Heavy rain and tropical storm force winds may impact at least southeast Alabama throughout the day. The system quickly moves out on Thursday, but trailing rain on the backside of the storm may still be impacting us. By Friday, the long awaited first taste of Fall could arrive. Sunshine with highs in the 80s are expected Friday and Saturday. Overnight lows should finally dip into the 50s. A reinforcing cool front could keep high temperatures in the 70s next Sunday and Monday.
