Watching the Gulf

WATCHING THE GULF: We are just waiting on the system to develop into a tropical depression and likely Tropical Storm Barry later today. Latest update from NHC: At 400 AM CDT, the disturbance was centered near latitude 27.5 North, longitude 88.2 West. The system is moving toward the west near 5 mph, but a west-northwest motion is expected on Friday followed by a northwestward track by early Saturday. On the forecast track, the system is expected to approach the Louisiana coast this weekend.

Maximum sustained winds are near 30 mph with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and the disturbance is forecast to become a tropical depression or a tropical storm later today, and could become a hurricane by late Friday.

Although the thunderstorm activity is not well organized at this time, the disturbance is expected to become a tropical depression or a tropical storm later today and Friday. Formation chance through 48 hours…high…near 100 percent. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1009 mb (29.80 inches).

FOR CENTRAL ALABAMA: As this system gets better organized in the coming days it will bring wet/unsettled weather to inland parts of Alabama today and into the weekend. For much of Alabama, the combination of deep tropical moisture feeding northward, and a surface front approaching from the north, will mean our rain chances will be increasing and we will see scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms through the upcoming weekend. Rain will be possible at anytime with the tropical air mass in place, but we should the greatest coverage during the afternoon and evening hours. With the added clouds and higher rain chance, heat levels back off some and highs should into the lower 90s and even upper 80s. It won’t rain all the time and there will be breaks in the rain, of course, with periods of sunshine as well. Rain amounts across most of inland Alabama are expected to be in the 1-3 inch range through Sunday, with higher amounts expected down to the South along the Coast.

NEXT WEEK: The weather trends back toward standard summer conditions, with hot and humid days and highs in the lower 90s. Of course each day will feature the risk of scattered, mainly afternoon and evening thunderstorms.

Have a great day!
Ryan