Mostly Sunny And Mainly Dry Labor Day; Dorian At Category 5 Strength in the North Bahamas
It was a mostly cloudy start to the day across central and south Alabama, but some sunshine finally broke through during the afternoon. We got a healthy dose of showers and storms this afternoon, moving east to west across the area. These showers and storms gradually taper off this evening, with the sky becoming partly cloudy. Temperatures fall into the upper 70s by 9PM, with overnight lows settling in the low 70s.
We should see more sun than today on Labor Day. Expect a mostly sunny sky by the afternoon, with just a chance for a rogue shower during the afternoon. It’s going to be hot though, with highs in the low to mid 90s.
Hurricane Dorian reached Category 5 strength and then some early this morning. Max winds were near 185 mph as it made landfall in the Abaco islands of the Bahamas. Grand Bahama looks to get a direct strike from the large eye of Dorian, where wind gusts over 200 mph are possible. The latest forecast track from the National Hurricane Center keeps the center of Dorian just off the southeast coast of the United states, but much too close for comfort. A subtle shift to the west could result in much greater impacts.
Also, a landfall along the eastern Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, or North Carolina coastline is still in play. We’ll have to keep watching it closely. In the meantime, Dorian is slowing down before its anticipated turn north. It’s going to be near the Grand Bahama island all the way through early Tuesday morning, so it could be a period of prolonged devastation there.
While Dorian causes trouble along the southeast and east coast this week, its going to be quiet in Alabama. Expect highs in the mid 90s Tuesday and Wednesday with abundant sunshine both days. It could turn a little cooler late next week, but expect highs still in the low 90s Thursday and Friday. Expect a mostly sunny sky both days. There’s a small chance for rain next weekend, but it looks like most of the area remain dry with highs in the low 90s next Saturday and Sunday.
