Sunshine Returns in Full Supply

TODAY/TOMORROW: Today will feature morning clouds, but the sky should clear by the afternoon. Expect lower humidity, and somewhat cooler temps. Highs will remain in the upper 70s and low 80s, but nights will be a bit more refreshing with temps back in the 40s and 50s.

ETA MAKES LANDFALL: At Cedar Key, Florida this morning, with winds of 50 mph. Eta is moving toward the northeast near 13 mph and will move across northeastern Florida today and emerge into the western Atlantic this afternoon. The cyclone is expected to accelerate over the western Atlantic and move parallel to, but offshore of the Carolinas before heading well east of the Mid-Atlantic coast by late Friday.

Eta should begin to weaken as it crosses Florida but could re-intensify as a non-tropical cyclone on Thursday and Friday before becoming absorbed by a larger non-tropical cyclone on Saturday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles from the center. A National Ocean Service station near Cedar Key recently reported sustained winds of 40 mph and a gust of 50 mph. The estimated minimum central pressure is 995 mb (29.39 inches) based on surface observations from Cedar Key.

ELSEWHERE IN THE TROPICS: Theta continues to move across the eastern Atlantic and will not impact the U.S. It is moving east at 12 mph and has winds of 65 mph.

WAITING ON IOTA: A tropical wave located over the central Caribbean Sea continues to produce a large area of showers and thunderstorms. Satellite
imagery indicates that the disturbance is gradually becoming better organized, and a tropical depression will likely form during the next 2 to 3 days as it moves slowly westward over the central and western Caribbean Sea. Regardless of development, this system is expected to bring heavy rainfall along with possible flash flooding to the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and portions of Hispaniola over the next day or so. Formation chance through 5 days…high…90 percent.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: With Eta well to the east, our forecast for the weekend will be amazing. Both days will feature plenty of sunshine, with highs in the upper 70s and lows in the 50s. Late Sunday, we should see more clouds with an approaching front, but the weekend will be dry now.

NEXT WEEK: A front pushes through the state late Sunday and early Monday, it should come through in dry fashion due to limited moisture, but we will mention a stray shower will be possible Sunday night. Behind the front, fall returns as a nice surge of much cooler and drier air returns to the state. Expect highs dropping back into the 60s, with lows in the 40s with tons of sunshine each day.

Be blessed,
Ryan