Sunny & Seasonable; Hurricane Iota Makes Landfall

Sunny seasonable days, and clear, cold nights highlight our forecast for the rest of week. We are dry all week as well, as high pressure will remain firmly in control of our weather all week. We will get a reinforcing shot of colder, drier air tonight, and that should have many places well down into the 30s by tomorrow morning. Tomorrow through Friday will feature highs moderating from the mid 60s to the mid 70s.

HURRICANE IOTA: Reached category 5 intensity yesterday and made landfall as a powerful category 4 hurricane overnight. Iota is moving toward the west near 9 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue during the next day or so. On the forecast track, Iota will move farther inland across northern Nicaragua today, and move across southern Honduras tonight and Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 105 mph with higher gusts. Iota is now a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Additional rapid weakening is expected today into Wednesday, and Iota is forecast to dissipate over Central America by Wednesday night.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles. Puerto Cabezas airport in Nicaragua recently reported a sustained wind of 51 mph and a gust to 77 mph. The estimated minimum central pressure is 950 mb (28.06 inches).

ELSEWHERE IN THE TROPICS: A new area of low pressure could form in a couple of days over the central or southwestern Caribbean Sea. Environmental conditions are forecast to be conducive for some development, and a tropical depression could form by the end of the week while the system moves slowly westward or west-southwestward across the southwestern Caribbean Sea. Formation chance through 5 days…medium…40 percent. If this system develops, which it may, it would be Kappa.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Temperatures will be mild by the time we get to the weekend, as afternoon highs should return to mid 70s both days, while nights remain cool, in the 50s. Expect ample sunshine Saturday, with a few more clouds on Sunday, but the weather remains dry through the weekend.

THANKSGIVING WEEK: For now, the overall pattern looks relatively mild for much of next week. We should see another front on Monday, and it should bring the chance for showers and storms to the forecast Monday and Tuesday. The rest of the week at this time looks dry with high temperatures in the 60s and 70s.

Mask Up Alabama!!!
Ryan