Rain and Storms at Times for our Thursday

RAIN AT TIMES WITH SOME STORMS: High moisture levels and a nearby upper trough means widespread and numerous showers and storms will remain in the forecast today. With the clouds and rain, temperatures will range from the mid to upper 80s, which are below average for July in Alabama. By tomorrow, rain chances should decrease a bit, but we will continue to mention scattered showers and storms in the forecast; highs should return to the upper 80s.

ELSA UPDATE: Elsa is inland over South Carolina this morning…The center of Tropical Storm Elsa was located near latitude 33.4 North, longitude 81.3 West. Elsa is moving toward the northeast near 18 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue with an increase in forward speed during the next couple of days. On the forecast track, Elsa will move over South Carolina and North Carolina today, pass near the eastern mid-Atlantic states by tonight, and move near or over the northeastern United States on Friday and Friday night. The system should move over Atlantic Canada by Friday night and Saturday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph with higher gusts. Some re-strengthening is possible tonight and Friday while the system moves close to the northeastern United States. Elsa is forecast to become a post-tropical cyclone Friday night or Saturday.Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles mainly over water to the southeast of the center. The NOAA station at Folly Island, South Carolina, recently reported sustained winds of 38 mph and a wind gust of 46 mph. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1007 mb (29.74 inches).

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Pretty standard summer weather for the week as both days, we will mention the chance for widely scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms both Saturday and Sunday. Rain chances should be in the 20-30% range, and you can expect a partly cloudy to mostly cloudy sky with highs in the upper 80s to lower 90s.

NEXT WEEK: For now it looks like a fairly typical mid-summer weather in Alabama; partly sunny days, and as usual the chance of a few pop-up scattered storms each afternoon and evenings. Highs much of next week, should be on either side of the 90 degree mark.

Be bold and courageous today!!!
Ryan