Rain-Free Thursday Night, More Rain And Storms Friday

Some showers and storms rumbled through parts of central and south Alabama late Wednesday night through early Thursday morning. However, our area had the chance to dry out during the afternoon. Most saw a mix of sun and clouds, with high temperatures near 90°. The humidity was a touch lower than Wednesday, with a northwest wind up to 15 mph at times.

The wind remains out of the northwest Thursday night, and our area likely remain rain free with a partly cloudy sky. Temperatures could be a bit cooler by sunrise Friday, with lows in the upper 60s to low 70s. However, humidity remains fairly high Friday morning. A good bit of the day may feature sunshine mixed with clouds. However, another round of rain and storms ultimately arrives in Alabama by the mid to late afternoon.

These storms may come in the form of an organized cluster, or Mesoscale Convective System (MCS). Models show the MCS developing near the Ark-La-Miss Friday morning, then developing southeast into central Mississippi during the afternoon. The trajectory of the MCS likely keeps the most intense storms to our west. The Storm Prediction Center places an enhanced (level 3/5) risk area across central Mississippi.

However, a marginal (1/5) to slight (2/5) risk also includes the southwest corner of Alabama. While likely less intense, storms may be capable of producing primarily damaging straight-line wind gusts during the afternoon and early evening in our area. However, some of us may not see rain or storms at all Friday. Even for those that see rain, temperatures likely reach the low 90s prior to the arrival of storms.

Rain and storm coverage decreases by midnight Friday night. However, showers and storms remain possible over the weekend. Although, even the Thursday afternoon model runs indicate a lower coverage of showers and storms both Saturday and Sunday. Even with isolated to widely scattered storms each day, afternoon temperatures warm into the low 90s. Outside of showers or storms, the sky remain partly cloudy on average each day.

A chance for afternoon showers or storms remains throughout next week. However, coverage likely remains isolated to widely scattered. Outside of rain, plenty of sunshine fills the sky each day. That allows afternoon temperatures to peak in the mid 90s for many locations each afternoon. In addition, the heat index could peak near 100° each day.