Tropical Storm Barry Forms In The Northern Gulf
We’re on track for another hot and humid day here in central and south Alabama. A heat advisory is in effect for Marengo county through 6PM this evening. Heat index temperatures could hover near 105° there this afternoon. Elsewhere, heat index temperatures still top 100° at times. Expect scattered showers and storms to increase in coverage this afternoon. Pockets of sunshine allow high temperatures to reach the 90s in most spots. This evening remains quite warm, with temperatures in the mid 80s at 7PM. Temps remain near 80° at 11PM. Overnight lows settle in the mid 70s under a partly cloudy sky.
Tropical storm Barry formed from “Potential Tropical Cyclone Two” this morning. Barry is a lopsided and weak tropical system at the moment, situated in the north Gulf of Mexico to the south of the Mississippi coastline. It’s expected to gradually strengthen to a Category 1 hurricane prior to landfall somewhere near the Louisiana coast Saturday morning. Barry then moves north through the Mississippi River Valley. The greatest impacts from Barry appear west of our area, but the track could shift further east. We could see several inches of rain due to Barry through next Tuesday, especially in west Alabama. However, not all models are on board with that idea.
For Friday, expect a fairly typical summer day with highs in the low 90s and a scattered coverage of afternoon showers and storms. Friday night looks warm and muggy with lows in the mid 70s, and the rain tapering off overnight. Expect at scattered to numerous showers and storms this weekend, though the amount of rain we see depends heavily on the track of Barry. The rain may be in tropical banding form over the weekend, with the highest coverage during the afternoon.
Expect scattered showers and storms each day next week, as we transition back to a more typical summer pattern as Barry departs. Highs temperatures reach the 90s again by the middle of next week.
