Another Hot Day Ahead of Rising Weekend Rain Chances

HOT AND DRY DAY: Today will be mainly dry and hot, with abundant sunshine for most of Alabama. Highs will be in the low to mid 90s. There could be a few storms across Southeast Alabama later today, but most of Alabama will remain dry. Moisture levels begin to increase tomorrow and we will bring scattered showers and storms back into the forecast during the afternoon and evening hours.

SPACE WEATHER: A Big CME is about to hit Venus: A coronal mass ejection (CME) left the far side of the sun yesterday. According to NASA forecast models, it will slam into Venus on Sept. 1st, scouring some atmosphere from the planet’s cloudtops. Coincidentally, the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter spacecraft is passing by Venus right now, so it could get great data on this event.

LABOR DAY WEEKEND: For the long holiday weekend, we are forecasting partly sunny days, fair nights, with scattered to numerous showers and storms storms each day on occasion. No weekend washout, and no way of knowing in advance exactly when and where they form in advance, you just have to watch radar trends. Definitely have some indoor plans at times as you are likely to be dodging rain at some point. The chance of any one spot getting wet daily is 60-70%, and most of the showers will come in the noon to midnight window. Afternoon highs Saturday through Monday will be in the upper 80s.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: Auburn begins their season Saturday evening; they host Mercer at Jordan-Hare Stadium (6:00p CT kickoff). A shower or storm is very possible during the game; the sky will be mostly cloudy. About 81 at kickoff, upper 70s for most of the game.

Alabama also plays Saturday evening; they will host Utah State at Bryant Denny Stadium (6:30p CT kickoff). A passing shower or storm is a distinct possibility, otherwise it will be a warm, humid night with temperatures falling from the low 80s at kickoff into the 70s for most of the game.

For all the other games in the state Saturday; scattered to numerous showers and storms will be around, but the day won’t be a washout. Take the rain gear.

NEXT WEEK: We will keep a persistence forecast going for the rest of the week with partly sunny days and scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms Tuesday through Friday. Highs will remain mostly in the upper 80s.

IN THE TROPICS: The NHC is continues to monitor three areas of interest, which could become Danielle, Earl, and Fiona in the coming days. In fact, Tropical Depression Five has formed this morning. This system is no threat to the U.S.

At 500 AM AST, the center of Tropical Depression Five was located near latitude 38.1 North, longitude 45.0 West. The depression is moving toward the east-northeast near 2 mph, and an eastward drift is expected through Friday night. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. Strengthening is expected during the next few days, and the depression is forecast to become a tropical storm later today. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1013 mb (29.92 inches).

1. Showers and thunderstorms associated with a broad area of low pressure located several hundred miles east of the Leeward Islands have gradually increased in organization over the past day or so. Although environmental conditions remain only marginally conducive, any additional development of the system over the next few days would lead to the formation of a tropical depression. The disturbance is forecast to move slowly west-northwestward, toward the adjacent waters of the northern Leeward Islands. Formation chance through 5 days…high…80 percent.

2. Satellite imagery and surface observations show that a broad area of lower pressure is located over and to the north of the Cabo Verde Islands. While surface observations indicate pressures are low in this area, the associated shower activity is currently poorly organized. There is still a potential for the system to become a short-lived tropical depression within the next day or so before environmental conditions become unfavorable for further development. Regardless, the system could bring locally heavy rainfall to portions of the Cabo Verde Islands today and tonight. Formation chance through 5 days…medium…40 percent.

Have an incredible Thursday!!!
Ryan