Smashing Record Highs One Day at a Time

Montgomery reached 101° yesterday, smashing the record high of 95° set in 1954, but also that 101° was the hottest ever recorded temperature in the city for the month of October. Sadly over the next few days, this new record remains in jeopardy.

The very strong upper-ridge remains in place overhead allowing for the very hot and dry weather pattern to persist through Friday. The days will generally be mostly sunny with afternoon temperatures in the upper 90s to low 100s, which will be smashing the old record highs for the first few days of October. We will continue to mention an isolated shower or two being possible each afternoon, but rain chances are pretty close to zero and nearly all locations will remain dry and very hot through Friday,

MONTGOMERY RECORD HIGHS THROUGH FRIDAY: All of these are expected to fall like the Berlin wall in the coming days as this blistering heat wave continues. 
 
Today, October 2: 95 (1904)
Thursday, October 3: 94 (1959)
Friday, October 4: 97 (1954)
 
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: The ridge finally begins to break down and heat levels will begin to come down Saturday afternoon as only mid 90s are expected; showers will remain isolated. On Sunday, we should see more clouds in the sky and somewhat better rain chances, as a few scattered showers and storms are expected: highs will hold in the lower 90s. Sunday night a cold front approaches the state.

MONDAY FRONT: The front will makes its way into the state early Monday, allowing for better rain chances with continued showers and storms expected. Still doesn’t look like a significant rain event, with rainfall amounts less than one-half inch, with some higher isolated amounts possible, beneficial yes, but certainly not “drought busting” by any means. Unfortunately, it still looks like a lot of places may not even see any rain, but at least we are seeing the bet chances we have seen in over a month. Highs on Monday, should be in the upper 80s.

FEELING MORE LIKE FALL: Behind the front, that first fall air mass of the season should arrive as temperatures will fall to seasonal values for the rest of next week. Tuesday through Friday, expect generally sunny days with highs each day in the upper 70s to lower 80s, while nights will be quite nice as lows will range from the mid and upper 50s to lower 60s through out Central Alabama.

IN THE TROPICS: Hurricane Lorenzo is a category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 90 mph. It is tracking northeast through the Eastern Atlantic and is threatening the Azores today with hurricane conditions Elsewhere in the Atlantic, there are a couple of tropical waves the NHC is monitoring:

1. A broad area of low pressure located over the northwestern Caribbean Sea continues to produce disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Any development of this system is expected to be slow to occur while it moves to the west-northwest near the Yucatan peninsula in a couple of days, and over the southern Gulf of Mexico by Friday. Formation chance through 48 hours…low…10 percent. Formation chance through 5 days…low…20 percent.

2. Disorganized cloudiness and showers that extend from the southeastern Bahamas northeastward across the western Atlantic for several hundred miles are associated with a surface trough. Development of this system is no longer anticipated while it moves northward or northeastward at 5 to 10 mph, remaining well to south of Bermuda. Formation chance through 5 days…low…near 0 percent.

Stay cool!
Ryan