Very Hot in Alabama Today as Hurricane Laura Intensifies Rapidly

TODAY/TOMORROW: Sinking air around Hurricane Laura means rain chances will decrease these two days over Alabama and will actually lead to hotter temperatures as well. Look for a more sun than the clouds both days with only isolated showers and storms; highs will be in the mid-90s for many of us with heat index values around 105°. Laura will be passing well to the west of the state these days, and the heaviest rain, wind, and tornado threat should remain just west of Alabama across Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi.

VERY DANGEROUS HURRICANE LAURA: At 400 AM CDT, the center of Hurricane Laura was located near latitude 26.1 North, longitude 90.7 West. Laura is moving toward the northwest near 15 mph and this general motion should continue today, and a north-northwestward motion is forecast tonight. On the forecast track, Laura should approach the Upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts on this evening and move inland near those areas tonight or Thursday morning.

Satellite data indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 110 mph with higher gusts. Laura is forecast to become a category 4 hurricane today, and is expected to be a major hurricane at landfall. Rapid weakening is expected after Laura makes landfall. Laura is becoming a large hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles. The estimated minimum central pressure is 973 mb (28.73 inches).

Key Messages:

1. Life-threatening storm surge with large and dangerous waves is expected to produce potentially catastrophic damage from San Luis Pass, Texas, to the Mouthof the Mississippi River, including areas inside the Port Arthur Hurricane Flood Protection system. This surge could penetrate up to 30 miles inland from the immediate coastline in southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas. Actions to protect life and property should be rushed to completion as water levels will begin to rise later today.

2. Hurricane-force winds are expected tonight in the warning area from San Luis Pass, Texas, to west of Morgan City, Louisiana, and the strongest winds associated with Laura’s eyewall will occur somewhere within this area. Hurricane-force winds and widespread damaging wind gusts are also expected to spread well inland into portions of eastern Texas and western Louisiana early Thursday.

3. Widespread flash flooding along small streams, urban areas, and roadways is expected to begin this afternoon into Thursday from far eastern Texas, across Louisiana and Arkansas. This will also lead to minor to isolated moderate freshwater river flooding. The heavy rainfall threat and localized flash and urban flooding potential will spread northeastward into the middle-Mississippi, lower Ohio and Tennessee Valleys Friday night and Saturday.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: As Laura moves rapidly east just north of Alabama, the system will pull a very moist, tropical air mass into Alabama. The sky will feature more clouds than sun on these three days with occasional showers and storms. Not a total wash-out, but the pattern will be pretty wet and we will have to dodge raindrops along the way over the weekend. Highs Friday and over the weekend will be in the mid to upper 80s to low 90s.

NEXT WEEK: We will keep the persistence forecast going with high moisture levels lingering across Alabama. Expect partly sunny days, with scattered to perhaps numerous showers and storms on a daily basis with the greatest coverage coming during the afternoon and evening hours. Highs will be generally in the low 90s.

Stay cool!!!
Ryan