Sunday Weather Summary: Dry Week with Even Temperatures: Alabama Weather Blog

Saturday started out mostly cloudy across Alabama, but heavy clouds gradually moved eastward during the afternoon. Rain and storms were able to form in the warm, moist air before the upper trough approached. Storms delayed the UAB-Louisiana game at Protection Stadium in downtown Birmingham. There was also some flooding in the downtown area. Temperatures were high everywhere yesterday, with afternoon readings hanging in the 70s over eastern parts. Highs included 75 F in Anniston and Gadsden, 82 F in Birmingham, and 88 F in Tuscaloosa.

Weather Mapping: Low pressure moves from east-central Alabama into Georgia this morning as the frontal system retreats to the southwest. The main cold front is located in Missouri, and this front will push through Alabama tonight, bringing some drier, cooler air to the state.

For Sunday: Low clouds and fog have formed following storms on Saturday evening, but skies will clear very quickly as the day goes on. Highs this afternoon will range from 79-82F across the Tennessee Valley, and 83-86F across north-central Alabama, with highs in the upper 80s over south-central Alabama. Mercury will settle into the 50s over the northern half of the region, with the upper 50s and lower 60s over south-central Alabama.

High pressure dominates the week: Sprawling high pressure will be concentrated over Arkansas Monday, near Louisville Tuesday, over central Pennsylvania Wednesday, Albany, New York Thursday, and New York City by Friday. While the center will move, the hills will maintain a protective cover for our weather in Alabama and the Deep South through the work week and into the weekend. Highs all week will be in the 70s to mid 80s. Overnight lows will be in the upper 50s to lower 60s.

Weekend Forecast: The weekend looks dry and warm, with highs in the 80s and lows in the upper 50s and lower 60s.

Voodoo Territory: We may not see rain until early to mid-week in the second week period. The GFS develops a tropical depression north of the Bahamas by the end of the week and turns it toward the South Carolina coast Sunday or Monday night. Doesn’t look very strong. The GFS forecast indicates that there will be some tropical damage in the Gulf around the first day. This will be something to watch as well.

Beachcast: After today’s rain and storms, it’s going to be a beautiful week along the beautiful beaches of Alabama and Northwest Florida. Highs will be in the upper 80s. Lows will be near 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Water temps are still in the mid 80s. The current rupture risk appears low until mid-week.

Click here to see the Beach Forecast Center page.

In the tropics: The tropical Atlantic remains busy with three active storms.

POST TROPICAL STORM LEE is moving across the Gulf of St. Lawrence early this morning after making landfall Saturday afternoon near the western tip of Nova Scotia with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. Maximum wind speeds in eastern Massachusetts were 62 mph at Chapin and Dennis, and 58 mph at Nantucket Airport. Winds gusted to 51 mph in Bangor ME. Winds reached 80 mph at Grand Manan on the Maine coast.

Tropical Storm MARGOT described a ring over the North Atlantic Ocean about 450 miles west-southwest of the Azores. Top winds 40 mph. The storm is expected to return to the east over the next 36 hours, approaching the Azores by Thursday, likely as a tropical depression by then.

Tropical Storm NIGEL was upgraded from tropical depression status last night, and is located about 1,150 miles southeast of Bermuda this morning. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and is moving northwest at about 14 mph. It should become a hurricane by tomorrow morning. Nigel will become a powerful hurricane by Tuesday, and should pass about 450-475 miles east of Bermuda late Tuesday night as it returns to the northeast.

Elsewhere, a tropical wave expected to move off the African coast this week is being tracked by the NHC and given a 30% chance of developing into a tropical cyclone. The GFS doesn’t buy it. Euro forms a tropical storm at the start of the second week, moving toward the northwest and missing the islands, but a strong ridge to the north could push it back west. We will watch.

Nationwide: Fairly calm conditions across most of the United States. Fire weather warnings and advisories are in effect throughout the Northern Rockies.

DANCE WITH THE STATISTICS: The sign of the afternoon on Saturday, with record morning lows in Myrtle Beach SC and Wilmington NC with 53F and 54F respectively. 97F in Marathon, Florida in the Keys was not only the warmest September 16 on record, it was also the warmest September day on record. Their records only go back to 1960, but they are still impressive.

Advertise with Us: Communicate your message to a highly engaged audience by advertising on AlabamaWX.com. We have a lot of big plans for this year. do not miss! We can customize a creative, flexible and affordable package to fit your organization’s needs. Call me, Bill Murray, at (205) 687-0782 and let’s talk.

WEATHERBRAINS: This week, the panel will entertain John Schmidt, principal hydrologist at the Southeast River Forecast Center. Watch the show at www.WeatherBrains.com. You can also subscribe on iTunes. You can watch the show live on our new YouTube channel for the show. You’ll be able to watch the show on the James Spann Weather Channel 24×7 via cable or live over the air on the dot 2 feed.

On this date in 1947: The most powerful hurricane of 1947 struck South Florida. It would be the first of two major hurricanes to hit the Sunshine State that year. Meteorologists with the Miami Weather Bureau’s National Weather Service informally named the hurricane “George,” a practice initiated by Pacific meteorologists to differentiate between hurricanes. Hillsboro Light’s one-minute average wind speed was 155 mph, the highest ever measured in the storm and still the highest ever measured in Florida history. The lowest recorded pressure was 27.76 inches in Mayfield, Florida. The hurricane will continue to batter Louisiana. Follow my weather history tweets on Twitter. I’m @wxhistorian at Twitter.com.

category: Alabama Weather, all posts, tropical