(Make sure to scroll down to read James' late evening post about the recovery on the Alabama Gulf Coast. It has some great pictures that will make all of us envious of his beach trip

The National Weather Service in Key West has been in many locations since 1870 when the U.S. Weather Bureau was born. The first observations were taken from the Russell House on Duval Street. Consisten records have been taken at Key West since 1872. The station would move no less than seven time between 1870 and 1903, when the weather men moved into their own building at the corner of Front and Eaton Streets. The October 1910 hurricane would bring a seven foot storm surge into the building. The office immediately had to be relocated to the Island City Bank Building while the station was rebuilt. It opened in January 1913. The Key West Weather Bureau office would remain here until 1957.

Then the office was moved to a building at the Key West Airport. The offices moved several times, but remained at the Airport until this past October. It was at that point, that a brand new, hurricane proof building was ready to receive the meteorological team just in time for Hurricane Wilma. The lobby is now decorated with the twin tattered familiar orange and black pennants that signify hurricane warning. The flags flew during Wilma as she passed last year.

The building, built to withstand 165 mph winds, which is a Category Five storm. A safe room built around the bathrooms can protect occupants from a 255 mph barrage. Located on high ground in downtown Key West, it will stay dry during a fourteen foot storm surge, which would be a worst case scenario for the island at the end of the United States. Concrete slab walls protect the interior from large flying debris. Hurricane impact glass is designed to crack but not shatter.

The building cost $5.1 million to construct. To the staff at the NWS Key West, it is priceless.

I consider those that post, read, and comment on this blog as a big family. Sure, we can have disagreements, like any family, but we are connected.

I am writing tonight from Gulf Shores, where I am spending a little time away from the office on vacation. I was reminded about our blog "connection" this evening when I was in a Bruno's here in Gulf Shores. A nice lady and her mom heard my voice, and they let me know how much they appreciate our blog, and especially J.B.'s "Miss Molly" stories. As I was checking e-mail, a very nice note came in from some of the Alabama troops serving our nation in Iraq. The connection extends far and wide.

The post-Ivan recovery continues down here.... here are some images captured during the last two days...


Looking east, you can see the new construction in Gulf Shores on the left, and the old state park pier torn apart by Ivan in the distance.


This is Orange Beach, looking east. Wall to wall high rise buildings on the coast. Some of these have been built since Ivan's arrival in 2004.


The skyline of Gulf Shores is changing, and getting higher, this is looking west from the old Alabama State Park location.


I will never forget this building. This is where Bill Castle and Christopher Sign survived Ivan in a stairwell after their newscar was washed away by the storm surge. This is the first condo tower west of the old state park location.


The monster high rise on the right is at the location of the old Lighthouse, which was torn down several years ago. For a long time, the Lighthouse was the only big motel in Gulf Shores. Wonder if it would have survived Ivan.


For some reason these seagulls on top of the Golden Arches made me laugh...

The weather has been wonderful down here. Interesting to note that during the peak of the daytime heat today my car suggested the outdoor temperature was 92 on the north side of the Intracoastal Waterwal, but 86 on the immediate coastline. I really don't trust car outside thermometers, but that gives us a good idea of the difference in temperature just inland, and along the coast where the ocean water and the sea breeze can keep temperatures down a bit.

Signing off for now... I will be back at my post Monday morning! Have a wonderful weekend; we will do the same.

A couple of areas of showers continue across North Central Alabama tonight behind a cold front. The first area of showers was moving over eastern Shelby and eastern Jefferson Counties. The second area, including a few thunderstorms, is over West Central Alabama over Tuscaloosa, Greene and Sumter Counties.

A large area of showers and weakening thunderstorms was over Alabama ahead of the front.

Northerly winds are already blowing over areas of North Alabama behind the front.

A cold front is pushing southeastward across Alabama this evening. It is generally in the I-59 corridor.

Behind the front, winds have shifted to the northwest. This is going to allow cooler and drier air to flow into Alaabma.

Ahead of the front, the main area of showers and thunderstorms is movn from Chambers and Elmore County down into northern Monroe County.

Just behind the front additional showers and storms continue from northern Perry and Hale County back up theough eastern Tuscaloosa County to up along the Walker/Jefferson County line. Some stroner storms extend from northern Sumter, Greene and Sumter County back to northwestern Tuscaloosa and and Walker Counties.

Showers will continue to end from the west as the front moves eastward.

Skies will clear during the early morning hours on Saturday. It should be a beautiful day with plenty of sunshine, warm temperatures and slightly less humidity.

The main storms are in an irregular line from South marengo County in West Alabama, northeast to South Chilton County in Central Alabama to Coosa and Clay County in East Alabama.

NWS issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

* South Chilton County
* Northeast Autauga County

Includes Clanton, Verbena and Marbury

The severe storm was 8 miles SW of Clanton moving NE 25 mph.

Storms have greatly diminished in the Greater Birmingham area and nearby counties.

There is a cluster of strong storms along the Greene-Tuscaloosa County line in West Alabama.

Strongest thunderstorms now east of the immediate Birmingham area. The line of storms also not as solid as earlier.

Strongest storms were over Bibb and Shelby County.

At 5:20 pm, we have a report from Westover that rain is very heavy and coming down in sheets.

Even though the main line has moved east, that does not mean there are not other storms. Some strong ones at 5:20 pm were:

* Over West Fayette County
* Pickens County near Carrollton
* Over South Perry County

Thunderstorms are numerous and locally heavy over much of South and SW Alabama.

NWS issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for North Bibb County in Central Alabama. Storm possiblly with large hail and damaging winds was 6 miles west of West Blocton or about 10 miles north of Brent moving east at 25.

That line of storms extends northeeast into Birmingham...to near Springville in Western St, Clair County and to Gadsden.

Cox Radio stations downtown reports extremely heavy rain in downtown Birmingham.

ABC 33/40 Sky Cam downtown backs that up with very poor visibility and rain falling at the rate of over an inch an hour. Winds were gusting to 33 mph.

Earlier, there was a gust to 42 mph at the Inverness Skycam site.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Hale County in West Central Alabama until 4:30. The line of thunderstorms extended from west of Greensboro to near Moundville.

That same line of storms extends up through East Tuscaloosa County to near Birmingham, Oneonta and Gadsden.

The strong storms were moving into the Birmingham area. Look for strong gusty winds, possible hail, dangerous lightning and localized very heavy rain.

That is a long line of thunderstorms across North and West Alabama.

At 3:40 pm, the main part of that line extended from Guntersville southwestward to NW of Oneonta and along the Tuscaloosa-Jefferson County line west and NW of Birmingham...to West Tuscaloosa County approaching the Tuscaloosa-Northport area.

Both Tuscaloosa and Birmingham will be dealing with these storms by around 4 o'clock or soon thereafter.

The NWS has issued a Singificant Weather Alert for both Tuscaloosa and Jefferson County until 4:15 pm. This is short of a Severe Thunderstorm Warning.

Conditions are becoming favorable for an increased threat of damaging winds over NE Alabama for the next few hours.

The thunderstorms all along that line are cabable of producing strong winds and possible hail.

The above does not describe all the thunderstorms by any means--just the main ones.

HAIL REPORT
The EMA Director for Lamar County reported 3/4 inch size hail at Vernon at 2:28 pm.

The Friday afternoon map discussion video is on the server at:

http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb

The latest surface observations put the cold front on a line roughly from just east of Nashville to Greenwood and into Southwest Mississippi. Two lines of scattered thunderstorms have developed along with a considerable number of showers across southern Alabama. I think it still looks favorable for nearly everyone to get some rain this afternoon and tonight as the cold front advances eastward. Some locations in the eastern and southeastern portion of the state might get missed since afternoon heating in playing a role in the development of the thunderstorms ongoing now. Storm intensity and coverage is likely to decrease with the setting sun, but with the front likely to reach the state by late afternoon some showers may continue.

After the front makes it's way thorugh the Southeast, we should see cooler and drier air through the weekend and into the first half of the upcoming week. That thanks to a strong trough that will be situated over the eastern third of the US. The positon of the trough will keep Alabama in a northwesterly flow pattern and relatively cool and dry for the upcoming week.

The GFS shows the possibility of our first tropical system of the season. There is a cluster of thunderstorms in the Caribbean Sea and the GFS develops that into an organized low next week. This could be Alberto, however, we have to remember that the GFS is notorious about developing tropical systems, so it's something that will bear watching over the next several days. The good news for the Gulf coast is that any system that should develop would move northeast offshore from the Atlantic coast.

Another web vice map discussion will be posted tomorrow morning around 8 or 9. Sorry for the tinny sound to the audio. My video camera and my microphone combine to give me fits. I've learned to unplug and re-plug it, but when I complete the recording it sometimes doesn't sound as good as I'd like.

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend. God bless.

-Brian-

PS I checked the television listings, and the National Geographic Channel is still set to air a program on June 8, next Tuesday, at 7 PM CDT on the March 27, 1994, Piedmont Tornado. You might want to tune in or set your recorder for it. I've already got mine set.