As we are in the hottest part of the summer in Alabama, thought we would pass on these tips on keeping your power bill down (and saving energy at the same time) from our friends at Alabama Power:

• Clean or change your air conditioner filter regularly. A dirty filter cuts down on air flow and reduces efficiency. Air conditioners are the biggest source of electric use during the summer. In many homes, air conditioning costs can account for more than half the electric bill.

• Set the thermostat at 78 degrees or slightly higher. The monthly savings could be between 3 percent and 5 percent. Raise the thermostat higher when away from home for extended periods.

• When buying a new air conditioning unit or heat pump, select one with a higher Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the unit.

• Close drapes or blinds during the day to reduce heat from direct sunlight. Use fans to circulate air. Install ceiling fans (clockwise rotation) in rooms frequently used.

• Use fluorescent lights instead of incandescent lamps when possible. Fluorescent lights last about 10 times longer and produce more light for the same amount of energy.

• Add insulation in the attic. Better attic insulation can save as much as 30 percent on cooling and heating costs. Insulation is measured in
R-value. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation. Experts recommend insulation with an R-value of R-30 in ceiling areas.

• Make sure exterior windows and doors close snugly. Apply weather stripping and caulking where needed. Proper insulation can make a big difference in keeping a house cooler in the summer.

• Instead of heating the oven on hot days, use the microwave. If you are using the oven, avoid opening the door, which can let out 20 percent of the heat. Use a cooking timer instead. When using the stovetop, choose pans that match the size of the burners. This cuts down on heat lost to the air.

• Use the dishwasher only when you have a full load. Smaller loads use the same amount of water and power. If you don’t need the dishes right away, turn off the heated drying cycle.

In addition to the energy saving tips, customers can get a customized Energy Check Up in as little as five minutes by going to alabamapower.com. Customers can take the easy check up or the full check up and get customized information on ways to save on their energy bill. Both check ups will issue a full report.

The Monday afternoon map discussion video is on the server:

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

Give you a good example of the "media hype" involving the current hot spell. The weather provider for the Birmingham News forecast a high of 100 for Birmingham today (see this morning's paper and the forecast for Birmingham on the weather page)!!!! No knock on my friends at the News, but I would suggest they might want to discuss this with their weather vendor. As of 3:00 p.m. Birmingham's high was 93.

No change in our forecast thinking; temperatures slowly back off and rain chances go up during the latter half of the week. A surface boundary should stall out near the Alabama/Tennessee border on Thursday and Friday, when much of the state should get wet. Maybe even some strong storms Thursday afternoon or Thursday night.

That surface front is bringing in a nice cool change in the weather for our pals up in the midwest that have really been struggling with the heat in recent days; places like Chicago, Milwaukee, Omaha, and Minneapolis.

I still thinking this will be the hottest period of the summer... don't see anything to suggest mid 90s or higher in model output through mid-August. Of course, we can have hot weather well into September.

TROPICS: Check out the video for details... running short on time this afternoon. Franklin going nowhere through mid-week, and the parade of waves continues off the coast of Africa. And, see that huge dust cloud coming across the Atlantic from the Sahara!

**We should mention that the code orange ozone alert has been extended into tomorrow**

The Monday morning web video is on the server:

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

In the weather office Friday afternoon I made the bold statement that Birmingham would stay below 95 all weekend, while the media hype machine was in full force about the "serious heat wave" ahead. Some people were calling for triple digits, with heat index values to 120! WRONG. I have lived through serious heat waves here, and this is not one.

The real "serious heat wave" was in progress across the middle of the nation where it was a big deal. Just not here.

The high in Birmingham was 93 on Saturday, and 94 on Sunday. This is barely above normal for late July; it is supposed to be hot in late July! And, no, I wasn't sitting in a cool office all weekend; I helped move our oldest son into a new apartment on Saturday during the middle of the day...

Yes, Tuscaloosa did rise to 97 yesterday, but that is one of the hottest places in the planet. I know, I grew up there.

With the ground getting drier, we might touch 95 today, but the heat will slowly back down after today, and by Wednesday and Thursday we will have a much better chance of cooling afternoon showers and storms as the air aloft becomes cooler and the air becomes more unstable. In addition, a nice surface boundary will be near the Alabama/Tennessee border by Thursday.

That surface front will bring some great heat relief to the midwest in coming days; the forecast high in Bismarck, ND today is only 69 degrees, after reaching 91 yesterday. Chicago will have a high of only 79 on Tuesday; yesterday the high in the windy city was 102.

TROPICS: Gert is fizzling out over Mexico, and Franklin started backing up yesterday. As expected, the steering currents around Franklin have collapsed, and it will just hang around in the Atlantic between the east coast of the U.S. and Bermuda over the next few days. A stronger trough should finally sweep the system out to sea in about five days. The system is not healthy; the circulation center is exposed with the main convection away from that center at this point.

Elsewhere, check out that big wave coming off the African coast on the video.

I should also mention here a "code orange ozone alert" remains in effect for Jefferson and Shelby counties. The idea here is to avoid driving as much as possible to help air quality, and if you have health issues like asthma you might want to stay indoors.

We are back on regular schedule for this week... thanks again to Brian Peters for handling the morning Internet shift last week while I was playing radio DJ on WZZK!