The Tuesday morning map discussion video is on the server:
http://www.jamesspann.com/
The video is also available via iTunes. Speaking of that, our weekly 30 minute podcast "WeatherBrains" will be posted shortly. We have a great interview this week with Dr. William Gray, and needless to say we will be talking about hurricanes and "global warming".
SUMMER PATTERN SETS UP: We are getting into the time of year when we really can't describe weather changes here by "cold fronts", "high pressure", and other stuff TV weather people like to say. Instead, we will be watching things like the daily seabreeze front, the strength of the capping inversion aloft, outflow boundaries, areas of differential heating, and other mesoscale features that might give us a clue about afternoon storm formation.
And, it is hard to totally say there is no chance of rain during the summer in Alabama. The chance of a "pop-up" afternoon shower or storm is almost a given on a daily basis from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
This past weekend, we mentioned the chance of isolated afternoon storms, and clearly wrote that MOST NEIGHBORHOODS will be dry. I got an e-mail yesterday from someone all upset because on Friday "James Spann said it was going to rain over the weekend", and there was no rain at his house and the weather was mostly sunny. There is no doubt it is time to write my annual blog post on how to use summer weather forecasts in Alabama, because the e-mail guy, needless to say, doesn't get it. I won't be able to do it this week, since I am in the midst of my series called "Spann's Best Way To The Bama Beaches", but I will get to that early next week.
I will have part two of the beach trip available later today; this year we are starting off by checking out the Cahaba River Lily near West Blocton.
TODAY/TOMORROW: While we can't rule out a few isolated storms in the afternoon with an old surface boundary somewhere around here, most places will stay dry and warm. Highs well into the 80s, with increasing dewpoints and humidity.
THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Afternoon showers and storms should be a little more active on these days with an upper impulse passing north of Alabama, driving yet another weakening surface boundary down this way (notice I don't like to call them cold fronts). The storms will be scattered, but some spots will probably get wet, especially along and north of I-20.
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND: Very typical late May weather... very warm, humid, and a few isolated afternoon showers and storms around. Highs in the 87 to 90 degree range Saturday through Monday. For now we don't see anything out of the ordinary.
AT THE BEACH: Don't be freaked out by the big mass of clouds in the eastern Gulf; that is on the east side of an upper low, not a surface based system. Tropical storm formation is not likely in the Gulf this week, and the weather from Gulf Shores to Panama City looks pretty good with just isolated showers and storms and a decent amount of sunshine. Sea water temperatures just off the coast are still in the mid to upper 70s, but they should exceed 80 soon.
I will have the next afternoon map discussion video posted by 3:30 today... the next segment of the beach trip will be posted by the evening, and the WeatherBrains podcast with William Gray will be up in minutes!
http://www.jamesspann.com/
The video is also available via iTunes. Speaking of that, our weekly 30 minute podcast "WeatherBrains" will be posted shortly. We have a great interview this week with Dr. William Gray, and needless to say we will be talking about hurricanes and "global warming".
SUMMER PATTERN SETS UP: We are getting into the time of year when we really can't describe weather changes here by "cold fronts", "high pressure", and other stuff TV weather people like to say. Instead, we will be watching things like the daily seabreeze front, the strength of the capping inversion aloft, outflow boundaries, areas of differential heating, and other mesoscale features that might give us a clue about afternoon storm formation.
And, it is hard to totally say there is no chance of rain during the summer in Alabama. The chance of a "pop-up" afternoon shower or storm is almost a given on a daily basis from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
This past weekend, we mentioned the chance of isolated afternoon storms, and clearly wrote that MOST NEIGHBORHOODS will be dry. I got an e-mail yesterday from someone all upset because on Friday "James Spann said it was going to rain over the weekend", and there was no rain at his house and the weather was mostly sunny. There is no doubt it is time to write my annual blog post on how to use summer weather forecasts in Alabama, because the e-mail guy, needless to say, doesn't get it. I won't be able to do it this week, since I am in the midst of my series called "Spann's Best Way To The Bama Beaches", but I will get to that early next week.
I will have part two of the beach trip available later today; this year we are starting off by checking out the Cahaba River Lily near West Blocton.
TODAY/TOMORROW: While we can't rule out a few isolated storms in the afternoon with an old surface boundary somewhere around here, most places will stay dry and warm. Highs well into the 80s, with increasing dewpoints and humidity.
THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Afternoon showers and storms should be a little more active on these days with an upper impulse passing north of Alabama, driving yet another weakening surface boundary down this way (notice I don't like to call them cold fronts). The storms will be scattered, but some spots will probably get wet, especially along and north of I-20.
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND: Very typical late May weather... very warm, humid, and a few isolated afternoon showers and storms around. Highs in the 87 to 90 degree range Saturday through Monday. For now we don't see anything out of the ordinary.
AT THE BEACH: Don't be freaked out by the big mass of clouds in the eastern Gulf; that is on the east side of an upper low, not a surface based system. Tropical storm formation is not likely in the Gulf this week, and the weather from Gulf Shores to Panama City looks pretty good with just isolated showers and storms and a decent amount of sunshine. Sea water temperatures just off the coast are still in the mid to upper 70s, but they should exceed 80 soon.
I will have the next afternoon map discussion video posted by 3:30 today... the next segment of the beach trip will be posted by the evening, and the WeatherBrains podcast with William Gray will be up in minutes!