The Tuesday afternoon map discussion video is on the web, and available on iTunes:
http://www.jamesspann.com/
I sure wish I was home taking a nap right now. What a great day... low clouds, a soaking rain, and temperatures hovering in the 68 to 72 degree. We have been needing a day like this for a long time. Here are some quick current totals from our SKYCAM network:
Jasper 1.55"
Riverchase 1.15"
Downtown Birmingham 0.76"
Gulf Shores 0.73"
The rain data from the Hamilton site is not correct; it shows 0.42", but it is likely that almost two inches of rain has fallen at that site.
TONIGHT: The actual cold front is still near the Mississippi River, so although the rain has ended for now over the northwest part of the state, additional showers and storms should form tonight in advance of the front. Additional rainfall totals of over one inch are likely tonight. While SPC maintains a slight risk of severe storms along the front near the Mississippi River this evening, severe weather won't be a problem here simply because the air is too stable.
TOMORROW: The rain will end during the morning, and the sky should become partly sunny by afternoon as drier air works into the state.
THURSDAY-FRIDAY: Beautiful weather; maximum sunshine, low humidity ,and cool early mornings. We should be in the upper 50s both Thursday and Friday morning. Some low to mid 50s are possible in the cooler valleys across North Alabama.
THE WEEKEND: We stay dry. Sunny warm days, and clear pleasant nights. Great football weather; daytime highs will be in the mid to upper 80s.
NEXT WEEK: The 12Z GFS now suggests the best chance of rain with the next front will come late Monday and Monday night. The main upper support is well to the north of the state, and for now it doesn't look like a good rain producer (like the system we have today). But, we don't base a forecast from one model run, and that might change over the next few days. We will maintain a chance of rain for late Monday, Monday night, and Tuesday morning.
TROPICS: Out in the far eastern Atlantic tropical depression eight should be upgraded to tropical storm Helene soon, but all of the models turn the system northward over the open Atlantic, meaning it probably won't be a threat to any land mass. Same story for Gordon, the tropical storm in the central Atlantic... that one will remain over the open water as it moves northward. In the North Atlantic, Florence is becoming extratropical over the cooler water. Once again, no threat to the Gulf of Mexico for the next week or so. Sure looks like the majority of the tropical systems this season will be Atlantic storms. But, we still have a long way to go. Stay tuned.
I am aware of the slow performance on the ABC 33/40 site today... this blog is not on the same server, so you won't have those issues here. Our friends that host the 33/40 site tell us they in the process of a big upgrade so we hope to have the issue resolved soon on the abc3340.com domain. A ton of traffic over there today with active weather (for a change).
COOL STUFF: The new WeatherBrains podcast is great... it features David Black's and Bill Bussy's trip to the Kennedy Space Center this past weekend for the shuttle launch, and a great interview with Tim Coleman about gravity waves:
http://www.weatherbrains.com/
And, we have the ABC 33/40 10th Anniversary TV Special on the web if you want to watch... just go to our video page:
http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb
I will have the next map discussion video posted by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow... enjoy the rain!
http://www.jamesspann.com/
I sure wish I was home taking a nap right now. What a great day... low clouds, a soaking rain, and temperatures hovering in the 68 to 72 degree. We have been needing a day like this for a long time. Here are some quick current totals from our SKYCAM network:
Jasper 1.55"
Riverchase 1.15"
Downtown Birmingham 0.76"
Gulf Shores 0.73"
The rain data from the Hamilton site is not correct; it shows 0.42", but it is likely that almost two inches of rain has fallen at that site.
TONIGHT: The actual cold front is still near the Mississippi River, so although the rain has ended for now over the northwest part of the state, additional showers and storms should form tonight in advance of the front. Additional rainfall totals of over one inch are likely tonight. While SPC maintains a slight risk of severe storms along the front near the Mississippi River this evening, severe weather won't be a problem here simply because the air is too stable.
TOMORROW: The rain will end during the morning, and the sky should become partly sunny by afternoon as drier air works into the state.
THURSDAY-FRIDAY: Beautiful weather; maximum sunshine, low humidity ,and cool early mornings. We should be in the upper 50s both Thursday and Friday morning. Some low to mid 50s are possible in the cooler valleys across North Alabama.
THE WEEKEND: We stay dry. Sunny warm days, and clear pleasant nights. Great football weather; daytime highs will be in the mid to upper 80s.
NEXT WEEK: The 12Z GFS now suggests the best chance of rain with the next front will come late Monday and Monday night. The main upper support is well to the north of the state, and for now it doesn't look like a good rain producer (like the system we have today). But, we don't base a forecast from one model run, and that might change over the next few days. We will maintain a chance of rain for late Monday, Monday night, and Tuesday morning.
TROPICS: Out in the far eastern Atlantic tropical depression eight should be upgraded to tropical storm Helene soon, but all of the models turn the system northward over the open Atlantic, meaning it probably won't be a threat to any land mass. Same story for Gordon, the tropical storm in the central Atlantic... that one will remain over the open water as it moves northward. In the North Atlantic, Florence is becoming extratropical over the cooler water. Once again, no threat to the Gulf of Mexico for the next week or so. Sure looks like the majority of the tropical systems this season will be Atlantic storms. But, we still have a long way to go. Stay tuned.
I am aware of the slow performance on the ABC 33/40 site today... this blog is not on the same server, so you won't have those issues here. Our friends that host the 33/40 site tell us they in the process of a big upgrade so we hope to have the issue resolved soon on the abc3340.com domain. A ton of traffic over there today with active weather (for a change).
COOL STUFF: The new WeatherBrains podcast is great... it features David Black's and Bill Bussy's trip to the Kennedy Space Center this past weekend for the shuttle launch, and a great interview with Tim Coleman about gravity waves:
http://www.weatherbrains.com/
And, we have the ABC 33/40 10th Anniversary TV Special on the web if you want to watch... just go to our video page:
http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb
I will have the next map discussion video posted by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow... enjoy the rain!