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June 14 Weather Xtreme Video - Afternoon Edition
The ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is a detailed weather discussion for Alabama and the Southeast U.S. which goes beyond the normal stuff you see on TV! From... From: abc3340 Views: 56 2 ratings Time: 05:28 More in News & Politics

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

AMAZINGLY PLEASANT FOR JUNE: What a day… sunshine in full supply; great visibility, low humidity, and comfortable temperatures. Birmingham reports 85 degrees at 3:00… only 81 at Valley Head up in DeKalb County. Dewpoints have dropped into the 50s, and with a clear sky and light wind tonight, some of the cooler pockets over North and Central Alabama will reach the upper 50s at daybreak tomorrow… a nice touch of fall. But, we all know we have a long, hot summer ahead of us before we get to those crisp October days.

OUR WEEKEND: Tomorrow will be another sunny day; we warm to a high of 90 degrees after a pleasant morning. Then, on Sunday, the sky will be partly sunny, and we will introduce a chance of “widely scattered showers and thunderstorms” by late afternoon as moisture levels begin to rise. Still, most of the day Sunday should be rain-free.

NEXT WEEK: Our best chance of showers and storms will come on Monday and Tuesday; the rain won’t be continuous and the sun should be out at times, but there will be a pretty decent chance of occasional showers with a good axis of deeper moisture/higher precipitable water values over Alabama. Then, drier air moves into North Alabama Wednesday and Thursday, and these two days look generally dry for the northern counties of our state. Moisture returns Friday with some risk of scattered showers or storms. Highs next week will be mostly in the 88-91 degree range.

TROPICS: The Atlantic basin remains quiet, and tropical storm formation is not expected through the weekend.

GULF COAST WEATHER: About 7 to 9 hours of sunshine for the coast from Panama City west to Gulf Shores this weekend… the chance of a shower is very small, and highs will be in the mid to upper 80s on the immediate coast. A few widely scattered showers are possible early next week, but widespread rain isn’t likely anytime soon. The sea water temperature this afternoon at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab is 83 degrees.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.

CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…

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I really had a great time seeing the kids at Double Oak Community Church this week… record crowd! I will be spending a little time “off the grid”… Brian Peters will handle the blog discussions and Weather Xtreme videos for a while; I return Monday June 24! Enjoy the weekend…

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June 14 Weather Xtreme Video - Morning Edition
The ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is a detailed weather discussion for Alabama and the Southeast U.S. which goes beyond the normal stuff you see on TV! From... From: abc3340 Views: 74 2 ratings Time: 06:00 More in News & Politics

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

DRY THROUGH TOMORROW: Cooler, drier air will arrive in Alabama in the wake of the thunderstorms that moved through last night. Thankfully those storms underperformed… to the east there was considerable wind damage in Georgia, but it seems like very shallow moisture here prevented thunderstorm updrafts from becoming sustained. But, they did bring a big light show to the southern sky; the lightning could be seen from many miles away, and it was non-stop for several hours.

Today will be sunny, and the weather will be cooler and less humid with a high between 85 and 88 degrees. Very pleasant for the middle of June. Some of the normally cooler places could very well reach the upper 50s early tomorrow morning.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a high around 90 degrees, but moisture levels begin to rise Sunday, and we will introduce the risk of widely scattered showers and storms during the afternoon and evening hours. Chance of any one spot getting wet Sunday is about one in four, and the high will remain very close to 90.

NEXT WEEK: Scattered showers and storms are possible Monday and Tuesday with a moist airmass in place… the GFS continues to hint at drier air over the northern half of Alabama Wednesday and Thursday with little risk of rain on those two days. Highs next week will be around 90 degrees.

TROPICS: The Atlantic basin remains quiet, and tropical storm formation is not expected through the weekend.

GULF COAST WEATHER: Look for mostly sunny days and fair nights along the Gulf Coast this weekend, and into next week. You might see a few widely scattered showers and storms next week, but nothing out of the ordinary for June. Highs on the immediate coast will remain in the mid to upper 80s, with low 90s just a few miles inland. Sea water temperatures are mostly in the low 80s from Panama City west to Gulf Shores.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.

CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…

Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus
Instagram

Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 or so this afternoon…. enjoy the day!

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A broken line of showers and storms continues pushing southward across Central Alabama tonight. It extends from northern Sumter and Greene Counties on the west across Hale, Perry, Chilton, Coosa, Tallapoosa, Chambers and northern Lee Counties.

Heavy rain, frequent lightning and gusty winds are the main by products of these storms. They are not severe and severe weather is expected. But of course, we can not rule out a severe report until the storms finish up fro the night.

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Our line of storms has filled in a bit over the past hour.

They are nearly solid from eastern Tuscaloosa across Bibb, much of Shelby into Talladega, Clay and Randolph Counties.

Good bit of lightning, gusty winds and heavy rains with the stronger cells, but none of the storms in Alabama are severe. The storm just west of the Alabama/Mississippi border over Noxubee County MS is still severe.

The storms will continue pushing southward over the next couple of hours.

A large tree was uprooted northwest of Sylvan Springs, along AL-269 at Little River Trail.

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Storms have developed in the past few minutes from southern Walker into western and southern Jefferson Counties. It will soon move into Shelby County as well. Lightning and gusty winds as well as heavy rain will accompany the storms, but they are not severe.

Other storms extend along I-20 from the I-20/459 interchange to near Pell City and on to near Heflin.

In West Alabama, storms are northwest of Reform in Pickens County. Additional storms near Columbus MS have prompted a severe thunderstorm warning. These storms will push into Pickens County shortly.

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Storms continue to drop south southeast over North Central Alabama tonight. There are two main clusters:

…one covers much of St. Clair County dropping into southern Calhoun and Talladega County. The heaviest rainfall extends from Ashville to Springville. There could be some hail around Springville right now, but most of it is probably melting before it reaches the ground. There is still quite a bit of lightning over the western extent of the storm, which extends into far northeastern Jefferson County around Argo.
…the other is over Lamar and Fayette Counties. The heaviest rainfall is over the county line northwest of Fayette. Good bit of lightning here as well.

But the storms are below severe limits. They have had a hard time getting organized thanks to a dry layer a decent capping inversion.

Some showers are trying to form across northern Jefferson County, being sparked by outflow from earlier storms in Walker County that produced the Marion County severe reports earlier.

A couple of the high resolutions models we like picked up on this early today and correctly predicted that the storms would not be able to become widespread in coverage. But with all of the instability available and all that dry air aloft, there was concern that damaging winds would be a problem.

There was some wind damage in northern Marion County with tree and power line damage around Haleyville. Nickel sized hail was also reported around Haleyville at 5:30.

The severe thunderstorm watch was canceled earlier for North Alabama and another watch is not expected for Central sections of the state.

In Georgia, storms are much stronger, and there are several severe thunderstorm warnings in effect, including one for the Atlanta Metro area.

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A broken line of storms continues to drop south across Central Alabama. There was one severe thunderstorm warning for Marion and Winston Counties, with sporadic wind damage, but since then the storms have weakened a bit. Currently, none of these storms are severe, but they are strong. They are capable of producing gusty winds, hail, frequent lightning and torrential rains.

The most intense storms are from Aberdeen, Mississippi to near Carbon Hill and Jasper in Walker County. Farther east, areas in Blount and Etowah Counties are seeing stormy conditions. Areas in and around Oneonta, Steele, Gadsden and Ranibow City are being impacted. Storms will be approaching the Interstate 20 corridor over the next hours or so. These storms will continue to push south over the next few hours and could briefly reach severe limits.

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UPDATE: The NWS is reporting some damage reports around the Bear Creek community in Marion County. Reports of tree and power line damage around Virginia Avenue.

A strong thunderstorm was moving south out of Franklin County into Marion and Winston Counties. This storm will be impacting highways 243 and 278. The main threat with this storm is damaging winds and some large hail may be possible as well. It will continue to move south and impact areas in and around Haleyville, Natural Bridge and Double Springs.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
EASTERN MARION COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA…
WESTERN WINSTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA…

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 502 PM CDT…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL…AND DAMAGING
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 9 MILES NORTH OF
HALEYVILLE…AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
HALEYVILLE…LYNN…BRINN…NEEDMORE…LAKE BUTTAHATCHEE…
ASHRIDGE…BRILLIANT AND WINSTON FREE STATE BARN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

FOR YOUR PROTECTION…MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF
YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.

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BULLETIN – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
445 PM CDT THU JUN 13 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
EASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA…

* UNTIL 515 PM CDT

* AT 445 PM CDT…DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IN
EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR ISBELL…OR 9 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF RUSSELLVILLE…AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
RUSSELLVILLE AND PHIL CAMPBELL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH…
DESTRUCTIVE HAIL…DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR
PROTECTION…MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR
HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT DRIVE
INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

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A line of storms has developed across the Tennessee Valley and it pushing south. None of these storms are currently severe, but they are producing gusty winds, heavy rain and frequent lightning. These storms will continue to push off towards the south and should track across much of Alabama this evening and into the overnight hours.

There have been a few thunderstorms develop over Central Alabama. One was located in western Jefferson County, another in eastern Jefferson County moving east into St. Clair county and a fairly strong storm over Cherokee County. We can expect some more thunderstorms to develop over the next few hours.  The main line of storms look to be affecting Birmingham between 6-7 this evening.

A chance for severe weather remains until the front passes through your location. The SPC maintains a slight risk for severe weather over much of Alabama through tonight. Main threat will remain the chance for damaging straight line winds. Some hail and a very isolated tornado may be possible as well. Once the line pushes through, conditions will be improving overnight and into the weekend.

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June 13 Weather Xtreme Video - Afternoon Edition
The ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is a detailed weather discussion for Alabama and the Southeast U.S. which goes beyond the normal stuff you see on TV! From... From: abc3340 Views: 2034 6 ratings Time: 08:02 More in News & Politics

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

STORMS FORMING OVER NORTH ALABAMA: A severe thunderstorm watch is up until 7p CT for the Tennessee Valley of North Alabama, along with Cullman County. Showers and storms are forming quickly over the northern half of the state, and we expect those storms to become severe over the next few hours.

Storms have the potential to produce large hail, and damaging straight line winds, possibly exceeding 50 mph in many places. It is likely another severe thunderstorm watch will be issued farther to the south soon that will include places like Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Anniston, and Gadsden.

While storms are possible at just about anytime this evening, the main organized band of storms will drop south; they should be along the I-20 corridor in the 5:00-7:00 p.m. time frame. Then, the band will reach Montgomery around 10:00 p.m. on the journey south. They storms should arrive on the Gulf Coast after midnight, but they should be weakening then.

The overall, broad window for the primary severe weather threat is from 4:00 until 9:00 p.m. As discussed this morning, we encourage everyone to be in a positon to hear severe thunderstorm warnings, and listen to the specific information in the warning along with the call to action… remember, some storms with strong straight line winds can produce damage like a tornado.

The storms will also produce lots of lightning and brief heavy rain.

TOMORROW AND THE WEEKEND: Cooler, drier continental air moves into our state tomorrow. The high will drop into the 86-89 degree range, and the humidity will be lower. Some of the normally cooler spots across Northeast Alabama could reach the upper 50s by daybreak Saturday.

Expect sunny weather over the weekend, with highs in the low 90s Saturday and Sunday.

NEXT WEEK: Moisture levels rise, and scattered showers and storms are possible Monday and Tuesday; the 12Z GFS shows drier air filtering into North Alabama by Wednesday and Thursday. The hottest weather in the nation will remain well to the west of Alabama; our high next week on most days will be close to 90 degrees.

TROPICS: The Atlantic basin remains quiet, and tropical storm formation is not expected this week. We do note the 12Z GFS brings a tropical storm up into Mobile Bay around June 27-28… but we all know that is pure voodoo for now.

GULF COAST WEATHER: A decaying band of storms will reach the Gulf Coast after midnight tonight, otherwise we expect mostly sunny days and fair nights tomorrow through Sunday with only a very small risk of a shower. Highs on the immediate coast will be in the mid to upper 80s, with 90s just a mile or two inland. Sea water temperatures are generally in the low 80s.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.

CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…

Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus
Instagram

Stay tuned to the blog for storm updates this evening….

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A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for North Alabama. It includes: Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence, Marshall, Cullman, Jackson, Limestone, Morgan, DeKalb, Lauderdale and Madison Counties. It goes til 7 p.m.

If you look at Skycam pictures across North and Central Alabama, it seems foreign that strong to severe storms are expected later this afternoon and this evening. But just step outside and you will be slapped in the face with dewpoints in the 70s and temperatures pushing 90+ degrees. This heat and humidity will be the fuel this afternoon for thunderstorms that will push into the state from the north. Instability values are already high and will get higher, with CAPEs in the 2000-3000 joules range. But those values are not unusual for summer in Alabama.

What is unusual is that we have an effective spark in the form of a cold front that lies across Kentucky and southeastern Missouri. This front is being propelled by a fairly strong upper level trough over the Ohio Valley.

There is just enough wind shear for us to think that the storms will become organized, helping enhance their severe potential. The presence of lots of dry air aloft really increases the threat of damaging winds.

Storms are forming over Central Tennessee now, from the Nashville area on east. This development should fire further westward over the next hour or so. The leading edge of these storms will push into the Northwest corner of Alabama around 1:30 and across the Tennessee Valley through 3 p.m. They should reach the I-20 corridor around 5:30-6 p.m. and on into Central Alabama during the early evening.

The storms have a high potential for producing damaging winds. There could also be large hail. The tornado threat is very small, but we can’t rule out one.

Please pay close attention to the weather this afternoon and evening. Take severe thunderstorm warnings very seriously with this event. Remember, severe thunderstorm winds can cause tornado like damage and injuries and even deaths.

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June 13 Weather Xtreme Video - Morning Edition
The ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is a detailed weather discussion for Alabama and the Southeast U.S. which goes beyond the normal stuff you see on TV! From... From: abc3340 Views: 4262 11 ratings Time: 08:07 More in News & Politics

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

HEAT, THEN STORMS: We will begin this day with ample sunshine this morning, and temperatures will heat quickly… with most communities reaching the mid 90s by mid-afternoon. This will create an unstable atmosphere, with surface based CAPE values exceeding 4,000 j/kg. With colder air aloft, steep lapse rates, and an approaching surface boundary, severe storms should form over Alabama’s Tennessee Valley, then moving south during the evening hours.

These storms will be capable of producing large hail and damaging straight line winds, in some spots exceeding 70 mph. This, of course, will knock down trees and power lines, and maybe even cause some structural damage. While we don’t expect any tornado activity, straight wind winds can produce damage like a smaller tornado, and we encourage everybody to really pay attention to severe thunderstorm warnings are they are needed this evening. And, of course, you will need to be in a position to hear those warnings with a good smart phone app, or NOAA Weather Radio.

The prime window for severe storms will come from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m… after that the threat will move down into the southern half of Alabama. SPC has most of Alabama in the standard “slight risk” of severe weather… see the Weather Xtreme video for the maps, graphics, and details.

FRESH AIR TOMORROW: Drier, continental air will flow into Alabama. Expect a good supply of sunshine, with a high in the mid to upper 80s along with noticeably lower humidity levels. The weekend will stay rain-free with mostly sunny days and fair nights; the high Saturday and Sunday will be in the 89-92 degree range. Some of the cooler pockets might reach the upper 50s early Saturday morning thanks to the dry air.

NEXT WEEK: Moisture levels will rise, and we will bring back the chance of “scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms” Monday through Wednesday with a mix of sun and clouds each day… the high will be close to 90 degrees. The 00Z GFS hints at drier air creeping into Alabama Thursday and Friday of next week.

TROPICS: All remains quiet across the Atlantic basin this morning… the GFS continues to hint at some kind of tropical system coming up toward the Louisiana coast later this month; get the details on the Weather Xtreme video.

AT THE BEACH: Lots of sunshine for the Gulf Coast today from Panama City west to Gulf Shores, but thunderstorms will move through late tonight and during the pre-dawn hours tomorrow. The storms should be weakening as they arrive, and the main threat comes from about midnight until 5:00 a.m. Then, expect mostly sunny days and fair nights tomorrow through the weekend with only a slight risk of a shower. Highs will hold in the 80s along the immediate coast, with 90s just a few miles inland. The sea water temperature this morning at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab is a warm 84 degrees.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.

CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…

Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus
Instagram

Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 4:00 this afternoon… and of course we will have frequent updates as the storms begin to fire over North Alabama. Enjoy the day…

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Weather Xtreme Video YouTube
The ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is a detailed weather discussion for Alabama and the Southeast U.S. which goes beyond the normal stuff you see on TV! From... From: abc3340 Views: 1692 5 ratings Time: 07:57 More in News & Politics

An all new edition of the ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is available in the player on the right sidebar of the blog. You can subscribe to the Weather Xtreme video on iTunes by clicking here.

HEAT CHECK: Generally speaking, temperatures are not as hot as forecast around here today, and I don’t hear too many people griping about that. We forecast a high of 96 today… but Birmingham only reports 91 at 3:00. But, to the north, Huntsville has reached 96 degrees. The sky is mostly sunny, and nothing is on radar.

BIG STORMS UP NORTH: A rare “high risk” of severe weather has been issued by SPC for parts of IA/MN/WI/IL until 9p CT, including Chicago. Storms up that way will produce hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes tonight; the standard “slight risk” runs all the way from Iowa to Chesapeake Bay.

OUR SEVERE WEATHER RISK TOMORROW: SPC has much of Alabama in the standard “slight risk” of severe weather tomorrow. We should begin the day with lots of sunshine during the morning, pushing temperatures into the mid 90s by afternoon. This will create a very unstable atmosphere, with surface based CAPE values expected to reach 4,000 j/kg. Keep in mind very high instability values are not very unusual during the summer months in Alabama, but the issue tomorrow is that there will be some dynamic support for storms thanks to the southern end of an upper trough, along with a low level surface boundary.

The primary window for severe weather will come from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m…. and the main risks will come from large hail and damaging straight line winds. The tornado threat is very low, but keep in mind straight line winds can produce damage like a tornado.

Our friend Kevin Laws at the Birmingham NWS office is a bit concerned… he writes…

“This is not an ordinary slight risk and the potential for 80 mph straight-line winds is possible. We need folks to take the severe thunderstorm warnings serious tomorrow! We are also aware that it is summer and there are lots of outdoor activities going on across the state. It will be critical to get those folks into shelter.”

He makes a good point… so be sure and pay attention to severe thunderstorm warnings that are issued and take them seriously. Storms will move south of our region by 9:00 p.m.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: Slightly cooler, and noticeably drier air arrives Friday. The sky will be sunny, humidity levels will be lower, and the high will be in the upper 80s. Some of the cooler spots across North Alabama could reach the 50s early Saturday morning; a nice touch of fall in June. The weekend will be dry with a good supply of sunshine Saturday and Sunday; highs will be in the 89-92 degree range both days.

NEXT WEEK: Moisture levels rise, and a few scattered showers and storms are possible Monday through Wednesday, mainly during the afternoon and evening hours. Expect a mix of sun and clouds on these three days with a high around 90 degrees.

TROPICS: All is quiet for now; we do note the GFS continues to hint at some mischief in the Gulf of Mexico later this month; see the Weather Xtreme video for more voodoo land ideas.

GULF COAST WEATHER: Storms will likely impact the Central Gulf Coast tomorrow night, otherwise look for mostly sunny days through the weekend with highs in the 80s on the immediate coast. Sea water temperatures remain generally in the low 80s from Panama City west to Gulf Shores.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.

CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…

Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus
Instagram

Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow…

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June 12 Weather Xtreme Video - Morning Edition
The ABC 33/40 Weather Xtreme video is a detailed weather discussion for Alabama and the Southeast U.S. which goes beyond the normal stuff you see on TV! From... From: abc3340 Views: 916 4 ratings Time: 06:22 More in News & Politics