WVUA-TV Weather Blog

We are watching the development of Tropical Depression # 6. This will likely become Tropical Storm Felix within the next 12 to 18 hours. I am watching some computer models that seem to turn this storm towards the northwest in about 4 to 5 days. We will have to keep a close eye on TD# 6 as it makes its way into the eastern Caribbean. This could actually become a hurricane over the next few days as it moves towards the west. The National Hurricane Center is forecasting it to become a hurricane in about 4 days. Stay tuned for frequent weather updates. 

WVUA Weather:

Richard Scott

The big Labor Day weekend is here and this time always marks the unofficial end to summer. Thankfully, we’ve already seen an end in the record setting heat we experienced in past weeks. Today we’ve had temperatures in the low 90s and the current setup is allowing numerous thunderstorms to develop with the daytime heating.

Currently there are more thunderstorms marching through West Alabama and damp conditions will be in place for the High School Football Games tonight. I would certainly carry the rain gear if you’re heading to a game tonight. The rainy weather will slowly taper off to spotty showers by midnight, with some fog. Lows will be dropping into the 70s.

The wet weather will be with us through the weekend. Thousands of Alabama fans will be arriving in Tuscaloosa over the next 24 hours. If you’re planning on attending the game tomorrow, I would make sure I had a poncho handy. There will be some rain and thunderstorms in the vicinity tomorrow. Highs tomorrow will be near 90-degrees, with lows near 70 tomorrow night.

An upper air disturbance is becoming better organized to our southeast. This will continue to keep our weather unsettled as cooler air aloft permits numerous thunderstorms to develop with the heating of the day. Therefore, look for this pattern to continue through the start of next week.

Tropical Depression Number Six formed east of the Lesser Antilles. This depression is forecasted to develop into Tropical Storm Felix over the next 12 hours. The system is then forecasted to develop into a hurricane with a long range prediction of a landfall in Mexico next week. Join us tonight for more details!

Wes Wyatt
Chief Meteorologist WVUA-TV

The month of August is coming to an end and as we look back on the summer month we can find plenty of extremes. The one extreme everyone is talking about of-course is the record setting heat. We had 15 days this month with the temperature at or above the 100 degree mark. This shattered the previous long time streak of 100’s set in the 1950s. Our average low this past month was 72 F and the lowest low was 68 F.

Unfortunately, the rain did not keep up with the heat. This just added to deficit that carried over from the months of April, May, June, and July. The monthly rainfall total as of this posting was 1.52 inches and we could measure more rain before Saturday morning. This still won’t be enough however, to curve the extreme drought. Since January 1st, our rainfall deficit has increase to 25.14 inches below average.

When we look at the overall pattern of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, the month of August usually marks an abrupt increase in the frequency of tropical cyclones. In August we’ve seen one hurricane, Hurricane Dean, but thankfully it did not affect our coverage area, unlike Hurricane Katrina back in August ’05. The storm did however reach category five status as it moved into the Yucatan peninsula. The last storm to impact that region as a category five was Gilbert in 1988.

Corbin Burns
WVUA Weather

Many residents along and north of I-20/59 probably had a tough time going to sleep last night. Yesterday’s thunderstorm development waited to peak during the late night hours. The Tuscaloosa Airport only measured 0.30” however, some areas over northern Tuscaloosa County received well over an inch of rain.

Right now there are numerous thunderstorms scattered about the state. An impressive complex of thunderstorms has materialized southwest of Tuscaloosa and this will spread rain into Marengo, Sumter, and Greene Counties. It’s going to remain quite muggy tonight, with the chance of a passing shower or thunderstorm. There are high school football games scheduled for this evening and if you’re planning on attending the games, I would have a raincoat or poncho handy. Temperatures will drop into the 70s for lows tonight.

A moist air mass remains in place over Alabama and with another front stalling over the state, the chance for rain will return tomorrow. We will catch some dry periods during the day, but numerous showers and thunderstorms will be scattered about, especially in the afternoon. Look for the chance of a passing thunderstorm to linger into tomorrow night.

Saturday the greatest clustering of rain will be focused to the south near a developing upper air storm system. This feature will eventually retreat northward by Sunday and Monday causing an increase in the development of rain. We will have a several hours of dry weather each day; however, there will be the chance for a passing thunderstorm, mainly in the afternoon hours. I will have much more on our local weather, plus a glance at some tropical activity in our live broadcast tonight at five, six, and ten!

Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt
WVUA-TV Weather

Today marks the two year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall in South Louisiana and Mississippi. The hurricane was the sixth strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin and at one point, the second Category 5 Hurricane of the 2005 season. Katrina formed on August 23rd and crossed south Florida as a Category 1 Hurricane. The storm made its second landfall along the southeast tip of Louisiana as a Category 4 Hurricane on August 29th. Later that day the large hurricane moved into south Mississippi as a Category 3 Storm. After the eye of Katrina passed, the levee system in New Orleans failed leading to catastrophic flooding in parts of the city. The full force of the wind and storm surge ravaged the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the rebuilding in that region continues today. Katrina was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history at 81.2 billion dollars. Also, this was the deadliest hurricane to strike since 1928. Right now there are a few tropical waves being monitored in the Atlantic Basin. At this point we don’t see any of these features posing a threat to southeast.

Our local weather has been quite steamy today. We’ve had a mix of clouds and sun, with scattered thunderstorms. A nice downpour just occurred near the station and the reason for the heavy rain is that the air is loaded with moisture. Dewpoint’s are high and this will make for a muggy evening with patchy fog developing. Temperatures have been in the low 90s today, and lows will be in the 70s. There is an upper level disturbance nearby and this could help spark some spotty thunderstorms overnight.

Tomorrow the trend will continue with lots of sun through mid-morning. By the afternoon the thunderstorms will start popping up and they will be slow movers, which will make for higher rain amounts. Another front will drop into the region and enhance the chance for a passing shower or thunderstorm on Friday. Rather than the rain being limited to the afternoon hours, we could see some rain before lunchtime. I would keep the poncho handy for this Labor Day weekend, as the chance for afternoon thunderstorms will continue for Saturday and Sunday. According to the latest data, the bulk of the thunderstorm activity should be south of Tuscaloosa as the Alabama Football Game gets kicked off Saturday afternoon.

By the way, if you’re driving to Starkville, MS to watch MSU take on LSU tomorrow night, I would certainly have the rain gear. There will be numerous thundershowers scattered about in the afternoon; however, that activity will be dissipating around kick-off time.

Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt
WVUA-TV Weather

We are finally seeing a welcomed change in the weather pattern. Even though it has felt quite hot and muggy out there today, you can say so long to those triple digits. Right now we’re monitoring another wave of thunderstorms near Demopolis and this activity is lifting northward towards Tuscaloosa. Yesterday we had scattered thunderstorms dropping in from the northeast and today the thunderstorm movement has changed as the rain is moving in from the south. Look for the thunderstorms to linger into tonight and slowly dissipate, with fog materializing. Lows will be in the 70s.

Copious amounts of moisture, in conjunction with cooler air aloft, will allow thunderstorms to develop with the heating of the day tomorrow. We will sure take all of the rain we can get and tomorrow the chances for rain look good. Some of the storms may grow strong with dangerous lighting, large hail, and gusty winds. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will be similar days as another front drops in and enhances the afternoon rain development. Highs will be near 90-degrees, with lows in the 70s. Be sure to join us tonight for more details!

Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt
WVUA-TV Weather

We’ve seen quite a bit of rain out there tonight and we will sure take all we can get. Some spots over Northwest Greene County and Northwest Bibb/Northeast Hale counties received well over an inch of rain. So far the Tuscaloosa airport has measured only 0.03” and as of 8:03 p.m. the rain was still falling in Tuscaloosa. Light rain will continue through the late night hours for much of West Alabama. The last batch of afternoon thunderstorms to impact West Alabama moved in from Jefferson County, from the northeast. Now we’re seeing what is left of that small thunderstorm complex bring rain to communities like Eutaw, Union, and Elrod. The rain will gradually dissipate, with some areas of fog tonight. You can expect the thunderstorms to become quite active again by tomorrow afternoon.

As we first mentioned on the news at five and six, there will be a lunar Eclipse overnight. Unfortunately, this will happen during the early morning hours tomorrow. The event will start unfolding around 3:30 a.m. and continue through daybreak. If you’re an early riser you may be able to catch a good glimpse of the Eclipse on the outer regions of town. The peak of the event will be impossible to see as the sun will be on the horizon. Folks on the Pacific Coast should get a nice viewing of the earths shadow on the moon.

Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt
WVUA-TV Weather

**Severe Thunderstorm Warning For Tuscaloosa County Until 4:30 p.m. Storm is currently near Brookwood and drifting towards Holt. Stay tuned to WVUA for more updates.

Discussion: Good Afternoon! The scattered thunderstorms have been quite numerous this afternoon and thankfully, we still have lots of rain out there. Northern Greene County has experienced a good soaking and earlier Greene and Sumter Counties were both under severe thunderstorm warnings. There is still a chance some of the thunderstorms scattered about could pulse to the severe level. Tonight we will continue to have partly cloudy skies, with the chance for a passing thunderstorm lingering.

Right now a boundary is stalled over the area and this feature will gradually washout over the area in the days ahead. There will be plenty of moisture and lift in place for scattered thunderstorms, especially for tomorrow and Thursday. Skies will be partly cloudy, with highs reaching the lower 90s. Some of the storms could produce some healthy rain amounts near one inch.

The good news is that the pattern certainly has shifted and by the end of the week we will have another front closing in. This front will bring us a good chance for a passing shower or thunderstorm during the Friday/Saturday time frame. At this point I’m thinking the rain should be out of Tuscaloosa just in time for the kick-off Saturday evening. That could change however, if the front decides to stall over the area. Highs will be in the low 90s, with lows in the 70s. Be sure to join us tonight for more details.

Chief Meteorologist Wes Wyatt
WVUA-TV Weather

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…

  WEST CENTRAL GREENE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA…

  NORTH CENTRAL SUMTER COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA…

* UNTIL 315 PM CDT

* AT 245 PM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A

  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS

  OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR NEW MOUNT HEBRON…OR 18

  MILES NORTH OF LIVINGSTON…AND MOVING WEST AT 5 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO

  GAINESVILLE…WARSAW AND GEIGER.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH…PREPARE

IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS…DESTRUCTIVE HAIL…AND DEADLY CLOUD

TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER…

PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER…

CALL 1-800-856-0758.

Posted By: Richard Scott

Happy Sunday to you! While the tropics are quiet now, this time in 2005, we were watching Hurricane Katrina emerge off the west coast of Florida. If only we knew then what was about to take place in a few days. Luckily, we don’t have to worry about anything like that over the next few days in the tropics. The only thing to really speak of is a broad area of low pressure in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. This system is about to make its way inland over the central Mexican coastline, where they don’t need anymore rain! 

Our weather has turned out to be hot once again today. Most of the shower and thunderstorm activity has been to our south and east, as a push of drier air has made its way into the state. The chance of rain will remain low over the next couple of days, with highs souring into the upper 90s. 

Things begin to chance on Wednesday, as a surge of gulf moisture comes in, and a cold front begins pushing down from the north; this combined will help enhance our rain opportunities for the mid portion of the week until Saturday. Highs will also begin to settle down somewhat. Rather than upper 90s and 100 degree readings, you can expect highs to be in the lower 90s. 

There is some hint that drier air will work into the area on Sunday, which will help trim back our rain chances to 20%. 

Be sure to tune in tonight at 10 for the latest on your home team weather forecast. 

WVUA Weather: Richard Scott