Storms at Times… Hot Temps… Thursday Afternoon Forecast Update – 5pm

Good Thursday afternoon! It has been a very hot summer-like day, with highs in the lower to middle 90s. At one point, the heat index was nearing 110 across parts of west Alabama. A ridge of high pressure has kept much of the south hot, but the core of the ridge is west of Alabama. The ridge will back down a bit over the next 24 hours, so weather changes are expected.

As of 5pm, we’re watching a few strong storms develop on radar across parts of Alabama. These storms will continue to be possible at times through 11pm tonight. After 11pm, the risk of scattered storms should die out. The big upper air ridge west of Alabama will weaken a bit over our area, which will allow temperatures to cool in the upper levels of the atmosphere. This will allow an increase in rain chances on Friday. While it will not rain all day on Friday, expect a good chance of scattered storms at any point. Some storms could become strong to severe, with a risk of wind damage. The Storm Prediction Center has placed most of Alabama under a slight risk of severe storms, so lets all stay alert. Wind damage will be the main severe risk, but non-severe risks include intense lightning and heavy rain. I can’t give you a good time-frame for the storms on Friday due to the scattered nature of the storms. Keep the umbrella handy through the entire day.

There is a chance an MCS or complex of storms will blast through Alabama sometime Friday or Friday night. If that’s the case, then the risk of wind damage will increase. A cold front will move through Alabama early on Saturday, so the risk of rain will end. While a few scattered storms are possible early Saturday for our south Alabama counties, most areas will stay dry and any rain will be short lived. The risk of rain is low on Sunday, but a lone shower or storm is possible. Highs will top out near 90 over the weekend.

A return to deep tropical moisture will bring the risk of scattered storms on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It will not rain all day and most areas will stay dry. The best chance of storms early next week will occur during the afternoon hours.

It’s almost time for the Dog Days of Summer! We want to see your pet pics over the next month, so send them in. This is what we’re looking for: How your dog is staying cool in the summer heat. Send the picture to weather@wvuatv.com or you can tag us on facebook and twitter. Facebook: wvuaweather, Twitter: Richard_wvua. Be sure to include your name, your dog’s name, and your town name. We will start showing these on WVUA-TV news next week and continue through the Dog Days.

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Richard Scott
WVUA Chief Meteorologist
rscott@wvuatv.com
Twitter: Richard_wvua