WVUA-TV Weather Blog

A new tropical storm formed today over the far eastern Atlantic. Bertha is churning westward as a tropical storm, but the good thing is that this system is over 3,000 miles East of Miami, Florida. Bertha is expected to remain a tropical storm and eventually turn northward into the open Atlantic. Another disturbance has drifted into the eastern Caribbean and there is low potential for this system to further organize. This activity is a clear sign that hurricane season is here and we will be monitoring things closely in the warm waters to our south.

Back here in Alabama the only change we’ve noticed today is that a few isolated thunderstorms have developed to our south. We will have the chance for a stray shower or thunderstorm during the early evening hours tonight. Lows will be on the muggy side, with readings near 70. Tomorrow’s forecast will be very similar except a few more thunderstorms could pop-up closer to home. Highs will be in the low 90s.

A front dropping in from the north will combine with increasing moisture to create a good coverage of scattered showers and thunderstorms. It looks like we will not only deal with afternoon storms this weekend, but there could be some rain around during the morning hours. By Monday we will mainly have storms firing up in the afternoon and the rain will stay on the scattered side. Highs will remain in the low 90s, with heat index values nearing 100. Have a great evening!

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Wes Wyatt
Chief Meteorologist

You might be thinking about record setting heat during this time of year, but that was not the case for this second day of July. Our morning low dropped to 58-degrees and that was one degree lower than the previous record of 59 set in 1950. I don’t think we will be setting record lows tonight, although it will feel rather nice as we kick of the day tomorrow. Lows will be near 65-degrees.

Tomorrow will be a partly cloudy day and it is going to feel much hotter. The day time temperatures won’t change much over the next seven days, but the heat index will be on the rise. Tomorrow we will climb to 92-degrees and it’s probably going to feel more like 96 or 97 at times. By Friday, Independence Day, there will be enough instability for isolated showers and thunderstorms. A front stalling to our north will help to weaken the stable setup and allow for more scattered shower and thunderstorm development on Saturday and Sunday. Any rain that develops will come to a gradual end at night with muggy conditions.

Early next week the sky will be partly cloudy and you can expect the classic menu of hot, hazy, and humid conditions. There will a few thunderstorms scattered about on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The long range data is hinting at a disturbance forming to our southwest by Tuesday night and this may help to enhance our rain opportunities next week. Be sure to tune in tonight for more details!

Wes Wyatt
Chief Meteorologist

Even though temperatures were on the warm side today, it didn’t feel quite as bad thanks to lower humidity. Most of the area stayed in the 80s today and tonight we’ll enjoy another impressive cool down, with lows in the upper 50s. One of the changes we’ll experience in the coming days will be a return to humid conditions. Highs by weeks end will be in the low 90s, with moisture driving heat index values into the upper 90s. Tomorrow will start off on a mostly sunny note; however, a few more clouds will be around later in the day. Thursday will be a partly cloudy day and isolated thunderstorms can’t be ruled out over the southern half of the state. On Friday we will have a good coverage of scattered showers and thunderstorms, especially in areas to our south. The rainy weather will weaken and dissipate at night, with lows in the upper 60s.

A front will drop in and stall over the weekend and this will bring us more scattered showers and thunderstorms. The storms that develop will produce some heavy downpours and dangerous lightning. Hot, humid, and hazy conditions will continue into the start of next week and temperatures will be climbing into the lower 90s. Have a great evening and be sure to join us for complete details!

Wes Wyatt
Chief Meteorologist

The holiday week is here and you couldn’t have asked for better conditions to kick off the month of July. Tonight we will drop into the upper 50s, which is a refreshing change from the average low of 70-degrees. Therefore, it’s going to be on the cool side as we kick the day off tomorrow. An unseasonably strong cool front dropped in yesterday and this helped to trigger some impressive rainmakers. Storms dumped about an inch of rain over southern Tuscaloosa County and also for many communities extending well into the Blackbelt. Over the next couple of days we will have partly cloudy skies, with temperatures topping out near average. Our temperatures will remain below average at night, with lows dropping to near 60 degrees.

Another front, coupled with increasing moisture, will bring us a chance for a passing shower or thunderstorm on Friday. Scattered thunderstorms are quite common around here during the 4th of July holiday. The good thing is that the rainy weather should dissipate at night. This will make for improving conditions for the fireworks festivities. Don’t forget this years July Jubilee will be changing location to Sokol Park. The event will kickoff at 6:00 p.m. Friday and the big fireworks show will begin around 9:00 p.m.

The approaching cool front will be dropping in on Saturday and stalling. This should bring us a good coverage of scattered thunderstorms for Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon. The storms will bring heavy downpours and dangerous lightning. The forecast won’t change much for early next week, although the thunderstorms won’t be quite as numerous. You will notice a big increase in the humidity over the weekend.

The Beach: Even thought the weather has been very pleasant around here, it has been a whole different story along Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Strong thunderstorms have impacted the Gulf Coast today and these storms will be shifting into the open waters of the Gulf. If you are traveling southward for this holiday week, the weather will be nice through much of Thursday. Scattered thunderstorms will be returning late in the week and this activity will be impacting the coast for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

A Big Thank You: I want to thank my many friends and viewers for the great support. You probably noticed that I haven’t been on the air for quite a while and this was related to a tragedy in my family. My mother passed away on Tuesday, June 17th. She fought a tough battle with a form of cancer know as Melanoma, which began this past Christmas. The support from our community has been a true blessing and I wanted to say a big thank you on behalf of the Wyatt family.

Wes Wyatt
Chief Meteorologist

The weather is getting a little bumpy around here this afternoon, with a severe thunderstorm watch in place for all of the WVUA TV coverage area until 8 p.m. There is a batch of severe storms developing and moving eastward across west Alabama. There is a severe thunderstorm warning in place for Greene, Hale and Tuscaloosa Counties until 3:30 this afternoon. These storms are moving off towards the east at 35 MPH. This line of storm extends from central Marengo County to northern Tuscaloosa County. The line of storms are now beginning to move out of the city of Tuscaloosa, which will set us up for better conditions this evening. If you are going to be out on the highways this afternoon, be cautious, as these storms are producing some very heavy rainfall. The good news is that the storms will be long gone by midnight tonight, as a cold front is pushing into the area. This will set the stage for a very nice Monday, with high in the upper 80s and a northerly breeze. You will also notice the lower humidity values for both Monday and Tuesday. In-fact, with drier air in place, temperatures will drop into the upper 50s and lower 60s for Tuesday Morning. That will be a very nice relief in the summer-like heat. It’s not going to last long, as temperatures will be back in the lower 90s for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Our next chance for rain moves in here by Thursday and Friday; even then, it’s only a 30% chance for afternoon storms. We aren’t expecting a washout, but you may see a storm or two in your neck of the woods. There is no need to cancel your plans for the 4th, but stay with us as we fine-tune your forecast for next weekend. The tropics remain quiet at this time, but if we have any development, we will let you know about. Have a great evening!

Richard Scott
WVUA-TV’s Weekend Weather Anchor

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
ALC063-065-125-292030-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0335.080629T2005Z-080629T2030Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
305 PM CDT SUN JUN 29 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
  EXTREME NORTHEASTERN GREENE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA…
  NORTHERN HALE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA…
  SOUTH CENTRAL TUSCALOOSA COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA…

* UNTIL 330 PM CDT

* AT 305 PM CDT…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A LINE OF
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
  OF 60 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
  MOUNTAINBROOK TO WEDGEWORTH…OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 8
  MILES SOUTHWEST OF NORTHPORT TO 6 MILES EAST OF EUTAW…AND MOVING
  EAST AT 29 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR…
  MOUNDVILLE BY 315 PM CDT…
  UNIVERSITY MALL AND MCFARLAND MALL BY 320 PM CDT…

WINDS OF 60 TO 70 MPH WILL BREAK LARGE TREE LIMBS AND CAUSE SOME
DAMAGE…ESPECIALLY TO SMALLER STRUCTURES.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT SUNDAY
EVENING FOR ALABAMA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN
EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHERN ALABAMA.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER…
CALL 1-800-856-0758.

WVUA TV’s Richard Scott

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
ALC063-065-107-119-292015-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0334.080629T1927Z-080629T2015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
227 PM CDT SUN JUN 29 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
  GREENE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA…
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF EUTAW…
  WESTERN HALE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA…
  EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL PICKENS COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA…
  NORTHEASTERN SUMTER COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA…
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF LIVINGSTON…

* UNTIL 315 PM CDT

* AT 227 PM CDT…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A LINE OF
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
  OF 60 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
  WEST GREENE TO EPES…OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 12 MILES SOUTH
  OF ALICEVILLE TO LIVINGSTON…AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR…
  BOLIGEE BY 235 PM CDT…
  UNION…TISHABEE AND ALLISON BY 240 PM CDT…
  THORNHILL AND EUTAW BY 245 PM CDT…
  KNOXVILLE AND WALDEN QUARTERS BY 250 PM CDT…
  FORKLAND BY 255 PM CDT…
  WEDGEWORTH BY 300 PM CDT…

WINDS OF 60 TO 70 MPH WILL BREAK LARGE TREE LIMBS AND CAUSE SOME
DAMAGE…ESPECIALLY TO SMALLER STRUCTURES.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT SUNDAY
EVENING FOR ALABAMA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN
EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHERN ALABAMA.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER…
CALL 1-800-856-0758.

WVUA TV’s Richard Scott

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 641
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
145 PM CDT SUN JUN 29 2008

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 641 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

ALC001-007-009-015-017-019-021-027-029-037-051-055-057-063-065-
073-075-081-087-107-111-113-115-117-121-123-125-127-300100-
/O.NEW.KWNS.SV.A.0641.080629T1845Z-080630T0100Z/

AL
.    ALABAMA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

AUTAUGA              BIBB                BLOUNT
CALHOUN              CHAMBERS            CHEROKEE
CHILTON              CLAY                CLEBURNE
COOSA                ELMORE              ETOWAH
FAYETTE              GREENE              HALE
JEFFERSON            LAMAR               LEE
MACON                PICKENS             RANDOLPH
RUSSELL              SHELBY              ST. CLAIR
TALLADEGA            TALLAPOOSA          TUSCALOOSA
WALKER

WVUA TV’s Richard Scott

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
STORM PREDICTION CENTER
NORMAN, OK
10:50 AM CDT SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 637 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6:00 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING ALABAMA COUNTIES:

BALDWIN, BARBOUR, BULLOCK, BUTLER, CHOCTAW, CLARKE, COFFEE, CONECUH, COVINGTON, CRENSHAW, DALE, DALLAS, ESCAMBIA, GENEVA, HENRY, HOUSTON, LOWNDES, MARENGO, MOBILE, MONROE, MONTGOMERY, PERRY, PIKE, SUMTER, WASHINGTON AND WILCOX.

Click the embedded graphic for a look at the outline for this watch area.

Richard Scott
WVUA-TV Weather

I hope you are having a great Saturday! Temperatures were hot again today, with many locations in the upper 80s and lower 90s. As I’m writing this discussion, there is a batch of strong storms moving into southwest Alabama. The heaviest rain is located over Hale and Marengo Counties. This activity is moving east and looks to remain south of I-20/59. We could still see a few showers develop around the Tuscaloosa area this evening, but this activity will dissipate by midnight. Lows will remain in the lower 70s tonight, but with lots of clouds and storms around tomorrow, temperatures will stay in the 80s for highs. The better chance for rain will occur between noon and 9 p.m., with the possibility for some strong and severe storms involved. The Storm Prediction Center has placed most of Alabama under a slight risk for severe weather. A cold front will move in from the northwest tomorrow evening, which will greatly up our rain chance to 70%. With some storms becoming strong, watch out for heavy rain, strong winds, frequent cloud to ground lightning and small hail; that’s the main threat from the storms tomorrow. The good news is that the front will quickly sweep through here, which will set us up for a very nice Monday and Tuesday. You will notice lower humidity values around and a northerly breeze. Highs will stay in the upper 80s on Monday, with lots of sun around. Some locations could touch the upper 50s by Tuesday morning, but temperatures will return into the lower 90s for afternoon highs.

We will continue to see dry weather and highs in the lower 90s until Thursday. By then, you will notice a south wind developing, which is going to send a deep moisture feed in here from the Gulf of Mexico. With a moist environment and daytime heating, I can’t rule out a few scattered storms for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There is only a 20% chance for rain, so it isn’t going to be a complete washout. If you have plans for July 4th, don’t cancel just yet, as many locations will remain dry. However, be cautious for the afternoon storms, as they will produce lots of lightning.

The tropics remain quiet, with no signs of development over the next 24 to 48 hours. Be sure to join us tonight at 10 p.m. for a live newscast. Have a great evening!

Richard Scott
WVUA-TV’s Weekend Weather Anchor