Few Scattered Storms Ahead… Monday Update – 4:25pm #alwx @wvua23

Good Monday afternoon! After the solar eclipse, things are getting back to normal this afternoon across Alabama. I was in Tuscaloosa during the eclipse and we had perfect sky conditions for viewing the eclipse. Ofcourse, totality was north of Alabama, but it did get a little darker here with 90% eclipse. Interesting note, Tuscaloosa’s temperature dropped from 92 to 86 during the eclipse due to the decrease in solar radiation for the short period of time.

Temperatures tonight will fall into the middle 70s. Conditions will feel muggy again tonight, as dewpoints remain elevated. A weak surface front will approach Alabama on Wednesday. We’ll notice an increase in scattered showers and storms for our area on Tuesday, but most areas will remain dry. Rain chances climb to 50% on Wednesday, as better upper air support arrives along the front.

Temperatures by Thursday and over the weekend will drop into the upper 80s in many areas, as a trough develops over the eastern US and heights decrease. The front should stall over south Alabama, allowing dewpoints to decrease somewhat.

In the tropics, we’re watching what was Harvey, move into the Yucatan. There is a good chance the storm re-develops into a tropical storm, with a movement into the western Gulf. We’ll keep an eye on this feature, as some of the moisture could get pulled into the front over our area. Most data suggests that will not happen, but if models change, we may have to change the forecast by late week or the weekend.

For more updates, go to the weather blog at wvua23.com, scroll to the weather tab and click weather blog. Updates are also on our Facebook and Twitter page. My twitter is @RichardWVUA23 and facebook is WVUA23RichardScott

Join us live on WVUA23 weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Richard Scott
WVUA Chief Meteorologist
rscott@wvua23.com
Twitter: RichardWVUA23
Facebook: WVUA23RichardScott

Hot, Humid, and Partly Cloudy for Monday Eclipse. Sunday Forecast Update. #wxal @wvua23

Hot and Humid was the main story this Sunday with highs climbing easily into the 90’s across central Alabama. The humid air in-place made those 90’s feel like triple digits. A select few did get a small break from the warm weather with some spotty downpours across the state; however, most remained dry. Tonight, any rain that might be left will end very early on and we will only see some passing clouds over-night. Tomorrow is eclipse day (I’m almost tempted to capitalize that since it seems like Monday will almost be a holiday)! The forecast will be similar to how the weather turned out today. An unfortunate few will catch an isolated shower, but the bigger worry will be the partly cloudy skies. The good news is, if your sight is blocked, just run a few minutes down the road and I can almost guarantee you that you’ll have a good view. Just make sure you keep posted with us and we will be doing radar updates during the day.

After Monday, our rain-chances start to climb each day. Tuesday will see a few more stray showers and Wednesday looks to be a good mixture of sun, clouds, and showers. Thursday we will start to dry out as the trough that will push through the south starting Tuesday will move out during the day then. The exit of that trough means Friday should remain dry and feel a little more pleasant with less humid conditions.

Unfortunately, the dry period won’t last very long. Humid air returns as the trough to our south lifts northward bringing the chance for some stray showers and storms in the afternoon both Saturday and Sunday next weekend.

Looking to the tropics,

The remains of tropical depression Harvey are continuing to track west northwestward. Conditions just are not playing in favor for the complex of storms right now. Redevelopment over the next couple of hours seems very difficult but possible. Any redevelopment that does start to occur will be short lived since the system will soon be making landfall with the Yucatan Peninsula. That means the terrain there will tear the storm apart until it can pass over. After it passes over, it will enter into the southwestern Gulf of Mexico where strengthening looks very likely thanks to very warm water and limited shear. Tracks are putting it coming a little further north than yesterday. Most of the impact looks to remain with Mexico; however, southern Texas could see some effects from the storm. We will continue to monitor this storm since trough and ridge placement over the U.S can still alter the exact path of the storm.

Invest 92 is still moving west northwestward as well in the Atlantic. Conditions will not allow for any further strengthening of this storm for the next day or two. Once it approaches the Bahamas though, we could see it tap into the Gulf Stream where very warm water is present and start to get better organization. Most track bring it very close to, or meeting with, the East Coast now. The good news is, any real organization that we would be concerned about holds off until this work weeks trough sends it back out into the Atlantic. That said, we will continue to monitor this storm for any changes in forecast.

Join us live on WVUA23 weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Reggie Roakes

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Hot and Humid for Sunday and Eclipse. Saturdy Forecast Update, 7pm. #wxal @wvua23

The weather across central Alabama today was yet another hot and muggy one. Parts of Tuscaloosa, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Greene, and Sumter Counties saw some heavy rain this afternoon from a few large storms. Behind those few storms are some small, isolated showers that are following behind. The rain should wrap up tonight, easily by 9 p.m. for the area. Tonight, skies should remain mostly clear besides some scattered clouds. The evening should be mild with muggy conditions lasting through the night. Tomorrow finishes off the weekend with another day of hot and humid weather again with the chance of a few very isolated storms that could bring an unlucky few a temporarily heavy downpour.

Getting out of the weekend and into next week, Monday will be similar to today and tomorrow with very toasty conditions and the unwelcome chance of an isolated storm. The good news is, most should remain dry for the eclipse early in the afternoon; however, I can’t promise that you may not have to battle a cloud or two for a view since we will have some clouds present at the time. After Monday, a trough digs into the south that will produce enough lift to get stray afternoon storms to fire off across central Alabama for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Late next work week we will see our rain chances diminish for the most part but they will start to return some going into the weekend with some moisture return from the Gulf present to hep feed a stray storm or two.

Looking at the Tropics,

Tropical Depression Harvey is currently located over the center of the Caribbean Sea where it is continuing to track westward. Conditions are not favorable for much development for the next few hours; however, we could see some pretty fast redevelopment after the storm moves over the Yucatan Peninsula where the Gulf holds very warm water and not as much shear. Current model tracks keep it quickly steaming through the Gulf westward into Mexico. We will continue to keep an eye on the storm though because just a few changes in the strength and location of the ridge and trough here in the U.S over the next couple of days could change the track of the storm.

Behind Harvey is Invest 92 that is not doing well with the cards it is being dealt. Conditions for it are just not favorable for further development. The storm might see better days ahead when it finally makes it to the Bahamas where it will likely get slapped back into the Atlantic by the trough moving through next week. Eyes will be kept on this storm since it is still not fully certain how far west it will make it before it gets shot back out to see.

Join us live on WVUA23 weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Reggie Roakes

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Twitter: MetRoakes
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Hot Days Ahead… Tropical Update/Solar Eclipse Forecast… Friday Post: 4:30pm #alwx @wvua23

Good Friday afternoon! Our local weather has turned out hot this afternoon, with air temperatures reaching the lower 90s. Heat index has approached 100 in many spots. As an upper air ridge remains over our area, rain chances appear pretty limited through the weekend and to start off next week. Expect mild conditions tonight, with lows in the lower 70s.

Saturday and Sunday will feature plenty of sunshine, with a high in the low to mid 90s. Heat index will approach 100 to 104 over the weekend. While I can’t rule out a stray afternoon shower or storm, most areas will likely remain dry.

On Monday, Alabama will experience a solar eclipse during the early afternoon. The main show will be happening between noon and 2pm, with the peak of the eclipse happening right around 1:30pm. Most of central and west Alabama is in the 90% to 94% eclipse, meaning we’re not in the totality zone. We will see an incredible eclipse however, as only 10% or less of the sun will be visible for a few minutes. As always, we advise you not to look directly at the sun, and use some sort of protective glasses to view the eclipse. There are lots of options online or in local stores to purchase… There is a 10% risk of a stray afternoon storm on Monday of next week, but the risk of rain is so low, most of you will get a great view of the eclipse. There could be a few puffy cumulus clouds, but that shouldn’t do much to block out the view. By the way, totality (100%) eclipse will be at it’s closest point to our area in central Tennessee, so make a quick trip north if you want to see that.

We’re watching Tropical Storm Harvey in the eastern Caribbean. Conditions will remain rather unfavorable for intensification over the next 48 hours, but conditions appear conducive for strengthening as the system moves into the central and western Caribbean. We’ll keep an eye on Harvey, but models suggest the storm will move into Mexico and not impact the US. As long as the ridge over the Gulf remains strong enough, this will not be an issue in our forecast. Again, we’ll keep an eye on it…

For more updates, go to the weather blog at wvua23.com, scroll to the weather tab and click weather blog. Updates are also on our Facebook and Twitter page. My twitter is @RichardWVUA23 and facebook is WVUA23RichardScott

Join us live on WVUA23 weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Richard Scott
WVUA Chief Meteorologist
rscott@wvua23.com
Twitter: RichardWVUA23
Facebook: WVUA23RichardScott

Hot Days Ahead… Tropical Update/Eclipse Update… Thursday Post: 4:33pm #alwx @wvua23

Good Thursday afternoon! It feels more like summer today, as the intense upper air ridge really builds over our area. Temperatures are in the lower 90s this afternoon, with a heat index between 100 and 105. There is a small chance of a shower or storm between now and 9pm, then mild and muggy for the rest of the night.

Friday through Tuesday will feature very similar conditions. Expect a partly cloudy sky, with highs in the low to mid 90s. Heat index values will approach 100 to 105 each afternoon. There is a really low end risk of a stray shower or storm each afternoon, but most of you will remain dry. Lows at night will remain in the lower to middle 70s.

On Monday, Alabama will experience a solar eclipse during the early afternoon. The main show will be happening between noon and 2pm, with the peak of the eclipse happening right around 1:30pm. Most of central and west Alabama is in the 90% to 94% eclipse, meaning we’re not in the totality zone. We will see an incredible eclipse however, as only 10% or less of the sun will be visible for a few minutes. As always, we advise you not to look directly at the sun, and use some sort of protective glasses to view the eclipse. There are lots of options online or in local stores to purchase… There is a 20% risk of a few isolated afternoon storms on Monday of next week, so some people will not get a view of the eclipse, while others will. Given the random nature of scattered storms, it will be impossible to say where the puffy clouds will block out the sun at 1:30pm. By the way, totality (100%) eclipse will be at it’s closest point to our area in central Tennessee, so make a quick trip north if you want to see that.

Gert is no longer a tropical system, as it has moved well into the north Atlantic and become post tropical. A new storm has formed this afternoon in the central Atlantic, Tropical Storm Harvey. Winds are at 40mph, with a movement towards the west. The tropical storm will pass through the Caribbean over the weekend and move into the Yucatan sometime early next week. There is no evidence this one will impact the US, but we’ll keep an eye on it. A tropical wave just west of Harvey is one to watch too, as it has a potential to become a tropical storm in coming days. Models do suggest this system could approach the US in about 7 days, but it’s far too early to be specific…

For more updates, go to the weather blog at wvua23.com, scroll to the weather tab and click weather blog. Updates are also on our Facebook and Twitter page. My twitter is @RichardWVUA23 and facebook is WVUA23RichardScott

Join us live on WVUA23 weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Richard Scott
WVUA Chief Meteorologist
rscott@wvua23.com
Twitter: RichardWVUA23
Facebook: WVUA23RichardScott

Hot Days Ahead… Isolated Storms Possible… Wednesday Forecast Update – 4:33pm #alwx @wvua23

Good Wednesday afternoon! Our local weather has turned out hot this afternoon, with many areas reaching the 90 degree mark. At 4:30pm, scattered storms were impacting portions of west Alabama, moving northeast. Storms will fade away shortly after sunset this evening.

Upper air ridging will build into the area from the south on Thursday, which will reduce the risk of isolated afternoon storms to 30% or less. Highs will warm into the lower 90s, with a heat index over 100 each afternoon through the weekend. Lows at night will drop into the middle 70s.

On Monday, Alabama will experience a solar eclipse during the early afternoon. The main show will be happening between noon and 2pm, with the peak of the eclipse happening right around 1:30pm. Most of central and west Alabama is in the 90% to 94% eclipse, meaning we’re not in the totality zone. We will see an incredible eclipse however, as only 10% or less of the sun will be visible for a few minutes. As always, we advise you not to look directly at the sun, and use some sort of protective glasses to view the eclipse. There are lots of options online or in local stores to purchase… There is a 30% risk of a few isolated afternoon storms on Monday of next week, so some people will not get a view of the eclipse, while others will. Given the random nature of scattered storms, it will be impossible to say where the puffy clouds will block out the sun at 1:30pm. By the way, totality (100%) eclipse will be at it’s closest point to our area in central Tennessee, so make a quick trip north if you want to see that.

Hurricane Gert has winds up to 100mph now, making that storm a category 2 and the strongest of the season. Fortunately, this storm is moving out to sea. Below is a visible satellite of the storm, with a fairly well defined eye. There are 3 other tropical waves we’re watching in the central Atlantic, but no risk to the US over the next 5 days. After that time-frame, we’ll need to watch carefully…

For more updates, go to the weather blog at wvua23.com, scroll to the weather tab and click weather blog. Updates are also on our Facebook and Twitter page. My twitter is @RichardWVUA23 and facebook is WVUA23RichardScott

Join us live on WVUA23 weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Richard Scott
WVUA Chief Meteorologist
rscott@wvua23.com
Twitter: RichardWVUA23
Facebook: WVUA23RichardScott

Summer Pattern Ahead… Few Storms & Hot Temps… Tuesday Update – 4:35pm #alwx @wvua23

Good Tuesday afternoon! At 4:30pm, showers and storms continue to move generally in an east direction across Alabama. Storms are dropping very heavy rain in a short period of time, which could lead to some isolated flooding issues. Storms gradually die out this evening.

We’re about to move into a summer-like pattern ahead, as upper air heights increase across the area. This means we’ll see more sun, fewer storms and hotter temperatures. Given the high moisture content that will remain with us, I still expect a fair chance of scattered afternoon storms each day this week and into the weekend, but some of you will miss out on these random storms. Expect afternoon highs in the lower 90s, with a heat index over 100 each day through the weekend.

In the tropics, Hurricane Gert is slowly strengthening. Winds are at 80mph as of the 4pm advisory. Fortunately, this hurricane is perfectly dodging the east coast of the US and the island of Bermuda.

On Monday, Alabama will experience a solar eclipse during the early afternoon. The main show will be happening between noon and 3pm, with the peak of the eclipse happening right around 1:30pm. Most of central and west Alabama is in the 90% to 94% eclipse, meaning we’re not in the totality zone. We will see an incredible eclipse however, as only 10% or less of the sun will be visible for a few minutes. As always, we advise you not to look directly at the sun, and use some sort of protective glasses to view the eclipse. There are lots of options online or in local stores to purchase… There is a 40% risk of a few scattered afternoon storms on Monday of next week, so some people will not get a view of the eclipse, while others will. Given the random nature of scattered storms, it will be impossible to say where the puffy clouds will block out the sun at 1:30pm. By the way, totality (100%) eclipse will be at it’s closest point to our area in central Tennessee, so make a quick trip north if you want to see that.

For more updates, go to the weather blog at wvua23.com, scroll to the weather tab and click weather blog. Updates are also on our Facebook and Twitter page. My twitter is @RichardWVUA23 and facebook is WVUA23RichardScott

Join us live on WVUA23 weekdays at 5, 6 and 10:00 P.M. and weekends at 10PM for the very latest on your news, weather and sports.

Richard Scott
WVUA Chief Meteorologist
rscott@wvua23.com
Twitter: RichardWVUA23
Facebook: WVUA23RichardScott