Thursday Afternoon Weather Discussion

You probably had to hang on to your hat today due to the windy conditions over West and Central Alabama. Another upper air disturbance is passing to our north and this feature will continue to enhance the coverage of clouds. Scattered showers have also developed and this activity will linger into the early evening hours. The latest radar image shows a large band of light rain drifting into Fayette and Tuscaloosa Counties. Temperatures have felt great today and this evening will also feel quite pleasant.

Colder air digging into the Midwestern states is forcing a cold front southward. It appears this front will stall way in advance of reaching Alabama. Therefore, our forecast will trend drier for the weekend time period. I do expect another good coverage of scattered showers tomorrow and there may be a thunderstorm in the area. If you don’t see rain drops you can expect more clouds along with a gusty south wind. By Saturday, rain will be hard to find and only a stray shower or thunderstorm is in our forecast. There will be a greater supply of sunshine, with highs nearing 87 degrees. Sunday should be a dry day, with another big warm-up during the afternoon.

Looking ahead to Monday, the data is once again on track with the scenario that the front to our north will get a push southward. Therefore, we’re introducing a better chance of rain and thunderstorms for late Monday. The front will end up stalling and this will bring us lots of clouds, with a passing shower or thunderstorm on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

The Tuscaloosa County Relay for life will take place tomorrow night at Northridge High School. On startling statistic is that one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. You can celebrate the lives of those that have battled cancer and support the fight against cancer by being a part of relay for life. Even though a stray shower or storm will be possible tomorrow afternoon, the activity should dissipate tomorrow night. Click here to lean more about Relay for Life.

Follow Me on TWITTER!

Wes Wyatt
Chief Meteorologist

Wednesday Afternoon Forecast Discussion

Scattered showers and thunderstorms have developed over West Alabama this afternoon. The latest radar round-up shows rain near the Havana junction area and over the community of Vance. We will have more spotty thundershowers during the evening hours tonight, gradually dissipating before midnight. A disturbance that was over western Mississippi yesterday has lifted to our north and this feature, coupled with higher dewpoints, has set the stage for the spotty wet weather. Tomorrow and Friday will be very similar days, although the rain will be more isolated in nature. As for overnight conditions, the showers and storms will linger into the evening hours and then gradually dissipate. Highs will remain in the 80s, with lows in the 60s.

A front will stall to our north on Saturday and Sunday. It is going to feel hot and more humid because of a moisture increase. The chance for a passing shower or thunderstorm will continue, but this activity will remain unorganized and scattered. Highs will be in the low to mid 80s, with lows in the middle 60s. The data doesn’t look as clear cut regarding the first half of next week. Long range data is hinting at the front getting a push southward by Monday, which would bring the boundary through here late Monday. If this front manages to reach our area we can expect a good chance for rain late Monday and into the day on Tuesday. For now we’re going to continue a mention for a passing shower or thunderstorm through Wednesday of next week, with a better opportunity for rain late Monday. Even if the front moves into the heart of our area, the front may stall just south of our area. We will have more details for you tonight at five, six, and ten!

Follow Me on TWITTER!

Wes Wyatt
Chief Meteorologist

Tuesday Afternoon Weather Discussion

Once again we’ve managed to stay dry across West Alabama today. I went out for a walk early today and noticed winds were quite gusty at times. We’ve had a stronger south breeze due to a tighter pressure gradient over the Twin State Region. Rain isn’t too far away. In fact, thunderstorms are now pushing into communities like Greenwood and Winona, MS. An upper level disturbance near Greenwood, MS will enhance our chances for seeing a shower or thunderstorm this evening. We will have a partly to mostly cloudy sky tonight, and the rain will be on the scattered side. As for tomorrow, the sky will be partly cloudy, with the chance for a shower or thunderstorm, even during the morning hours. The atmosphere won’t be quite as unstable on Thursday and Friday, although an isolated shower or storm can’t be ruled out.

We will be keeping our eye on falling temperatures over the Midwestern states by Friday. This colder air will force a front over Tennessee southward and by Saturday afternoon this boundary will be triggering more showers and thunderstorms over our area. We will also have a better chance for a shower or thunderstorm on Sunday. The front will be much weaker as it enters Alabama and the boundary will stall, setting the stage for mainly scattered type thunderstorms. According to the latest data, the rain threat should decrease by Tuesday of next week as high pressure develops over our area. Be sure to join us tonight for more details!

Follow Me on TWITTER!

Wes Wyatt
Chief Meteorologist

Monday Afternoon Weather Discussion

I want to thank Cathy Sanford and the members of the Golden Years program for allowing me to serve as guest speaker at DCH today. The group didn’t send me away empty handed. I’ve got a great looking cake to enjoy with the staff this evening. The topic today was the hot weather and by looking at the latest seven day forecast, you’re going to be thinking summer weather. A ridge of high pressure east of us is creating a hot and dry setup over West and Central Alabama. The latest radar imagery is picking up on rain along the western edge of this ridge. In fact, a severe thunderstorm watch is in place over southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana. We should remain dry and very warm tonight, with lows near 60.

The upper air ridge will gradually weaken over the next several days. Highs for tomorrow and Wednesday will be in the 80s, with isolated showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Each day will start off sunny, with the rain threat mainly occurring after lunchtime. This forecast trend will continue into the weekend, although there will be a slightly better chance of rain in the afternoon hours. A cold front will push into the state by Monday morning and this front may end up stalling with rain likely for the start of the new week. Have a great evening!

Follow Me on TWITTER!

Wes Wyatt
Chief Meteorologist

Sunday Afternoon Weather Discussion; Posted at 3:02 p.m.

We’ve certainly dealt with another summer-like day, with temperatures warming into the middle 80s this afternoon. Other than a few clouds at times, the sun has been out in full force today. Expect temperatures to slowly cool off later this evening, with temperatures reaching the lower 60s by daybreak tomorrow. It’s going to be a mild night for us, with mostly clear skies. Monday will be just as warm, with highs in the middle 80s. Expect a few more clouds to make it into the area, but we will remain dry. An active storm-system northwest of us will slowly move our way by mid-week, with a decaying cold front stalling out nearby. The front now looks to stall out over northwest Mississippi and western Tennessee. The front will get close enough to spark off a few showers, but rainfall will be limited to our northern counties on Tuesday and Wednesday. With a strong summer-like ridge over the southeast, it will be hard for a front to move in here. Temperatures will remain rather warm, with a high in the lower to middle 80s.

The ridge begins to weaken a bit by Thursday and Friday, which will allow for a cold front to move in late Friday or early Saturday. This will bring a better chance of rain, but don’t expect a washout. The models have been all over the board with this feature, so be sure to stay with us as we bring you more details as they become available. As of now, I’m sticking with a 30% chance of rain on Friday and Saturday, with highs in the lower 80s.

Be sure to join us tonight at 10 p.m. for a live newscast on WVUA-TV, but you can also watch us tonight behind the scenes on ustream beginning at 9 p.m. until 11 p.m. by clicking on the link below.

Watch Me LIVE Behind The Scenes Tonight 9 PM – 11 PM!

Follow Me on TWITTER!

Have a great day!

Richard Scott
WVUA-TV’s Weekend Weather Anchor

Saturday Afternoon Weather Discussion; Posted at 6:20 p.m.

Summer has made an early arrival in Alabama today, with many locations in the upper 80s. A few backyard thermometers have even reached the 90 degree mark this afternoon. With lots of sun around, the late April sun quickly warmed us up, and you can expect the same tomorrow. After a mild night, with temperatures in the upper 50s for lows, we’ll rebound into the upper 80s tomorrow. A strong storm-system west of us will stay put over the next few days, due to a summer-like ridge over the southeast. The ridge acts as a blocking mechanism, which will keep us mostly dry and very warm.

A cold front will try to push through the ridge early next week, but it won’t have much luck. We’ll have a more clouds around on Tuesday and Wednesday, as the front stalls out over Tennessee and northwest Mississippi. There could even be a stray shower or two on both Tuesday and Wednesday, but the better chance of rain will remain northwest of Alabama. With a deepening surface low to our northwest and a surface high to the east, we’ll begin to get a breeze out of the south. This will pump more moisture into the southeast, and conditions will get rather humid through mid-week and next weekend. Temperature back off a few degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday, due to more clouds, but temperatures will warm back into the upper 80s on Thursday and Friday. I believe it’s safe to say that cold weather is long gone for the rest of the season. Be sure to join us tonight at 10 p.m. on our live newscast on WVUA-TV.

Follow Me on TWITTER!

Have a great day!

Richard Scott
WVUA-TV’s Weekend Weather Anchor

Talladega Weekend

If you plan on heading to Talladega this weekend for the big race then you will be happy as far as the weather is concerned. The ARCA race for Saturday will be very hot, with highs in the upper 80s and lots of sunshine; don’t forget to pack the sunscreen, stay hydrated, and wear eye protection. High pressure to our east will make way for clear conditions Saturday night, with lows around 59. As the engines get revved up on Sunday for the Aaron’s 499 you can expect temperatures in the mid 80’s, although it may feel closer to 90 degrees. The sky will also be sunny on Sunday, so we won’t have to worry about any race delays. For more information about Talladega Superspeedway click here. Have a great weekend and enjoy the race!

Chase Higginbotham
WVUA Weather

Friday Afternoon Forecast Discussion

There is no doubt that summer is right around the corner. Most spots today were in the upper 80s, with a sunny sky overhead. The good news is that the nice weather will continue through the weekend. Conditions will be very pleasant tonight, with fair skies and lows in the middle 50s. Temperatures should be quite pleasant for the Mayor’s 5K Run tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM. A sunny sky will return for both tomorrow and Sunday, with highs nearing the 90 degree mark. Make sure you have plenty of sunscreen on hand this weekend. With temperatures near 90 degrees, it’s probably going to feel a bit hotter-outdoors for the race in Talladega on Sunday.

Monday will be a dry day, with lots of sun in the forecast. Highs on Monday will be rising into the middle 80s. By Tuesday there may be a stray shower or thunderstorm in the area as a front approaches from the north. A strong high centered to our east will be anchored in for much of the forecast period. This ridge will weaken slightly on next Tuesday and Wednesday, which will allow for the better chance of a shower or storm. Otherwise, dry weather will return for next Thursday and Friday, with highs reaching the upper 80s. Have a wonderful weekend!

Follow Me on TWITTER!

Wes Wyatt
Chief Meteorologist

Thursday Afternoon Weather Discussion

You can certainly tell summer isn’t too far away. The latest temperature report is 86-degrees and this is the warmest reading of the spring season so far. Dewpoints are in the 50s so we don’t have that summer-like humidity just yet. By looking at the larger scale features we’ve definitely seen a pattern change. A large high pressure ridge is influencing our weather, now centered east of our area. This ridge will keep us dry through the weekend, with highs warming above average.

For this evening you can expect a fair sky, with pleasantly warm temperatures. Lows will be in the 50s. Over the next 3-4 days our highs will soar into the upper 80s and we may hit the 90 degree mark at some point. If you plan on getting out and soaking up some of the very warm and bright weather don’t forget the sunscreen. Temperatures by Tuesday of next week won’t be quite as warm because of more clouds. I’m still expecting 80 degree temperatures through the first half of next week, with lows near 60. A shower or thunderstorm will be possible on Wednesday of next week and there will be a better chance of rain next Thursday. I’m expecting a front to drop into the region next Wednesday and stall. This will set the stage for shower and thunderstorm possibilities late in the week. Enjoy the warm weather!

Follow Me on TWITTER!

Wes Wyatt
Chief Meteorologist

Wednesday Afternoon Weather Discussion

I had a blast over at Tuscaloosa County High earlier. I spoke to Diana Yessick’s science class and there were plenty of WVUA fans! I am planning on providing some sights and sounds from County High on the news this evening.

Meanwhile, folks in Bibb County felt another jolt during the pre-dawn hours. A 2.9 earthquake struck after midnight. The quake was centered about 10 miles southeast of Centreville. As for the weather, many spots have enjoyed a sunny day. Some clouds have entered the state in response to the warmer air building into Alabama. Also, showers have popped up on radar over Lamar, Fayette, and Walker counties, but this activity will have a tough time reaching the ground. Tonight the sky will clear and it won’t be as cold, with lows in the 50s. We will have a mix of clouds and sun for both tomorrow and Friday, with highs soaring into the middle to upper 80s.

A weak upper level disturbance will bring more clouds on Saturday and a stray shower will be possible. Otherwise, our weekend forecast doesn’t look too bad, with periods of sun. High will remain in the warm 80s. High pressure will keep us dry on Monday, but this ridge will start breaking down on Tuesday as a low pressure system approaches. This storm system will bring the chance for a shower late Tuesday. There will be a better chance of a shower or thunderstorm Tuesday night and on Wednesday. Have a great evening and hopefully, no more quakes tonight!

Follow Me on TWITTER!

Wes Wyatt
Chief Meteorologist