October 5, 2011
by WVUA Weather
A good Wednesday afternoon to you! It’s a little warm this afternoon, as temperatures have reached the lower to middle 80s in many spots. Due to lots of sun and dry air in place, temperatures were allowed to jump quickly after a chilly start. Once the sun sets, look for a quick cool down after sunset again tonight. Temperature won’t fall as fast as they did lastnight, but it will still get rather chilly after 10pm. Look for lows to reach the lower 50s tonight under a clear sky.
Highs will warm into the lower and middle 80s through the weekend, but you’ll notice a slight downhill trend in temperatures by Saturday and Sunday. An east wind will take over and will bring a slightly cooler airmass from the east. Highs will return into the upper 70s or low 80s on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Temperatures will be a little cooler in east Alabama as the cool air wedge sets up. Highs may only reach the middle 70s for areas right along the Alabama/Georgia border.
We’re going to be watching the tropics early next week. Most computer guidance develops a tropical storm near the Bahamas and tracks it into the Gulf of Mexico late in the weekend and early next week. A ridge north of it should keep it from moving up the east coast. As an approaching trough develops out west, the tropical feature will turn north at some point. Above is the 18z run of the NAM, valid for midnight Saturday night. This run has a tropical storm over deep south Florida, moving west. A turn to the north would be more likely shortly after that hour, but this model only goes out to 84 hours. There are still a lot more questions than answers at this point, but we’ll have to keep an eye on it. The environment doesn’t look too favorable for a big hurricane, so that’s great news! Again, things are likely to change over the coming days. If it does come our way, look for local impacts early next week.
Alabama plays Vanderbilt in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. That’s Alabama’s homecoming game. The parade gets kicked off at noon, and we’ll have full coverage of the event on WVUA-TV, with Lynn Brooks and co-host/celebrity guest Terry Saban. Temperatures will likely top out in the lower 80s for the parade, then fall into the 70s during the game. Expect a kickoff temperature of 75 degrees. With plenty of sun and warm temperatures, the weather will feel great for the game!
Auburn takes on Arkansas in Fayetteville on Saturday. Kickoff for that game is at 6pm. Expect very similar conditions there as well, with clear skies and fantastic weather. Temperatures will fall into the lower 70s at the end of the game.
Don’t forget to come out to the West Alabama State Fair this week. The event continues today and lasts through the rest of the week. I’ll be every day this week between 6pm and 9pm. I hope you’ll come out and say hello. The weather is looking great for the event, with lots of sun. Temperatures will get fairly chilly during the evening hours, so make sure you dress for cooler air. This forecast will hold true through the rest of this week.
Be sure to join me on WVUA-TV news at 4, 5, 6 and 10pm weekdays for the latest on your forecast. Also, look us up on facebook and twitter by searching weather@wvuatv.com. You can like us on facebook by searching our new page WVUA-TV Weather. Also, send us your weather pictures by e-mail to weather@wvuatv.com. Have a great day!
WVUA Chief Meteorologist Richard Scott
rscott@wvuatv.com
WVUA 