BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – It’s been a cloudy and damp start to the weekend. We had showers initially this morning, but the bulk of that rain has moved into Georgia shortly before noon. We are now watching scattered showers develop ahead of a cold front located in Mississippi. Temperatures remain in the mid to upper 60s shortly before noon. We will likely see an increase in showers and storms this afternoon as a cold front moves into Alabama. We will likely remain cloudy today with highs in the upper 60s and lower 70s. We could see a little bit of sunshine late this evening as dry air begins to move in. Winds today are forecast to come from the southwest at 10-15 mph.
The Storm Prediction Center is highlighting a marginal risk (green) – threat level 1 out of 5 – for all of central Alabama today. Storms today could become strong, but I don’t think they will be as severe as the weather that pushed through our area yesterday. Most of us will end up with pockets of heavy rainfall, gusty winds up to 30-40 mph, and frequent lighting. A few storms could become strong or severe with quarter sized hail and damaging winds up to 60 mph. Storm development will likely increase in west Alabama during the early afternoon hours. Storms will then develop into a broken line as they move to the east. These storms will likely produce heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and lightning. Remember that if you hear rumbles of thunder, you’ll need to go inside. When thunder roars, go indoors!
It is within this line we have a chance to see a few strong storms. It won’t be as unstable today as yesterday thanks to cloud cover and recent rainfall, so I think that will limit the severity of these storms today. These storms should push through central Alabama between now through 7 p.m. CDT. By this evening, we will be left with decreasing clouds, isolated showers, and temperatures cooling into the 60s.
Cooler temperatures Sunday morning: We want to give you a First Alert to grab the jacket tomorrow morning! We will likely wake up tomorrow morning with a partly cloudy sky with temperatures cooling into the lower 50s. It’ll be a chilly start to your Sunday morning with a mostly sunny to partly cloudy sky. The weather looks fantastic for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix Sunday. Temperatures at 8 a.m. CDT will likely start out in the mid 50s with temperatures warming into the upper 60s by 2 p.m. CDT. Most of tomorrow will end up dry, but some wrap-around moisture could give us a partly sunny to mostly cloudy sky by late Sunday afternoon and into the evening hours. A stray shower or sprinkle will be possible north of I-20 Sunday evening. Most of us will remain dry and cool with highs in the lower 70s with west-northwest winds at 10-15 mph.
Dry and quiet start to the week: The quiet weather won’t last for long, but it looks like we will remain dry Monday into Tuesday afternoon. You’ll likely need a light jacket on Monday and Tuesday mornings as temperatures cool into the upper 40s and lower 50s. High temperatures will remain very comfortable for early May with most of us in the low to mid 70s. Monday will end up partly cloudy, but cloud cover will likely increase Tuesday afternoon giving us a mostly cloudy sky. Our next chance to see rain will likely occur Tuesday night and continuing into the second half of the week.
Wet pattern for the second half of next week: It looks like wet weather will return next Wednesday and continue into the upcoming weekend. The first half of Wednesday is looking wet as a disturbance approaches us from the west. Additional rounds of showers and storms will remain possible next Thursday, Friday, and into next weekend. Plan for muggier conditions with highs in the mid 70s and overnight lows in the low 60s. The Weather Prediction Center is hinting that we could easily see up to three inches of rainfall over the next seven days. If it remains very wet, flooding could be an issue for us late next week. Make sure you download the WBRC First Alert Weather App for the latest weather information.
Have a safe Saturday – Matt Daniel…