James Spann: Sun, heat, afternoon storms for Alabama
SUMMER DAYS: Hot, humid summer weather headlines Alabama’s forecast this week, with partly to mostly sunny days, fair nights and the usual risk of a popup afternoon thunderstorm in a few spots. Most of the storms will come from 2 until 9 p.m., and the chance of any one spot getting wet remains 20-30% through midweek. Afternoon temperatures rise into the low to mid 90s.
There is a heat advisory for a few counties across the northwest corner of the state; this is where the heat index could touch 105 this afternoon. But all of Alabama will be hot and humid, advisory or not.
FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: The strong upper ridge will weaken. This opens the door for an increase in the number of afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms, and lower heat levels. Highs drop into the 88- to 93-degree range with a mix of sun and clouds daily. The chance of any one location seeing rain each day rises to 40-50%.
NEXT WEEK: Temperatures could be a little below average next week, with highs in the upper 80s in many areas; otherwise, pretty routine summer weather is the story with partly sunny days and afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms.
TROPICS: Showers and thunderstorms continue to show signs of organization overnight with an area of low pressure about 500 miles east of Bermuda (in the middle of the Atlantic, far from land). Recent satellite-derived wind data also indicates the system has a well-defined surface circulation with maximum sustained winds of 30-35 mph. While environmental conditions are only marginally favorable, a small increase in organization and persistence of the current shower and thunderstorm activity is likely to result in the formation of a short-lived tropical depression or storm, as soon as later today.
By Tuesday, this system is expected to encounter less-favorable environmental conditions, ending its opportunity for further development. The National Hurricane Center gives it a 70% chance of becoming a brief depression or storm. This will remain over open water far from land, and the rest of the Atlantic basin is very calm.
ON THIS DATE IN 1944: An outbreak of violent tornadoes occurred across eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia and western Pennsylvania. Thirty people were killed in Shinnston, West Virginia, which was leveled. A total of 154 people were killed and 966 were injured. The tornadoes defied previous meteorological thought by crossing mountainous terrain. A family of tornadoes killed 30 people along an 85-mile path from near Wellsburg, West Virginia, to near Uniontown, Maryland. As many as four violent tornadoes were on the ground simultaneously during the evening. The most devastating was an F4 monster that carved a 60-mile path from near Pine Grove to near Alpena. One hundred people died in this tornado, including the 30 at Shinnston.
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