TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON; COOLER ON THURSDAY… Today is the last day of very hot temperatures for the next few days. High temperatures could easily hit 100 degrees this afternoon before a ‘backdoor cold front’ slides in overnight from the northeast. This will cause temperatures to drop back into the upper-80s on Thursday and Friday for afternoon highs. While the tropics are very active with FOUR distinct systems we are monitoring across the Atlantic basin, none of the systems pose any type of imminent threat to Alabama or northwest Florida. We will need to keep a close eye on the two systems far out in the Atlantic (TD10/Jerry & Karen-to-be) but for now, we are okay. Let’s look at details…
TD10/TROPICAL STORM JERRY… We’ll need to watch TD10/Jerry in the days ahead as the system moves northwest at a fairly rapid clip. The system will be near or north of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands this weekend. While most of the major global models indicate the system will recurve into the open waters of the Atlantic, that idea is certainly not set in stone. That turn will have to happen in 6-7 days for the system to steer clear of the Gulf of Mexico. We’ll keep watching. The system is a long way away from any land through Thursday.
20% CHANCE OF TROPICAL STORM FORMATION EAST OF AFRICA… There is a strong tropical wave that is set to emerge off the African continent later today or on Thursday that has a 20-30% chance of becoming a tropical storm this weekend. Environmental conditions will likely favor development of this system into a tropical storm as it moves westward over the far eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean. We note that this system is still approximately 10 days out from any potential U.S. impacts, although it is unknown whether this system will impact the U.S. There is a good chance the system could recurve into the open waters of the north Atlantic as some of the global models have indicated. Something to watch in the days ahead. Nothing to worry about as of now.
TROPICAL STORM IMELDA MADE LANDFALL IN TEXAS YESTERDAY… Talk about a quick-hitting system! Yesterday at approximately 10AM, the National Hurricane Center issued a special tropical weather outlook upping the chances of tropical development in the western Gulf of Mexico. At Noon yesterday, advisories were initiated on Tropical Depression #11, which became Tropical Storm Imelda 45 minutes later. Landfall happened at 1:30PM on Tuesday near Freeport, Texas as Imelda has maximum winds of 40 mph. The system has weakened somewhat this morning, but the big issue in east Texas will continue to be heavy downpours of rain that are causing flash flooding. If you’re headed to areas near Houston in the next few days, be aware of the significant risk of flash flooding in that area due to the remnants of Imelda.
HURRICANE HUMBERTO TO MOVE NEAR BERMUDA… Hurricane Humberto is a large system that has intensified over the last 24 hours. The large hurricane is moving east-northeast at about 10 miles per hour. The system is moving away from the continental United States. No direct local impacts are expected in the U.S. due to Humberto. We note a Hurricane Warning is in effect for Bermuda as Humberto approaches from the west. The system will continue moving northeast in the days ahead and out to sea after it impacts Bermuda.
GREAT WEATHER FOR HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL THIS WEEK… Picture perfect weather is what is in store for south Alabama and northwest Florida on Friday as we get set for another round of high school football. Kickoff temperatures will be in the low-80s at 7PM. Most locales will fall into the mid- to upper-70s by the end of each game. The chance of rain for any given spot is near zero.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL FORECASTS… Each week, we provide a brief summary of our local college football matchups when the weather isn’t insanely active locally. See details below.
ALABAMA VS. SOUTHERN MISS… The Southern Miss Golden Eagles travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday. The game is set for an 11AM kickoff on ESPN2. Partly cloudy skies are expected in Tuscaloosa on Saturday with very little to no chance of rain. Kickoff temperatures will be around 82° rising to around 88° by the end of the game.
AUBURN VS. TEXAS A&M… The Aggies of Texas A&M will host the Auburn Tigers this weekend in College Station, Texas. The game will be televised on CBS local stations and is set for a 2:30PM kickoff. We’ll call it a 20% chance of showers and storms during the daytime hours in College Station. The remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda will continue to bring heavy rain to parts of Texas this week, but I expect areas near College Station to be mostly dry by Saturday. Game time temperatures will be in the mid-80s.
TROY AT AKRON… The Akron Zips will host Troy this weekend as the Trojans travel all the way to Akron, Ohio for a 2PM game on Saturday. There is only a 10-20% chance of showers and storms in Akron during the game which is set to be broadcast on the ESPN+ streaming platform. Game time temperatures will be in the mid-80s.
SOUTH ALABAMA AT UAB… There is a big intrastate football game scheduled for 2:30PM at Legion Field in Birmingham on Saturday as the South Alabama Jaguars take on UAB. Temperatures will be in the mid- to upper-80s Saturday afternoon and evening in Birmingham. No rain is expected.
APP… If you haven’t already, be sure to download the free RedZone Weather app to keep up with all the latest information on the world of weather in south Alabama and northwest Florida. redzoneweather.com/app is the link for the free download. Once you have the app downloaded to your iOS or Android device, be sure to visit the Alerts tab (lower right corner) and tap the large, yellow Alert Settings button to customize the alerts you would like to receive straight from me.
See all the details in your Wednesday #rzw forecast video… Have a great day!