SCATTERED STORMS TODAY; LOWER (NOT ZERO) RAIN CHANCES LATER THIS WEEK… Intermittent rain and thunderstorms are likely at times on this Tuesday. High temperatures will be in the mid- to upper-80s in most spots across south Alabama and northwest Florida. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms will be possible Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, however I expect the overall coverage of rain and storms to generally be less for the latter half of the week. Temperatures are warm and will remain warm for the foreseeable future with no significant temperature swings noted in the short-term or long-term forecast range. The tropics may become more active over the next week or so with tropical mischief potentially becoming possible in the Caribbean Sea in about a week. More Tuesday morning forecast notes are below.
HIGHER RAIN CHANCES INLAND TODAY… Every location across south Alabama and northwest Florida has at least some chance of rain, although we note that the greater rain chances are slated to happen today across inland areas of southwest Alabama. This includes places north of U.S. Highway 84, like Monroeville, Thomasville, Greenville, Beatrice, Camden, and Forest Home. Storms will likely be below severe limits today, but “loud and proud” storms with dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning will be possible.
ISOLATED SHOWERS & STORMS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY… A few showers and thunderstorms will continue to be possible Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Most of these pop-up thunderstorms will happen in the afternoon and evening hours in the period of maximum diurnal heat. Highs each day will be near 90 with morning lows near 70.
LOW-END CHANCE OF TROPICAL DEVELOPMENT NEAR CENTRAL AMERICA… The National Hurricane Center has flagged an area in the southwest Caribbean Sea near the coast of Nicaragua and Costa Rica with a 30% chance of tropical development. Even if this system develops into a classified tropical depression or tropical storm, it likely will not be a direct concern for our local area in south Alabama or northwest Florida. From NHC: “An area of low pressure is expected to develop over the southwestern Caribbean Sea by Thursday or Friday. Some gradual development will be possible thereafter as the system moves slowly northwestward toward Central America.”
TROPICAL MISCHIEF POSSIBLE NEXT WEEK… Model guidance continues to inconsistently show the idea of a potential tropical depression or tropical storm developing in about one week across portions of the Caribbean Sea or the Bay of Campeche in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Keep in mind that the overall pattern could change and there very well may be no storm that results from this developing Central American Gyre that is expected to develop. The Central American Gyre is basically a large area of lower atmospheric pressure that develops over the southern part of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and surrounding Central American nations. Sometimes, a tropical depression or tropical storm can develop as a result of this feature. We’ll keep watching trends over the next few days and bring you the latest information in the RedZone Weather app.
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 Tuesday morning #rzw forecast video. Have a nice day!