6:51AM September 30, 2021

ISOLATED STORMS TODAY; DRIER CONDITIONS FRIDAY; NEW STORM IN TROPICS… A few thunderstorms will continue to be possible at times on this Thursday. I expect most of the rain and storms to develop after 1PM. Severe storms are not expected today but some of the storms may produce heavy downpours of rain and loud thunder. High temperatures will be in the mid-80s today. We continue to track Hurricane Sam and newly-designated Tropical Storm Victor in the Atlantic Ocean. These storms fortunately will NOT be a direct issue for the USA. More Thursday morning forecast details are below.

MAINLY DRY THIS WEEKEND… Mostly sunny skies are ahead for Friday. High temperatures will be in the mid- to upper-80s. Game time temperatures for Friday night football games tomorrow evening will be in the mid- to upper-70s. Dry conditions are expected Friday evening. Saturday is also expected to be mostly dry with very low (~10%) chances of rain. Highs will be in the upper-80s Saturday. A few showers may become possible at times on Sunday.

RAIN LIKELY AT TIMES NEXT WEEK… Showers and thunderstorms will come back into our forecast in a significant way Monday into Tuesday. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will be possible each day, particularly in the afternoon and evening hours. Fortunately, widespread severe weather is not expected. High temperatures early next week will be in the mid-80s with morning lows in the mid-60s.

TROPICAL STORM VICTOR IN THE ATLANTIC… Tropical Depression 20 formed late yesterday morning in the open waters of the central Atlantic Ocean. TD20 strengthened to become Tropical Storm Victor last evening. Victor is slated to move northwest over the next few days in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm will not be a threat to land. Good news!

HURRICANE SAM TO PASS NEAR BERMUDA… Hurricane Sam is expected to remain out at sea over the next few days as the powerful storm continues moving north. A Tropical Storm Watch may be required for Bermuda in the days ahead as Sam brushes by to the east. Sam will never be a direct issue for south Alabama or northwest Florida. Max. winds remain well in excess of 115 mph, making Sam a powerful, major hurricane.

SEPARATE TROPICAL WAVE IN ATLANTIC… Another, distinct tropical wave (outside and away from Sam and TD20/Victor) is moving westward across the central Atlantic Ocean. The National Hurricane Center indicates there is a 30% chance of this system becoming a tropical storm over the next few days. From NHC: “Showers and thunderstorms remain disorganized in association with a trough of low pressure located several hundred miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Development of this system appears less likely due to the interaction with the larger low pressure area located to its east. The system is forecast to drift west-northwestward over the tropical central Atlantic during the next few days.”

APP… Many updates will be posted throughout the day in the RedZone Weather app. redzoneweather.com/app is the link for the free download. Be sure to visit the Alerts tab (bottom right corner) and tap the large, yellow “Alert Settings” button to customize the alerts you’d like to receive from me. If you like a lot of info, be sure to toggle ON Low-Level Alerts.

See all the details in your Thursday #rzw forecast video. Have a great day!

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6:54AM September 29, 2021

FEW STORMS TODAY; DRY WEEKEND AHEAD… Scattered showers and thunderstorms will be possible at times on this Wednesday, particularly in the afternoon and evening hours. The greatest chance of rain will happen near the coast and across west Alabama in areas west of the Alabama River. This means that Clarke, Washington, Baldwin, Mobile, Escambia (FL), and Santa Rosa counties have the highest chance of rain today. Widespread severe weather is not expected, but don’t be surprised to hear a few rumbles of thunder today. A few more forecast details are below.

HURRICANE SAM TO PASS NEAR OR JUST EAST OF BERMUDA… Sam remains a powerful, category 4 hurricane this morning. The system is passing to the east of the northernmost Lesser Antilles in the Atlantic Ocean. Sam is expected to turn north from a northwesterly trajectory tomorrow before grazing by Bermuda to the east on Friday into Saturday. A Tropical Storm Watch may be needed for Bermuda, although it appears Sam will pass farther east from Bermuda compared to what happened just a few weeks ago with Hurricane Larry.

HIGH CHANCE OF TROPICAL STORMS FORMING IN ATLANTIC… There remains a high (80-90%) chance of two, distinct tropical storms developing over the next few days. Two tropical waves currently in the central Atlantic Ocean are expected to begin moving more to the northwest out of the ITCZ (intertropical convergence zone). Early model guidance points to these storms moving north and out to sea, although it is very early in the forecasting process and changes may be needed in the days ahead. Next names on the tropical naming list: Victor and Wanda.

GULF AND CARIBBEAN STILL QUIET… Tropical storm formation is not expected in the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean Sea over the next 5-6 days. October has certainly been known to bring “homegrown” systems to our local area, however. We still have a solid two months left in the Atlantic Hurricane Season, although typically activity ramps down drastically in November.

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 morning #rzw forecast video. Have a great day!

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