PARTLY CLOUDY WEDNESDAY; RAIN & THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY AT TIMES IN THE DAYS AHEAD… Partly cloudy skies will persist across south Alabama and northwest Florida on this Wednesday ahead of increasingly higher rain chances later this week and into the upcoming weekend. High temperatures will be in the 87-92° range today. Most communities will remain dry today, but a significant pattern change begins tomorrow as moisture returns and rain coverage increases. Showers and thunderstorms will become likely at times Friday through the weekend, with locally heavy rain being the main concern. A few strong thunderstorms may also happen Saturday and Sunday, but it’s a bit too early to know specific timing details.
ONLY A HANDFUL OF ISOLATED SHOWERS POSSIBLE TODAY; MOST TO REMAIN DRY TODAY… A few isolated showers or thunderstorms may develop today, particularly nearer the coast as moisture begins returning. Most communities across the region will NOT have rain today, and inland areas are especially likely to remain dry. Any shower that develops should be brief and widely spaced.
SCATTERED STORMS (MOSTLY P.M.) TOMORROW… Scattered showers and thunderstorms will become possible tomorrow, with the greatest coverage likely during the afternoon and evening hours. Rain chances will vary considerably across the region, but overall storm coverage will be noticeably higher than today. The greatest rain chances on Thursday will likely set up closer to the coast. High temperatures will be in the upper 80s tomorrow. There is no formal severe weather risk in place locally tomorrow.
RAIN & STORMS LIKELY AT TIMES FRIDAY… Rain coverage will increase further on Friday as deep southerly flow brings abundant moisture inland from the Gulf. Numerous showers and thunderstorms will be possible at times, although rain may be intermittent rather than continuous in any one community. Some storms may produce very heavy downpours. High temperatures will be in the mid 80s on Friday. I will be posting radar updates throughout the day on Friday and into the weekend in the RedZone Weather app.
SOME HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES MAY BE WET FRIDAY EVENING… Some high school football games across south Alabama and northwest Florida may be affected by showers and thunderstorms Friday evening. It is too early to determine exactly which communities will have rain during game time, and some locations may have extended dry breaks. Any thunderstorm near a game would create lightning concerns, so please keep checking in with me for forecast updates as Friday gets closer.
SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS STORMS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY; MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF RAIN LIKELY… Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms are expected across the region this weekend. Rain will not necessarily fall continuously, but outdoor plans may be interrupted at times on both Saturday and Sunday. The moisture-rich atmosphere will support intense rainfall rates in the heavier storms. Localized flash flooding could become a concern, particularly in urban and poor-drainage areas or wherever storms repeatedly move over the same locations. Highs will generally be in the low to mid 80s.
UNSETTLED PATTERN CONTINUES INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK… Showers and thunderstorms will remain possible Monday and Tuesday, although rain coverage should gradually decrease compared to the weekend. Temperatures will also trend lower because of increased clouds and rain. Highs will generally be in the upper 70s to low 80s early next week. Specific timing and rainfall details remain uncertain this far out. Depending on exactly what happens this weekend, flash flooding may be more of a concern early next week if storms train over the same areas.
TROPICS: GULF & CARIBBEAN REMAIN QUIET… No tropical storms are expected to develop in the Gulf or Caribbean Sea over the next 5-7 days. October is really our last month for significant hurricane strikes in the Gulf region. Hurricane Opal (1995) and Hurricane Michael (2018) instantly come to mind when I think about October hurricanes. While the climatological peak of hurricane season has passed, we have a few more weeks to monitor the tropics. Storms can happen in November, but it would be extremely uncommon for a major hurricane to happen in the Gulf in November. Hurricane season officially ends November 30.
TROPICS: TROPICAL STORM HANNA IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC… Tropical Storm Hanna remains over the open waters of the North Atlantic, more than 1,000 miles east-northeast of Bermuda. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph. Hanna is moving southeast at 12 mph and is expected to turn toward the east-northeast after another day or so. Gradual weakening is forecast, with Hanna likely becoming post-tropical later this week. No hazards directly affecting land are expected due to Tropical Storm Hanna.
TROPICS: T.D. FAY FADES AWAY IN CENTRAL ATLANTIC… Tropical Depression Fay has weakened over the central Atlantic, approximately 1,525 miles west-southwest of the Azores. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph as Fay moves southwest at 12 mph. Fay has become a post-tropical system and the National Hurricane Center has issued their final advisory on the system.
APP… redzoneweather.com/app is the link to download the free RedZone Weather app for iOS and Android devices. Once you have the app installed, visit the Alerts tab to customize the specific weather notifications you’d like to receive straight from me. All notifications are handcrafted and tailored specifically for our local area.
See all the details in your Wednesday RedZone Weather forecast video. My next forecast video will be posted by 7:15AM tomorrow morning. I will have updates posted throughout the day, as needed, in the RedZone Weather app.
Have a great Wednesday!
