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!