NUMEROUS STORMS AROUND TODAY AND SATURDAY… Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected across south Alabama and northwest Florida on this Friday. Some of the storms will produce heavy downpours of rain at times today. It looks the overall coverage of storms may be maximized across inland areas today, but tomorrow into Sunday most of the showers and thunderstorms are more likely to happen closer to the immediate coast. We will trend toward a drier pattern starting on Labor Day Monday with hotter conditions set to return next week.
3-4″ OF RAIN POSSIBLE NEAR COAST THIS WEEKEND… The scattered showers and thunderstorms that happen today into the weekend are certainly welcome in the sense that the rain that happens will help to ease the ongoing drought conditions across the area. August was the driest August on record at Dauphin Island, Atmore, and Brewton. Many, many other communities across the region had severe rainfall deficits for the month of August, including Pensacola, Evergreen, Bay Minette, Coffeeville, and Fairhope. This certainly is not a limited list, but it is a list of the reporting stations included in the Drought Information Statement issued yesterday by the local National Weather Service office. Hopefully September will feature more in the way of rainfall to ease ongoing drought conditions.
FEW SHOWERS SUNDAY; DRIER FOR LABOR DAY MONDAY… Showers and storms are MORE likely to happen today and tomorrow but a few widely scattered storms may happen on Sunday as well. Rain chances will be much lower on Labor Day Monday. High temperatures will be in upper-80s today and Saturday ahead of 90s returning for Sunday into the holiday on Monday.
ACTIVE TROPICS BUT NO IMMINENT LOCAL CONCERNS… Tropical Storm Idalia may bring impacts to Bermuda in 2-3 days after the system moved offshore from the Carolinas yesterday. The recovery from Idalia, that moved onshore as a major hurricane earlier this week in the Big Bend region of Florida, will continue into the weekend and next week (and for many months to come). Hurricane Franklin is moving northeast, rapidly, and will no longer be a concern for land areas. Tropical Storm Jose formed yesterday as TD11 strengthened. The remnants of Tropical Storm Gert are also moving north across the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Neither Jose or the remnants of Gert are expected to impact land areas. A tropical wave in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean has a 70% chance of becoming a tropical storm this weekend or early next week. That system remains away from land areas as well. The Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea will remain quiet with no new tropical storms expected to form over the Labor Day holiday weekend.
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 Friday RedZone Weather forecast video. Have a great day!