First Alert for rounds of showers and below average temperatures Wednesday

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Good morning and happy Wednesday! The good news this morning is that several spots are dry. The bad news is that areas such as Sumter, Greene, Hale, Pickens, and Tuscaloosa counties could end up very wet today. First Alert AccuTrack Satellite and Radar is showing a cloudy sky across Central Alabama. We are tracking an area of low pressure situated in Mississippi that is producing another round of heavy rainfall and flash flooding in parts of south-central Mississippi. All of this moisture is slowly moving to the east into west Alabama. It is going to be a wet morning commute for areas southwest of Birmingham. The rest of Central Alabama is dealing with mostly dry conditions or isolated light showers. Patchy fog isn’t a problem, but we can’t rule out the chance for some foggy areas before 9 AM. Temperatures this morning are near average with most of us in the lower 70s. We will likely end up cloudy today with temperatures climbing into the upper 70s. Areas such as Marion, Winston, Cullman, Blount, Etowah, and Cherokee counties could end up slightly warmer in the lower 80s. Rain chances in these locations will be lower at 30-50%. You may see some sunshine filtered through the clouds at times today, but you’ll also end up mostly cloudy. Winds today will continue from the south at 5-10 mph. The big concern will be our southwestern counties where models show rain falling for the majority of the day. Flash flooding can’t be ruled out for Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Greene, Hale, and Sumter counties today. Severe weather is not expected today due to the cool temperatures and lack of instability across the area. Just monitor the forecasts and to remember to never drive through flooded areas should they occur. Turn around, don’t drown! Rain chance today is around 60%. If you plan on heading to the Barons Baseball game this evening, I’d plan for a 40% chance for widely scattered showers. Temperatures this evening will likely hold steady in the mid 70s with an overcast sky.

First Alert for rounds of showers and below average temperatures Wednesday(wbrc) First Alert for rounds of showers and below average temperatures Wednesday(wbrc)

Rainy At Times on Thursday: The upper-level disturbance triggering rain across the Southeast will continue to slowly push to the east tomorrow. We could see rounds of showers overnight and into Thursday morning. I would allow some extra time for your morning commute tomorrow as rain and wet roads could slow you down. Temperatures will likely start out in the lower 70s tomorrow morning. We will likely see waves of showers tomorrow with the greatest concentration along and south of I-20/59. The sky will end up mostly cloudy to overcast tomorrow with highs in the upper 70s and lower 80s. We will monitor the threat for flash flooding tomorrow. Rainfall totals through Friday evening could add up to 2-4″ for parts of West Alabama. Rainfall totals will trend lower in north and east Alabama around 1-2″. North Alabama will end up with lower rainfall totals with most spots below an inch.

Rain Moving Out Friday: We could start Friday morning out with clouds and a chance with scattered showers. The best chance to see rain on Friday will likely occur in east Alabama. The disturbance across the Southeast will finally move out and we should start to transition from a wet pattern to a drier pattern as we head into the weekend. Our best chance for rain Friday will likely occur in the first half of the day. Models are hinting we will start to dry out by Friday evening with a partly sunny sky. Rain chance Friday around 40%. Highs Friday will likely trend warmer with most of us in the mid 80s. I think most high school games will end up rain-free. Plan for a partly to mostly cloudy sky Friday evening with temperatures cooling into the lower 80s and upper 70s.

Weekend Forecast: The upcoming weekend is looking nice and warmer. Overnight lows will end up in the lower 70s. We should see some sunshine on Saturday and Sunday to dry us out. Temperatures will likely end up closer to average with highs in the upper 80s. It’ll be a muggy weekend, so the heat index could easily climb into the mid 90s. Rain chances will remain isolated over the weekend at 20%.

Tropical Update: The National Hurricane Center is monitoring two tropical waves in the Atlantic. The main wave to watch is several hundreds of miles east-southeast of the Windward Islands in the Central Atlantic. It is a disorganized tropical wave, but it has a low chance to develop once it pushes past the islands and emerges into the eastern Caribbean by the end of the week. We do see some model support for this system developing, but it remains way too early to determine if it will impact the United States. If it did, it would be sometime by the middle or end of next week. Models are hinting that there’s an outside chance it could move into the Gulf, so it needs to be watched. No need to cancel vacation plans or worry. More details will be available over the weekend. The second tropical wave will move off the African coast in a few days. It has a low chance to develop in the eastern Atlantic. The hurricane season ramps up in September and officially ends on November 30th.

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