First Alert Weather: A mostly sunny sky and slightly warmer temperatures Thursday

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Good morning and happy Thursday! I hope you are enjoying the break from the heat and humidity. Yesterday was absolutely beautiful, and the nice weather will likely continue into today.

First Day of Classes For JSU(WBRC)

Temperatures are starting out comfortable with most of us in the 60s. It’s slightly cooler in parts of Marion, Winston, Cullman, Blount, Etowah, and Cherokee counties where temperatures are in the lower 60s. There’s a chance for some patchy fog to form near lakes and rivers, but most areas are enjoying decent visibility. First Alert AccuTrack Satellite and Radar is showing a dry sweep with a mostly clear sky.

High Temperatures Today(WBRC)

High pressure is in place across the Southeast keeping us dry and comfortable. We are forecasting a mostly sunny sky this afternoon with highs in the upper 80s. We will likely remain a few degrees below average for the middle of August. Our average high temperature for August 17 is 91°F. Winds today will remain light from the west at 5 to 10 mph.

Barons Baseball Forecast(WBRC)

If you are planning on heading out for dinner or attending the Barons Baseball game, we are looking at a mostly clear sky with temperatures cooling into the lower 80s around 7 p.m.

Hot and Dry Friday: Heat will continue to build across the Southeast despite a weak cold front that could move into our area tomorrow afternoon. We’ll likely start Friday off dry with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 60s. Friday will end up as another nice summer day with temperatures trending closer to average. We will likely see highs in the lower 90s with northwest winds at 5 to 10 mph. Humidity levels will likely increase a little, but it won’t be super muggy. If you have any Friday evening plans, we are forecasting a mostly clear sky with temperatures cooling into the lower 80s by 7 p.m.

Hot Weekend: The next big thing we are tracking is the heat going into the weekend and into next week. Humidity will likely increase a little over the weekend, but it won’t be super muggy with high heat index values. We will likely see morning temperatures cool into the low-to-mid 70s over the weekend. High temperatures are forecast to climb into the mid 90s.

High Temperatures Next 7 Days(WBRC)

We will likely see plenty of sunshine Saturday and Sunday. The heat index could climb near 100° to 105° F by Sunday afternoon for parts of west Alabama. Just make sure you apply the sunscreen if you plan on being outside over the weekend. We also recommend you staying hydrated as temperatures trend above average. You’ll likely need to water the lawn and garden as rain chances remain very unlikely in this setup.

Hot Weather Next Week: Long-range models show no sign of heat relief going into next week. Instead, they show the heat levels increasing across the area. We are not talking about high humidity levels with heat index values well into the triple digits. We are looking at actual air temperatures close to the triple digits. We are forecasting highs in the upper 90s next week with a few spots in west Alabama climbing near 100°F. Rain chances remain very low with most of us staying dry.

Tropical Update: It looks like we are going to see a big uptick in activity across the Atlantic as we finish out August. The National Hurricane Center is monitoring three areas for potential tropical development over the next seven days.

Tropical Update – Gulf(WBRC)

The first area we are focusing on is the Gulf of Mexico as we head into early next week. Long-range models are hinting at tropical moisture moving into the Gulf this weekend and moving westward towards Texas and Louisiana next Monday through Wednesday. Odds of development remain low at 20 percent for the next seven days. It doesn’t look like this wave will impact us, but it’ll be something to watch. There’s a chance this moisture could produce some scattered showers in parts of south Alabama and the Alabama Gulf Coast Monday.  Most of the models keep this system fairly weak.

Tropical Update – Atlantic(WBRC)

The other two waves are located in the eastern Atlantic. One tropical wave that is approximately 875 miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands now has a 60 percent chance to develop into a tropical depression or storm in the next seven days. Models support this system becoming our next tropical depression or storm going into next week.  The other wave is located just off the Cabo Verde Islands and also has a 60 percent chance to develop over the next seven days. Our weather models show possible development, but it will likely remain weak. No immediate concern for these two waves at this time, but it’ll be something to watch over the next seven days. “Emily” and “Franklin” are the names that would be used if any of these systems developed into tropical storms.

It’s very typical to see activity increase around this time of the year. Hurricane season peaks in the middle of September and officially ends on November 30.

Make sure you download the WBRC First Alert Weather app on Android and Apple devices for the latest weather information.

Have a great Thursday!

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