Alabama feels more like summer this week
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Alabama feels like early summer by midweek with record highs in jeopardy. Our next round of widespread rain and storms hits on Sunday.
Check the video for the latest forecast.
STORMY JUST TO THE NORTHWEST
A ridge will keep us hot and mainly dry throughout much of the week. It will also steer storms just to our northwest in waves that could result in flooding northwest of Alabama.
The ridge forces the jet stream's energy around it, and that sets up a four-day period of heavy rain and severe storms from Texas to Ohio.
The first wave of storms will hit west of Alabama on Wednesday and Thursday.
Storms continue to follow that same path through Thursday, Friday and Saturday setting up a dangerous flash flood and severe weather threat northwest of us.
The ridge over the southeastern United States will block the eastward progress of those storms, and that means we will not expect any widespread rain or storms through Saturday.
ALMOST "HOT" THIS WEEK
Temperatures will soar through the rest of the week. It may even be warm enough that you call it "hot" for the first time this season. In addition to the heat we will also feel muggy.
Highs reach the middle and upper 80s on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with high humidity a stiff southwest wind occasionally gusting over 25 to 30 mph each afternoon. There may be a few communities that touch 90 degrees before the week is over.
Because this is the first "hot" weather of the season, it is important you are watching out for the signs and symptoms of heat related illness. It is also important to drink plenty of fluids during outdoor activities.
IMPACT WEATHER THIS WEEKEND
In Central Alabama, we will see an uptick in the coverage of hit-or-miss storms Saturday, but our next widespread round of rain and storms arrives on Sunday.
米兰体育 13 has declared Sunday an Impact Day. This means the weather could cause changes to your normal daily routine. For example, it is a good idea to have a backup in mind for any outdoor plans on Sunday. I would not cancel anything yet, though.
Right now we are just expecting general rain and thunder, but we will watch this system carefully like every system this time of year.
It is worth noting, the Storm Prediction Center has highlighted parts of Alabama with a risk of strong to severe storms Saturday into Sunday.
The reality, though, is that we are too far out to know any real specifics on timing and threats. Be sure you are checking back for more details in the coming days.
BEYOND THE SEVEN-DAY
The summer-like feel won't last long. We are always watching for weather changes this time of the year and we are seeing some signals of a pattern flip towards the middle of the month. The Climate Prediction Center is projecting temperatures to be below average across the eastern half of the United States through mid-April.
The blue color on the map doesn't necessarily mean we will turn "cold". This tells us more about the confidence in below average temperatures, not how low temperatures will go.
Gardeners beware! We do see some evidence of temperatures dropping low enough for patchy frost to develop. Stay tuned!
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