Wind Chill Advisory

Wind Chill Advisory: remains in effect from midnight tonight to 8 am Monday.
The combination of gusty winds and cold temperatures will create extremely cold wind chill readings overnight. Wind chill values...will drop to near zero around sunrise on Monday morning. If you must venture outdoors...make sure you wear a hat and gloves.

Source: NOAA/NWS
Image Credit:  NOAA/NWS
Wind chill takes into account how wind and cold feel on exposed skin rather than solely the actual temperature. As the wind increases, heat is carried away from the body at an accelerated rate, driving down the body temperature. Animals are also affected by wind chill.

http://www.noaa.gov/

A strong cold front will push across the Deep South tonight, bringing a line of showers and isolated thunderstorms. Temperatures will drop rapidly behind this front. We are scheduled to be at the freezing mark by early Sunday morning. The moisture source seems to be lacking so, just a mention of flurries possible at this time for the Birmingham area. The major concern after the rain will be Black Ice. Rural, valley and low lying areas in particular; Roads which appear clear in the cold season may actually be coated with a thin layer of ice, commonly called black ice. This nearly invisible ice layer can cause you to rapidly lose control of your vehicle. Black ice is most common during the nighttime hours into very early morning. If you detect black ice, reduce your speed!


Behind the front, strong gusty winds will create very cold and blustery conditions. Sustained winds will remain around 20 mph, gusts to 30 or 40 mph. This will create wind chill temperatures in the teens on Sunday...while single digit wind chills are possible in higher elevations. As colder air continues to funnel into the region...temperatures will likely fall into the teens area wide on Monday morning. Continued breezy conditions will produce wind chill temperatures below zero in some portions of the area. A wind chill advisory may be issued for Sunday night and Monday morning.

Winter Weather Coming!

Few isolated showers expected mainly afternoon and in the evening, near Huntsville through Gadsden and Southeast. This front will bring a blast of cold air by Sunday. Tuesday morning thru Wednesday morning look to be the coldest that we have seen so far since last winter, widespread 20s and some teens.

Wonderful Weekend Weather

The 90s Return...
When I see unseasonably cooler afternoon temperatures in the early fall, I can tell the summer temperatures are not quite finished with us yet.  I'm a meteorologist not a climatologist however, I do know the atmosphere has a way of balancing itself out.  The planet is always gearing toward equilibrium.  Bottom line...there has been cooler and hotter days...to the global warming enthusiasts.  Anyone want to chat about La Niña?
http://www.elnino.noaa.gov/lanina.html

Birmingham, AL. Wonderful Weather Weekend

Records appear to be safe this morning but, we still have another cool morning on the books for your Labor Day. Low temperatures will flirt with record readings again Monday morning.

We still have a very dry air mass across Alabama. Temperatures will be in the mid 80s this afternoon. Highs will be back in the low 90s by Monday afternoon. Best chance for rain in the 7 Day Forecast rolls in by Thursday.

Birmingham, AL. Sunny, Dry...Need I say More?

A cold front has pushed south, and finally held true to its name. This weekend expect cooler and drier air to start your mornings. I’m so excited to actually be able to hear the A/C cut-off overnight. Highs will be in the mid- upper 80s. Overnight lows tonight and Sunday night will be in the mid 50s. With some areas in the low 50s...WOW! We may be setting some record LOWS!!!

http://weather.nbc13.com/

Birmingham Weather Forecast

Rain and drizzle this morning, temperatures holding in the low-mid 70's. Finally the grip of the summer heat has loosened. It has been nice to not be drenched in sweat from the front door of my house to the car door. Today we start off rainy, but skies will clear a bit later today and temperature will make it into upper 80's in the afternoon. We will look for partly cloudy skies with highs in the low 90's for the remainder of your workweek. A weak front will arrive Friday. There will be a chance of an afternoon or nighttime shower. Behind that front mid-upper 60s overnight.

Weather Forecasters Summer Dream...

  I can put my feet up today...well for now.  When I got out of the car this morning at the station, an unfamiliar cool breeze hit my ankle. That delightful breeze on Red Mountain was a marvelous gift this morning. Working outside today? Well if you are, finally a break from the heat. Today is one of those days to look ahead. We are looking toward the weekend now on the hump day. A dry cold front will push through the area by the end of the week and leave us with Party Cloudy skies and upper 80s for your highs for the weekend, mid-upper 60s overnight...Enjoy!

Tropical Storm Danielle

At this time Monday Morning, there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

This morning at 5:00 am EST, the center of Tropical Storm Danielle was
located near latitude 14.8 north...longitude 37.1 west. Danielle is

moving toward the west-northwest near 14 mph and this

general motion is expected to continue through Tuesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph with higher

gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast. Danielle is

likely to become a Hurricane within the next 24 hours.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 85 miles.

Source:  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Tropical Moisture, No Tropical System

We all hope for this soggy scenario in the summer. Tropical moisture without the damage. Bad thing is, LA and MS have seen localized flooding that has been reeking havoc across the Deep South.  Flooding is one of the main weather disasters that take life.  Inland flooding is also very important.  I always here people say they don't need to to worry because they do not live on the coast...that concerns me.  Here is some info to hopefully swap that frame of mind.

"In the 1970s, '80s, and '90s, inland flooding was responsible for more than half of the deaths associated with tropical cyclones in the United States."

Source: NOAA, NWS

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/inland_flood.shtml

NOAA Still Expects Active Atlantic Hurricane Season

Atlantic Basin for the whole season – June 1 to November 30 – NOAA’s updated outlook is projecting, with a 70% probability, a total of (including Alex, Bonnie and Colin):

• 14 to 20 Named Storms (top winds of 39 mph or higher), including:

• 8 to 12 Hurricanes (top winds of 74 mph or higher), of which:

• 4 to 6 could be Major Hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of at least 111 mph)

 
Source:  http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100805_hurricaneupdate.html

All the hope for that garden seems to get carried away by the lack of rain, heading into summer. As a Meteorologist, I always hear people complaining about needing a tropical disturbance to swing through and bring us a few inches of rain. That is all great in theory but, from experience that will not do it. This lonely flower you see to the left was supposed to be a group of flowers. This guy apparently beat the others out for every last stitch of water. The dirt in my garden is dry as a bone. What we need is a slow steady rain to help this poor guy bring his friends back from the dead.
Here is the latest tropical info:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo_atl.shtml

Hurricane Season 2010

This go around there is a lot of crazy talk about an above average Hurricane Season. I have to admit, the way the summer is shaping up...oh, I forgot, it is still technically fall for a few more days. You wouldn't know with the 100 degrees F, south of the Mason Dixon Line.

So here we go...there are some really great resources this summer for validity to this alleged above average Hurricane Season. I know we are all horrified by the idea of an above average season with this monstrosity unfolding in the Gulf. Here are a few great resources, I enjoy, by some great weather nerds, like myself: http://www.2010season.28storms.com/, http://hurricanetrack.com/, for the oil spill restoration: http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/ and of course http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.
Image Credit: Meteorologist Harmony Mendoza


2010 Storm Names

1. Alex
2. Bonnie
3. Colin
4. Danielle
5. Earl
6. Fiona
7. Gaston
8. Hermine
9. Igor
10. Julia
11. Karl
12. Lisa
13. Matthew
14. Nicole
15. Otto
16. Paula
17. Richard
18. Shary
19. Tomas
20. Virginie
21. Walter
    

Courtesy: National Hurricane Center
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Ahoy...the snowy Birmingham winter days...it was gone by morning. Sweet bliss while I had it though.