WBRC First Alert Weather

Here comes the cool down!

Happy Friday to ya! I don't know about you, but this week has seemed reallly long to me! But, we're finally here, with temps fairly similar to yesterday morning's.
Look for mostly clear to partly cloudy skies today...highs into the upper 70s...and winds out of the east at 5 mph.

Tonight should be great for high school football, with temps in the 60s and increasing clouds. Overnight tonight we could see a few showers coming our way.

Saturday's wet weather system looks to be very weak with only scattered light showers expected...morning temps near 60-degrees...and highs in the upper 60s to low 70s.

Sunday looks to be a nice fall day, with cooler temps. Expect morning temps in the low 40s...and highs in the low 60s under mostly clear skies.

Our coolest temps of the season so far are in the forecast for Monday morning. Look for lows in the 30s to low 40s...and highs in the upper 60s with mostly clear skies.

Clouds are expected to build in again by midweek, with a chance of showers returning by next Thursday.

Have a great weekend!

I hope to see you next week. :)

Mickey Ferguson, WBRC First Alert weather

Cooler temps ahead

FIRST ALERT: We've got some chilly temps out there this morning. Not as cool as what we're expecting this coming Monday, but I noticed the cooler air the second I opened the door this morning.

We'll get to Monday's temps in a sec.

We are still seeing clouds out there this morning, but those clouds should begin to break up and move away from us this morning.
Look for decreasing clouds today...highs near 72...and NE winds at 5-10 mph.

Tonight should be partly cloudy...lows near 56...and light winds developing out of the east.

On Friday a cold front will be approaching us from the west. We will likely see clouds building in during the day, with a chance of rain developing overnight Friday night into the day on Saturday. Look for highs in the mid-70s Friday afternoon. High school football will likely be dry Friday night, but a few sprinkles could be seen in our far northwestern counties.

Saturday brings a good chance of rain our way. No severe storms are expected, just good ole fashioned rainfall.

Mostly sunny skies are expected again by Sunday with morning temps in the 40s and highs in the 60s.

Our coolest morning in a while is expected Monday morning, with temps in the upper 30s to low 40s and mostly sunny.

You can check out a chance of rain by next Thursday on our WBRC First Alert weather app.

Have a good one!

Mickey Ferguson, WBRC First Alert weather

Miss Fall is a lil' late to the party

Well look who showed up late to the party. Hello Miss Fall, you're looking good. I mean, you could lose a few more leaves and maybe chill out a little more, but you're welcomed. Why so late?

When I came in, exactly when I was supposed to (hello management) the temps were in the low to mid-50s. We will likely see some places drop into the 40s this morning and then warm back into the 50s for most of the morning.

Today's eventual highs are expected to warm into the 70s, but it should take a long time getting there. We're talkin' 3-pm, when you pick up the kids from school 70s. Look for a high of only 72. How bout dat?!

Tonight should be another cool night, with lows in the 50s.

The weekend should stay dry and mostly clear with highs in the 70s to low 80s....lows Saturday night in the upper 50s.

We're looking at a chance of scattered showers for Monday and Tuesday and mostly cloudy skies on Wednesday. Monday should be our warmest day of the workweek, near 80...but another cold front drops the highs and lows back down to the 70s and 50s respectively.

Sunshine is expected to return by next Thursday.

Somebody get Miss Fall a drink. We don't want her leaving too early.

Mickey Ferguson, WBRC First Alert weather

Fred's First Alert For Increasing Rain Chances

The First Full Day Of Fall only means another hot, humid day across the region. High pressure remains anchored to the east blocking frontal passage as the system remains stalled to the west. The southerly wind flow will continue to bring moisture contents up but the best rain chances will remain closest to the front anchored to the west and northwest. We could still see a few isolated showers through the afternoon with rain chances beginning to increase slightly as early as tonight. The trend to deepening moisture will continue across the state Monday as the area of high pressure to the east and low pressure to the west will both contribute to increased rain chances with numerous rain showers and possible thunderstorms continuing through the beginning of the new work-week. The warm, moist south and southwesterly wind flow will continue Wednesday and Thursday with a stagnant weather pattern as we remain caught between low pressure to the west and high pressure over Bermuda to the east. With so much moisture in place and a front finally approaching from the west rain chances will actually increase during the mid-week time period but the front dissipates before penetrating The Deep South but a building ridge of high pressure may lower rain chances somewhat by Friday and Saturday.

 

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Kirk will be moving over increasingly warm waters with limited wind shear for the next two or three days. The storm's intensification will, however, be limited by its relatively rapid forward motion and drier air moving into the system. In addition, Kirk will likely encounter some strong westerly winds bringing a weakening trend as it approaches the Lesser Antilles. Kirk may even weaken into an area of low pressure a it approaches the Eastern Caribbean Sea, but for now the Official National Hurricane Center Forecast shows Kirk maintaining Tropical Storm status for the next five days.
WBRC
FOX6
FIRST ALERT
Meteorologist
Fred Hunter
ON YOUR SIDE

Fred's First Alert For The Tropics

The overall weather pattern remains the same through the end of the weekend with more dry air in East Alabama producing only isolated showers or thunderstorms while the greater coverage for rain will again be in areas to the north and west. By tomorrow a deeper layer of Gulf moisture will be transported north with a more southerly wind flow increasing rain chances for the beginning of the new work-week. This weather pattern will continue from Tuesday through Friday with higher rain chances especially during the afternoon and evening so basically a Summer-like weather pattern continues for the first week of Fall. In fact, an approaching cold front may even increase rain chances for Wednesday and Thursday. A ridge of high pressure to the south will likely block the front's passage so the much anticipated Fall Cool Down will likely be delayed until at least the first week of October.

 

Meanwhile, newly formed Tropical Storm Kirk is forecast to move across warm waters and remain within a low shear environment during the next couple of days. These conditions favor strengthening although dry air near the storm may inhibit rapid intensification. Kirk is forecast to remain a tropical storm through at least mid-week.
WBRC
FOX6
FIRST ALERT
Meteorologist
Fred Hunter
ON YOUR SIDE

 The overall weather pattern remains the same through the end of the weekend with more dry air in East Alabama producing only isolated showers or thunderstorms while the greater coverage for rain will again be in areas to the north and west. By tomorrow a deeper layer of Gulf moisture will be transported north with a more southerly wind flow increasing rain chances for the beginning of the new work-week. This weather pattern will continue from Tuesday through Friday with higher rain chances especially during the afternoon and evening so basically a Summer-like weather pattern continues for the first week of Fall. In fact, an approaching cold front may even increase rain chances for Wednesday and Thursday. A ridge of high pressure to the south will likely block the front's passage so the much anticipated Fall Cool Down will likely be delayed until at least the first week of October. Meanwhile, newly formed Tropical Storm Kirk is forecast to move across warm waters and remain within a low shear environment during the next couple of days. These conditions favor strengthening although dry air near the storm may inhibit rapid intensification. Kirk is forecast to remain a tropical storm through at least mid-week.

WBRC

FOX6

FIRST ALERT

Meteorologist

Fred Hunter

ON YOUR SIDE

The overall weather pattern remains the same through the end of the weekend with more dry air in East Alabama producing only isolated showers or thunderstorms while the greater coverage for rain will again be in areas to the north and west. By tomorrow a deeper layer of Gulf moisture will be transported north with a more southerly wind flow increasing rain chances for the beginning of the new work-week. This weather
pattern will continue from Tuesday through Friday with higher rain chances especially during the afternoon and evening so basically a Summer-like weather pattern continues for the first week of Fall. In fact, an approaching cold front may even increase rain chances for Wednesday and Thursday. A ridge of high pressure to the south will likely block the front's passage so the much anticipated Fall Cool Down will likely be delayed until at least the first week of October. Meanwhile, newly formed Tropical Storm Kirk is forecast to move across warm waters and remain within a low shear environment during the next couple of days. These conditions favor strengthening although dry air near the storm may inhibit rapid intensification. Kirk is forecast to remain a tropical storm through at least mid-week.

WBRC

FOX6

FIRST ALERT

Meteorologist

Fred Hunter

ON YOUR SIDE

Fred's First Alert For Returning Rain

Fall officially begins at 8:54 this evening but a warm first weekend of Autumn is certainly well underway! High pressure is still anchored over The Carolinas blocking a frontal boundary to the north and west from moving across the region through the end of the weekend. Southerly winds will continue to bring in more moisture but rain chances will be limited to areas to the north and west, closer to the front but, yes, there could be some isolated rain areas in other parts of the region but generally just expect mostly sunny, hot conditions area wide through the end of the weekend. Afternoon temperatures will generally range from 90-92 with overnight lows near 70. Conditions will begin to change by Monday as Tuesday through Friday time frame. Rain remains likely through the end of the work week but a blocking ridge of high pressure will likely prevent any frontal passage which could bring the much anticipated cool-down by next weekend. In fact, now cooler air might not arrive until the first week of October. So, the Long-Hot-Summer continues.

 

WBRC
FOX6
FIRST ALERT
Meteorologist
Fred Hunter
ON YOUR SIDE

Fred's First Alert For Fall's Arrival

Fall officially arrives at 8:54 this evening but this weekend will feel more like the middle of Summer!

A ridge of high pressure over the Carolinas will help limit moisture over the region this weekend. Drier air will continue to filter into the region and most locations south and east of the I-59 corridor will remain dry with only isolated rain areas with the exception of a higher moisture content area in the northern and western counties.

 

The weather pattern should remain the same through tomorrow with only a slight increase in rain chances by the end of the weekend. A shift to a more southerly wind flow in response to a deepening area of low pressure will replace the basically dry air mass over the state by Monday. Scattered or even numerous showers and storms can be expected on Monday and Tuesday. Rain chances continue increasing Wednesday and Thursday as a frontal system approaches from the north and west. However, a ridge of high pressure to the south will prevent any frontal passage and therefore cooler, drier air until at least Thursday. Get set for more steamy conditions for the first days of Autumn.
WBRC
FOX6
FIRST ALERT
Meteorologist
Fred Hunter
ON YOUR SIDE

Fred's First Alert For Florence And More Heat To Come

 

The heat goes on across the region as the remnants of Florence remain to our east but as it continues its slow westerly motion a few of the outer rain bands could make it as far as Northeast Alabama but most areas remain dry with highs again approaching 95-degrees and Heat Index Values between 95 and 102!

 

Cloud cover will limit afternoon temperatures in East Alabama to around 88. Florence will lift north and east as the new week begins and allow drier air to circulate across The Southeast. Again, Northeast Alabama could see a stray shower as the storm pulls away but as it does high pressure will build over the region Tuesday and Wednesday with any rain chances limited to the far southeastern counties. Afternoon temperatures will range from 90-95 but with the slightly drier air in place Heat Index Values will be below Heat Advisory levels through mid-week. The ridge of high pressure will continue migrating east Thursday and Friday opening the door for more Gulf moisture and bringing a return of chances for afternoon showers or possibly a thunderstorm. A cold front will slide east out of the Rockies by week's end but the ridge of high pressure will remain strong enough to prevent any frontal passage, keeping conditions hot and humid with the chance for a few showers and thunderstorms in the forecast going into the final hours of Summer next weekend.
WBRC
FOX6
FIRST ALERT
Meteorologist
Fred Hunter
ON YOUR SIDE

Fred's First Alert For Florence Updates

 

 

Although the devastation of Florence will continue to be felt for months the storm continues to weaken as it lifts through the Central Appalachians and into East Tennessee today. The effects on our region will be minimal although there could be a slight increase in rainfall activity as the outermost bands of the storm reach the northeastern corner of the state.

 

By tomorrow the storm will pull away and into the Ohio Valley and continue its motion to the northeast and away from the Southeast. A ridge of high pressure will build strength over the area as the remnant low of what was once Florence moves away Tuesday and Wednesday leaving drier air over Central Alabama. Although temperatures will still approach 95 in some areas each day, the lower dew points will keep us away from Heat Advisory criteria. Then, as the center of high pressure moves east over the Carolinas Wednesday and Thursday we see a return to a more southeasterly wind flow re-introducing moisture into the forecast and increasing rain chances by Thursday afternoon. The high will continue moving east over the Atlantic Coast and our return flow of moisture will continue as will the chance for rain and thunderstorms through the beginning of the weekend. Highs will continue in the 89-91 degree range with overnight lows near 70.
WBRC
FOX6
FIRST ALERT
Meteorologist
Fred Hunter
ON YOUR SIDE

Fred's First Alert For Florence Flooding and Steamy Conditions At Home

Another hot September day underway across Central Alabama as high temperatures climb into the 94-96 degree range with heat index values in West Alabama reaching 100-104 degrees. Conditions will remain generally dry although there could still be a late afternoon shower or thunderstorm in areas to the north and east. Any showers which do spring up will be brief and end after sunset. Overall skies should remain clear overnight with lows in the 7-72 degree range. Florence, now downgraded to a Tropical Storm will continue to weaken as it tracks through the Central Appalachians and into Eastern Tennessee tomorrow. As this happens there may be a few more rain areas to the north and east but even those chances diminish by Monday as Florence lifts toward the Ohio Valley and away from The Southeast. A ridge of high pressure will build across the region in the wake of the storm and even drier air moves over the area with temperatures still in the 90-95 degree range but the drier air will mean lower lower humidity for a time so Heat Advisories are not anticipated. The high pressure will inch toward the Carolinas by mid-week and the circulation around that high will bring a more pronounced southeasterly wind flow which will mean more moisture and a slightly better rain chance for the end of the work-week with the best rain chances returning to East Alabama. This trend toward increased moisture will likely continue into next weekend with the corresponding increase in rain and thunderstorm possibilities. Afternoon temperatures may inch downward slightly toward more seasonably normal levels by next Sunday...the Official Beginning Of Fall.

WBRC
FOX6
FIRST ALERT
Meteorologist
Fred Hunter
ON YOUR SIDE