Friday, July 29, 2005

River City Rumble...

* I had a GREAT time out at the river in Demopolis this afternoon. We did the newscasts live from Demopolis at 5:00 and 6:00. Weather at 6:00 was done from a boat owned by Gene Guy, a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary's Flotilla 8-10. I'm not sure if that was the first maritime weather broadcast in this television market - but I sure had a great time.

* In talking with the members of the Coast Guard on the boat (both active and auxiliary), I have come to appreciate just how much these people do for us. They clean, police, and protect area lakes and rivers - including keeping the waterways clean and safe for this weekend's racers. If you are interested in joining the Coast Guard Auxiliary and making a difference in the world around you, contact Gene Guy at the following phone number: (334) 419 6470. You do NOT have to have a boat to help out!

* Heading home to east Alabama to visit with my family. Have a great weekend, and spend some time with those close to you!

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Rain and Storms

* We saw quite a bit of rain in some areas today. Meridian's Key Field picked up close to one inch of rain. Doppler Radar estimated that over four inches of rain fell in parts of west Alabama.

* Quite a lightning show today and tonight. The lightning continues now, as storms track across parts of east Mississippi, mainly along the Highway 14 corridor.

* The tropics will bear close watching. There are two waves in the Atlantic, and both of these have the potential of developing into a tropical depression in the next few days. In fact, the Hurricane Hunters will be flying a recon mission into one of these areas tomorrow.

We are also concerned about the possibility of some quick development in the Gulf of Mexico early next week. A front will stall out along the coast as a broad area of low pressure. If conditions are just right, this broad area of low pressure could congeal into a tropical system. We'll monitor it closely...

* We'll be LIVE in Demopolis tomorrow as part of "Our Town"; be sure to come by and say hello! We will be doing the Live at Five and Newscenter 11 at 6 broadcasts live in Demopolis...Hope to see you there!

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Typically Hot Weather

* It has been interesting to see the media machine hyping up the HEAT WAVE. While our neighbors in western states have certainly been in a heat wave, we have seen temperatures only a few degrees above normal. That doesn't mean that our weather is cool - it simply means that it's Mississippi and Alabama and the calendar says July. It's supposed to be hot!

* We will get some relief from the heat in the next few days. A front is slicing through the Plains, and will bring cooler temperatures to much of the Plains and Ohio Valley. The front will likely not make it far enough south to get those cooler temperatures here. However, we will likely see an increase in showers and storms, which will serve to knock a few degrees off of our afternoon temperatures.

* TROPICS...Watching a few tropical waves journeying through the Atlantic Ocean. There are signs that both of these waves may develop a bit. 2005 Hurricane Season is certainly off to an active start! Hurricane season typically peaks in early September, so we still have a long way to go.

Sunday, July 24, 2005

Another Hot Day

Well today was hot...but actually things were a few degrees cooler than they could have been. This in part to the very high dewpoints in place. The general rule is that when the dewpoint is very high, the temperature stays just a few degrees cooler and that was the case today. Tomorrow, however, should be a little different. Slightly drier air will be in place and that will allow our temperature to rise a few more degrees, topping out in the upper 90s. We won't notice this change however because the end result, the heat index, will still feel the same topping out 105 to 115 degrees. A heat advisory is still in effect until 7pm Monday evening.

A few areas could see relief tomorrow as an isolated thunderstorm is possible. If you find yourself under a thunderstorm, consider yourself lucky. Temperatures will remain warm through the first part of the week, but we could "cool" down back into the lower 90s with better rain chances coming Thursday and Friday.

TS Gert

TD Seven has been upgraded to Tropical Storm Gert, the seventh named storm of the season. Gert has winds of 40 mph and is moving west through the Bay of Campeche. Although not a very strong and impressive storm, it will be a nuisance for folks trying to clean up in Mexico after Emily made its way through earlier this week. Check out Newscenter 11 at 10:00 pm Sunday for more details on the landfall of Gert.

Once again...be prepared for the heat and take it easy as heat exhaustion can come on with little warning. Alcoholic beverages should be minimized as alcohol enhances the threat of heat related illnesses 15 times. Enjoy your weekend and stay cool!

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