Tuesday: After a few morning showers end over Central Alabama, rain chances look to be limited northwest of I-59 this afternoon, with more spots than not missing out on rain. A few stronger storms can’t be ruled out over Northwest Alabama today. It stays warm, with highs in the upper 80s and low 90s.

Looking Ahead:

Weather Aware Wednesday Through Friday

Heavy Rain, Flash Flooding, and Gusty Winds Possible

Moisture continues to increase this week as an approaching cold front from the northwest moves in by midweek. Due to increasing cloud cover, temperatures slowly fall back to the middle 80s by Wednesday. This front will provide enough lift to spark several showers and perhaps a few storms starting on Tuesday night and Wednesday. Rain chances will continue into Thursday as the front begins to stall and influence from what will become Helene increases rain chances.

This is when our weather turns more interesting as a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico starts to gather more energy and strengthen through the week as it nears the US. Confidence is high that we will have rain lingering into Thursday, however if the tropical disturbance drifts more northwest near central Alabama once heading inland, some of us could be dealing with plenty of rain/wind into Friday too.

For now, we think the heaviest rain falls Wednesday and Thursday, which will prompt a flooding threat.

The heaviest rain should move out by Friday morning, leaving us much drier for the afternoon. Winds could be gusty at times Thursday and Friday from 30-40 mph at times, especially along and east of I-65.

So, the wind threat will continue even as the heaviest rain ends by Friday morning.

This forecast will continue to be fine-tuned as additional data comes in. Stay tuned to CBS-42 for all of your tropical forecasts.

Tracking the Tropics: Potential Tropical Cyclone 9 has formed in the Northwest Caribbean , and is expected to strengthen into a hurricane by Wednesday as it moves north into the Gulf. Landfall is expected somewhere near the Big Bend Region of Florida with impacts possible from around Pensacola to Tampa Bay. People with interests along the central and eastern Gulf Coast from now to Friday should pay close attention to this storm.

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