Warmest weather of 2023 possible this weekend
Meteorological summer doesn’t begin until June 1, but a summertime weather pattern will set up across Alabama this week.
And look for some of the warmest weather of the year over the weekend, when a good part of the state could see highs in the 90-degree range, according to the National Weather Service.
Along with those warmer temperatures will be the summertime tradition of pop-up afternoon rain and storms.
No organized severe weather is expected through the weekend, according to forecasts from NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center.
Highs for the rest of this week will range from the low to upper 80s, with some of the hot spots in south-central Alabama possibly seeing 90-degree readings by Wednesday.
Here’s the temperature forecast for Wednesday:
Temperatures will hang around in that range through Thursday but then head upwards a notch for Friday through the weekend, with Sunday possibly being the warmest day. However, existing record high temperatures for May 14 will take a lot to beat:
Some record highs for May 14 (which will fall on Sunday):
Birmingham: 93 degrees (2018)
Dothan 98 degrees (1998)
Huntsville: 96 degrees (2018)
Mobile: 97 degrees (2018)
Montgomery: 96 degrees (1881)
Muscle Shoals: 94 degrees (2018)
Troy: 94 degrees (1967)
Tuscaloosa: 96 degrees (2018)
Here is the high temperature forecast for Sunday:
The weather service said long-range forecasts hint at a pattern change, possibly by the beginning of next week.
A look farther into the future from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center shows a continuation of warmer weather, then possibly slightly cooler temperatures through the next two weeks.
This is the six- to 10-day forecast (covering May 14-18), which shows a slightly increased probability of above-average temperatures for Alabama except for the northwest corner:
But the eight- to 14-day forecast flips the script and shows a slightly increased probability of below-average temperatures for much of Alabama from May 16-22. The exception to that would be for southeast Alabama, which could have near-average temperatures:
Summer is right around the corner. The first day of meteorological summer is June 1. Astronomical summer arrives on June 21 (that’s also called the longest day of the year).
Meteorological fall begins on Sept. 1, and astronomical fall begins on Sept. 23.