Goodbye spring? Highs in the 90s coming next week
Alabama has enjoyed mild temperatures for much of April and now the beginning of May. But that summertime heat will begin to work back into the forecast next week, when 90-degree temperatures will be possible in parts of the state.
Meteorological summer doesn’t officially begin until June, but Alabama typically gets those summer temperatures in May, and that will be the case next week.
Today it will continue to feel like spring. The National Weather Service is forecasting highs to reach the low 70s in north Alabama, the mid- to upper 70s in central Alabama and the low 80s in south Alabama. Today’s high temperature forecast is shown at the top of this post.
These temperatures are on the cooler side of seasonable, according to the weather service. Here’s a look at typical highs for this time in May:
North Alabama: upper 70s to low 80s
Central Alabama: low to mid-80s
South Alabama: low to mid-80s
But look for a gradual increase in heat — and humidity — over the next few days as warmer air is brought in from the south and west.
High temperatures are expected to increase by a degree or two each day through the weekend and into next week. Look for Wednesday to be the hottest day of the seven-day forecast (NWS forecasts only go out seven days), with a decent part of the state expected to see highs in the 90s.
Here’s the forecast for next Wednesday, May 10:
The warmup coincides with the forecast from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, which shows a good chance for above-average temperatures for Alabama over the next two weeks.
Here is the six- to 10-day temperature outlook, which runs from May 9-13. It shows a 50 to 60 percent chance of above-average temperatures for all of Alabama:
The eight- to 14-day outlook shows another increased probability for warmer temperatures, but the probabilities aren’t quite as high, this time only 33 to 40 percent:
The good news is that no severe weather is in the forecast for Alabama through at least the next week, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
However, there will be increasing chances for rain starting on Friday and then on and off through next week.