A Wet Night In Pickens County

Most parts of central Alabama enjoyed very comfortable weather Friday with clouds and a bit of sunshine.  However there were some showers over the west part of the state, and showers are ongoing in parts of Lamar, Fayette, Pickens and Tuscaloosa counties.  The rain is being caused by a wave in the upper atmosphere.  Now this system is pushing eastward, and if that were the only factor to consider in the forecast, we would be talking about some showers most areas Saturday.  But it is not the only factor.  Indeed the weather never comes down to just 1 factor.  So we are also looking at a strong high pressure area over the northeastern states.  That is sending much drier air southward toward the southern Applachians, and we are watching dewpoints drop tonight across Georgia, and that drier air is now arriving from the east in Alabama.  That will mean a couple of things.  For one, the lower dewpoints will mean a cool feel to the air overnight and into Saturday.  It will generally feel a little cooler than the air temperature would indicate.  Secondly, that low-level dry air will make it difficult for any rain to reach the ground, especially over the eastern two-thirds of the area.  So we are still only going to mention the chance of a couple of stray showers this weekend, especially over the western counties.
Have a GREAT weekend!