MS News Now, First Alert Weather Blog

Comfortable Autumn Feel

FINALLY FRIDAY FORECAST: As you step out the door, you'll notice a slight change in humidity that will gradually turn drier through the day. Expect mainly sunny skies with highs topping out near normal – in the lower and middle 80s. The dry weather will bode well for Friday night football around the region; by the 4th quarter, we'll be dropping into the 60s, eventually bottoming out in the upper 50s and lower 60s 
 
WEEKEND THOUGHTS: High pressure will hold firm over the region for Saturday and most of Sunday, bringing bright sunshine with highs in the middle 80s and tolerable humidity levels. By Sunday afternoon, as the high pressure ridge pulls farther east, a few showers can't be ruled out but the chances look to stay low.  
 
NEXT WEEK: A weak backdoor front will slip through the area on Monday, bringing a slightly better chance for rain, mainly along and south of I-20. Don't expect much change through the week ahead with clouds mixing with sunshine at times; highs generally in the middle 80s; overnights in the middle and upper 60s.  
 
Patrick Ellis 
WLBT/FOX 40 First Alert Meteorologist 
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @PatrickEllisWx

Turning Cooler

A cold front is delivering some cooler, less humid air for the weekend. The cold front is located in South Mississippi; cooler air will slowly arrive tonight into Friday. Highs drop to the low and middle 80s for the weekend, which is near average for this time of year. Also, the lower humidity and refreshing north breeze will go a long way to making it feel pleasant. Otherwise, mostly clear and dry through Saturday followed by a slight chance for a brief shower on Sunday.

In the tropics, Maria is Maria is still a tropical storm, moving east away from the U.S. Father in the Atlantic, Hurricane Lee is a Category 2, but is no threat to land.  

Be sure to join us this evening and tonight on WLBT for the latest updates! You can also find me on social media: Facebook and Twitter

Michael Haynes

Hot Until Friday

Hot and humid this afternoon; highs reach the upper 80s, along with the possibility for a few passing showers or storms. Warming to the upper 80s to near 90 Wednesday and Thursday, then finally turning a bit cooler Friday into the weekend! highs drop to the low and middle 80s; not a significant cool down, but due to the lower humidity it will certainly feel better than the steamy conditions we're dealing with now.

Hurricane Maria continues to weaken, and will soon become a tropical storm, impacting the Outer Banks of North Carolina with dangerous surf, gusty wind, and some storm surge. Maria will turn east Wednesday, quickly moving away from the U.S. Hurricane Lee is located in the Atlantic, but is no threat to the U.S. 

Be sure to join us this evening and tonight on WLBT for the latest updates! You can also find me on social media: Facebook and Twitter

Michael Haynes

Cooler Later This Week

More heat today, but changes are on the way... Once again, hot and humid this afternoon with temperatures in the upper 80s. A few passing showers or storms are possible, but nothing widespread. No real change through Wednesday; expect hot days and muggy nights along with a few isolated afternoon storms. A cold front arrives Thursday night, delivering a shot of pleasant air for the weekend! Highs dip into the low and middle 80s Friday and Saturday along with low humidity and a refreshing north breeze. 

Hurricane Maria is now at category 1 intensity located between South Carolina and Bermuda; it will weaken to a tropical storm by midweek. Maria will likely remain east of the U.S. coast , but will create some rough surf, minor storm surge, and gusty wind along the North Carolina Coast, especially Tuesday night into Wednesday.

Be sure to join us this evening and tonight on WLBT for the latest updates! You can also find me on social media: Facebook and Twitter

Michael Haynes

Sunday Steam

Another hot steamy day... Fall is officially here, but still feeling like Summer today with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s with high humidity and a few passing storms. The heat continues through midweek, then finally some cooler air arrives for the second half of this week, bringing pleasant weather Friday into the weekend. Highs dip into the upper 70s to low 80s Friday and Saturday.

Hurricane Maria is a Category 2 storm located northeast of the Bahamas; it will track north then northeast. While we aren't expecting a landfall on the East Coast, Maria will certainly create dangerous rip currents and potentially some storm surge this week. Hurricane Lee is located farther out in the Atlantic, but is no threat to land. 

Michael Haynes

Summer Heat, Humidity Continue into Fall

THURSDAY: A mix of sun and clouds through the day with a few pop-up storms through the latter half of the day. Highs will top out in the lower 90s, but with the combination of humidity, it’ll feel closer to 100°. Tonight, expect partly clear skies with lows in the lower 70s. Another round of patchy fog can’t be ruled out.


  
 
FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: The pattern will remain stagnant locally for the latter half of the week – with muggy air and summer-time heat, even as we head into the first weekend of Autumn. Expect highs around 90°, give or take a degree or two; overnights near 70° with a daily chance for widely scattered showers and storms. 
 
NEXT WEEK:  Don’t expect much in the way of change through the next several days, including into next week. Expect partly sunny skies with a chance for a few splash and dash showers and storms amid temperatures running close to the 90° mark.  
 
TROPICS: The tropics remain active as well begin to move through the back half of the Atlantic hurricane season; Tropical Storm Jose continues to bring impacts of rain, wind and surf for New England through mid-week – Hurricane Maria continues northward toward the Turks and Caicos. In the extended range, we’ll be watching the interaction between Jose and Maria by next week and how it may impact potential impacts along the eastern seaboard.  
 
Patrick Ellis 
WLBT/FOX 40 First Alert Meteorologist 
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @PatrickEllisWx

Maria Strengthening; More Heat in Mississippi

More heat this afternoon with temperatures in the lower 90s and heat indices near 100. Otherwise, a mix of sun and clouds along with a few hit and miss storms; any storm that develops will be capable of producing downpours and frequent lightning.

No significant changes through the weekend; highs reach the low to middle 90s, morning lows near 70, along with isolated to scattered storms each afternoon.

In the Caribbean, Maria is an extremely powerful Category 5 hurricane and will make landfall in Puerto Rico early Wednesday. We still expect Maria to turn north and move close to the Bahamas, then curving away from the U.S, which means no major problems for the East Coast and certainly no impacts in the Gulf.

Hurricane Jose is creating dangerous rip currents for the East and NE United States; otherwise, it will weaken and remain off the coast. 

Be sure to join us this evening and tonight on WLBT for the latest updates! You can also find me on social media: Facebook and Twitter

Michael Haynes

Summer Pattern; 3 Tropical Systems

Hot and steamy Summer weather continues... A mix of sun and clouds this afternoon along with a few hit and miss showers/storms and highs in the lower 90s. No real change in this pattern through the weekend. Expect hot days and warm, muggy nights. Showers and storms will be isolated to scattered on a daily basis.

In the tropics, we are tracking three different systems.

Hurricane Maria is approaching the Leeward Islands and the Caribbean; as of noon it is a Category 3 and will likely become a Category 4 later today or tonight. Maria will pass near or over Puerto Rico Tuesday night or early Wednesday, then turn north before reaching the U.S. Keep in mind, this forecast can change, but as of now we are not expecting any significant impacts for Florida or the Gulf of Mexico. Jose is a Category 1 hurricane located between Bermuda and the coast of North Carolina. Jose will track northeast and weaken throughout the week, but will create dangerous rip currents along the East Coast. Also, there is a potential for tropical storm conditions along the New England Coast by the second half of this week. Tropical Depression Lee is located in the Atlantic, but is no threat to land as of now. 

Be sure to join us this evening and tonight on WLBT for the latest updates! You can also find me on social media: Facebook and Twitter

Michael Haynes

 

Hot; Watching the Tropics

Typical Summer weather continues in Mississippi as the tropics remain active... Another hot September day ahead across the state with afternoon temperatures in the low 90s along with high humidity. A few isolated showers or storms are possible, but nothing widespread. Rain chances increase by midweek, but even then we're talking hit and miss showers/storms. Otherwise, the hot, steamy pattern rolls along well into next week and the weekend.

In the tropics, we have Hurricane Jose, Tropical Storm Maria, and Tropical Storm Lee. Jose is located west of Bermuda and will continue moving north, causing dangerous rip currents along the East Coast this week. Maria is expected to strengthen and will track into the Caribbean Tuesday into the second half of this week, potentially as a major hurricane. At this point, it is simply too early to determine whether Maria will reach the U.S, but something we'll monitor closely over the next week. Tropical Storm Lee will likely turn north well before reaching the U.S.

Michael Haynes

Summer Heat and Humidity Return

TONIGHT: Expect mostly to partly clear skies - lows will drop to the middle 60s with patchy zones of fog possible by early Friday morning. 
 
FRIDAY: A nice, seasonable way to round of the work week – expect mostly to partly sunny skies with highs in the upper 80s. We'll mention a few afternoon pop-up storms, but many will likely stay dry. Any storms will fall apart by Friday evening – as lows drop to near 70. 


 
WEEKEND THOUGHTS: Expect above normal temperatures with highs in the lower 90s amid a partly sunny sky both days – and both days will feature the chance for a few scattered showers or storms but a weekend washout is unlikely.  
 
NEXT WEEK: Our weather, in general, will look more like August than mid-September – temperatures running above normal in the lower 90s; amid partly sunny skies and a daily chance for a few showers and storms. Humidity levels will run above normal these days, pushing heat indices to near 100°. 
 
Patrick Ellis 
WLBT/FOX 40 First Alert Meteorologist 
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @PatrickEllisWx