Expect patchy fog to develop overnight along the Gulf Coast; more rain on the way
MOBILE, Alabama — Expect fog to build late tonight and into Thursday before burning off just before sunrise as moist conditions continue along the Gulf Coast. However, this fog shouldn't be as dense as it was on Tuesday night.
MOBILE, Alabama — Expect fog to build late tonight and into Thursday before burning off just before sunrise as moist conditions continue along the Gulf Coast. However, this fog shouldn’t be as dense as it was on Tuesday night.
A cold front will begin to advance toward the area late Thursday afternoon and Thursday evening in response to the upper low over the Baja. Expect the front to move into northwest Mississippi by 6 p.m. Thursday and approach the Gulf Coast around 6 a.m. Friday.
Severe showers, damaging winds and tornadoes are possible as the front moves across the forecast area late Thursday and into Friday.
Expect lows tonight in the lower 60s along the coast and upper 50s for inland areas. Highs Thursday should be in the mid 70s for most of the forecast area.
Man leaves teeth marks on Santa Rosa County sheriff’s car; other Gulf Coast region news
A Santa Rosa County, Florida, man is facing charges for sinking his teeth into a deputy’s patrol car and biting through the paint; other Gulf Coast region news.
View full sizeA Santa Rosa County, Florida, man is facing charges for sinking his teeth into a deputyâs patrol car and biting through the paint. (Photo courtesy NorthEscambia.com)A Santa Rosa County, Florida, man is facing charges for sinking his teeth into a deputy’s patrol car and biting through the paint, NorthEscambia.com reports.
Santa Rosa sheriffs responded to a call after residents said a white male with a flashlight was knocking on doors and asking residents to call 911 because he needed medical attention.
Eric Stephen Scott, 47, became agitated when deputies arrived, cursing them and asking them to kill him. After deputies detained him, he began to bite the car, dragging his teeth and stripping the paint down to the bare metal in multiple locations.
He was transported to an area hospital for evaluation. Damage to the police cruiser was estimated at $600.
In other Gulf Coast region news:
Police make arrest in meth lab explosion: Panama City Beach Police announced the arrest of a man they suspect was attempting to cook methamphetamine and started a fire Monday at the Lake Town Wharf condominiums, the Panama City News Herald reports. The fire caused thousands of dollars in damages to the building and caused severe burns to 44-year-old Jeffery Ackiss, who was arrested Tuesday at the home of an acquaintance. He is charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, arson of an occupied dwelling and possession of methamphetamine.
Parent accuses coach of videotaping students in locker room: North Bay Haven Charter Academy coach Duane Geradine has been suspended pending the results of an investigation into allegations that he might have used a cell phone to film boys in the locker room, the Panama City News Herald reports. A parent complained last week that she believed her son had been filmed changing clothes in the locker room at the Panama City, Florida, school. Geradine has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of investigations by the Panama City Police Department and the Department of Children and Families.
Man leaves teeth marks on Santa Rosa County sheriff’s car; other Gulf Coast region news
A Santa Rosa County, Florida, man is facing charges for sinking his teeth into a deputy’s patrol car and biting through the paint; other Gulf Coast region news.
View full sizeA Santa Rosa County, Florida, man is facing charges for sinking his teeth into a deputyâs patrol car and biting through the paint. (Photo courtesy NorthEscambia.com)A Santa Rosa County, Florida, man is facing charges for sinking his teeth into a deputy’s patrol car and biting through the paint, NorthEscambia.com reports.
Santa Rosa sheriffs responded to a call after residents said a white male with a flashlight was knocking on doors and asking residents to call 911 because he needed medical attention.
Eric Stephen Scott, 47, became agitated when deputies arrived, cursing them and asking them to kill him. After deputies detained him, he began to bite the car, dragging his teeth and stripping the paint down to the bare metal in multiple locations.
He was transported to an area hospital for evaluation. Damage to the police cruiser was estimated at $600.
In other Gulf Coast region news:
Police make arrest in meth lab explosion: Panama City Beach Police announced the arrest of a man they suspect was attempting to cook methamphetamine and started a fire Monday at the Lake Town Wharf condominiums, the Panama City News Herald reports. The fire caused thousands of dollars in damages to the building and caused severe burns to 44-year-old Jeffery Ackiss, who was arrested Tuesday at the home of an acquaintance. He is charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, arson of an occupied dwelling and possession of methamphetamine.
Parent accuses coach of videotaping students in locker room: North Bay Haven Charter Academy coach Duane Geradine has been suspended pending the results of an investigation into allegations that he might have used a cell phone to film boys in the locker room, the Panama City News Herald reports. A parent complained last week that she believed her son had been filmed changing clothes in the locker room at the Panama City, Florida, school. Geradine has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of investigations by the Panama City Police Department and the Department of Children and Families.
Small rain chances, with more rain on the way (Tomorrow’s forecast by WKRG’s Alan Sealls)
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, 20 to 30 percent chance of showers. Highs in the upper 60s to low 70s. Lows in the mid-50s to low 60s.
View full sizePress-Register weather map for Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012.Today’s high was 71. The record for Feb. 21 is 79, recorded in 2005.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, 20 to 30 percent chance of showers. Highs in the upper 60s to low 70s. Lows in the mid-50s to low 60s.
Tomorrow’s weather column by WKRG’s Alan Sealls:
Damp clouds
There’s nothing too dramatic in the weather but we do have more clouds today and a small rain chance. This afternoon expect only a 20% chance of showers, especially nearer to the coast. Most of us won’t get wet. Highs will reach the lower 70s. Daytime temperatures will continue in that range for the next two days. The next couple of nights have us in the upper 50s. That’s ten degrees above typical but we’re so used to it this season that it won’t seem out of place.
Rain chances increase late tomorrow to 40%. The next weather system heading in Tomorrow night will shake up the atmosphere enough to bring rain and thunderstorms into Friday. Heavier rain will likely be north of our area but as the whole thing slides south we’ll get at least a 50% rain chance Friday.
The weekend offers a positive change if you don’t want rain. Highs Saturday and Sunday settle in the middle 60s. Lows for the weekend dip into the lower 40s. Both of those are typical for late February. Weekend weather is looking calm and bright although clouds may increase on Sunday.
Look for seasonable temperatures and partly cloudy skies on Gulf Coast for Fat Tuesday
MOBILE, Alabama — A vigorous system over the central plains will pass through the northeast on Tuesday and bring a weak trailing front into the southeast.
MOBILE, Alabama – A vigorous system over the central plains will pass through the northeast on Tuesday and bring a weak trailing front into the southeast.
Look for clouds increasing overnight and into Tuesday, but this system is too weak to support measurable precipitation so there’s no need to break out the umbrella for Fat Tuesday.
An upper low over the Baja area should advance across northern Mexico through Thursday which should bring more rain to the area.
Daytime highs on Tuesday and Wednesday will be mild and in the low 70s and into the mid 70s on Thursday. Overnight lows will be near seasonable tonight, then warm on Tuesday.
‘Shake and bake’ meth lab causes Panama City condo fire; other Gulf Coast region news
Panama City authorities are investigating a “shake and bake” meth lab that resulted in a fire at an area condominium; other Gulf Coast region news.
View full sizeFILE – Meth-making supplies seized during another arrest are shown. Meth makers using a similar setup started a fire in a Panama City condominium on Monday.
Panama City authorities are investigating a “shake and bake” meth lab that resulted in a fire at an area condominium, the Panama City News Herald reports.
The fire set off the sprinkler system and caused several thousand dollars in damage, officials said. Investigators found several chemicals associated with the production of meth and “finished methamphetamine product.
“Shake and bake” Meth makers place all the ingredients into a small plastic container and shake them. The flammable mixture then creates meth but also sometimes blows up.
In other Gulf Coast region news:
Victim of Pensacola shooting identified: Christopher Boyer White has been identified as the victim of a Saturday night shooting in Pensacola, the Pensacola News Journal reports. White was shot outside an apartment complex and died at the scene. No witnesses have come forward with any information about the crime.
Americans, even middle class, increasingly dependent on government aid
The New York Times earlier this month reported that increasing numbers of people — even in the middle class — are becoming dependent on government assistance.
The New York Times earlier this month reported that increasing numbers of people — even in the middle class — are becoming dependent on government assistance.
The Times says states that most reliably vote Republican — such as Alabama and Mississippi — also generally are most dependent on government programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and unemployment insurance.
In 1969, entitlement programs provided 8 percent of Americans’ incomes; by 2009, that percentage had grown to 18 percent. The percentage of income coming from government entitlement programs exceeded the national average in the coastal counties in Mississippi and Alabama — even relatively affluent Baldwin County.
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Read the full story from The New York Times. (NYTimes.com lets readers view 20 articles each month at no charge.)
Warming trend on the way (Tomorrow’s forecast by WKRG’s Jonathan Owens)
Monday: Sunny. Highs in the low to mid-60s. Lows in the upper 40s to low 50s. Chance of rain 10 percent or less.
View full sizePress-Register weather map for Monday, Feb. 20, 2012.
Today’s high was 60. The record for Feb. 19 is 80, recorded in 2011.
Monday: Sunny. Highs in the low to mid-60s. Lows in the upper 40s to low 50s. Chance of rain 10 percent or less.
Tomorrow’s weather column by WKRG’s Jonathan Owens:
After a clearing and cold night with lows in the upper 30s, we’ll enjoy a warming trend this week. Highs will be near 70 degrees again in almost no time. Ample sunshine is on tap for Monday here on the Gulf Coast, with highs hitting the 60 degree mark.
Mardi Gras will be cloudier but warmer. Highs will hit the 70 degree mark on Fat Tuesday. There is a slight chance for a passing shower, so take along some rain gear to the parades just in case. The chance of rain climbs to 60% for Wednesday as another storm system approaches the region.
Temperatures stay warm for most of the week, but some chilly mornings will be in store for us by the weekend as we get an impulse of cool air moving through the region. Morning lows in the upper 30s to low 40s will be common by Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Skies to clear for Joe Cain (Tomorrow’s forecast by WKRG’s Jonathan Owens)
Sunday: Partly cloudy and windy. Highs in the mid-60s. Lows in the low 40s. Chance of rain 10 percent.
View full sizePress-Register weather map for Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012.
Today’s high was 68. The record for Feb. 18 is 80, recorded in 2000.
The National Weather Service recorded 2.90 inches of rainfall at Mobile Regional Airport today, ending 5 p.m.
Sunday: Partly cloudy and windy. Highs in the mid-60s. Lows in the low 40s. Chance of rain 10 percent.
Tomorrow’s weather forecast by WKRG’s Jonathan Owens:
After an ugly Saturday, Sunday is looking somewhat better for the Gulf Coast. Clouds should be decreasing, but winds will be increasing throughout the day. We expect gusty northwest winds to be blowing around 15-25 miles per hour most of the day.
Temperatures will remain in the upper 50s to low 60s most of the afternoon.
As winds die down some tonight, temperatures will fall and we’re expecting lows to be in the upper 30s by Monday morning. So you’ll need a jacket or sweater as you head out early Monday.
After a few days of quiet weather, another storm system will be approaching around the middle of the week. It will bring us a good chance of showers. For Mardi Gras, there’s a 20% chance of rain, but that chance increases to 40% and could go higher for Wednesday. Temperatures are expected to rebound with highs in around 70 degrees much of next week.
Heavy rainfall, possibly severe storms forecast for Mississippi, Alabama coasts
Heavy rainfall and possibly severe storms are in the forecast for the Mississippi and Alabama coasts today, forcing a restructuring of weekend Mardi Gras plans.
View full sizeThis satellite image from the National Weather Service Saturday morning, Feb. 18, 2012, shows a weather system expected to bring heavy rainfall and the threat of severe storms to the Mississippi and Alabama coasts.
MOBILE, Alabama — Heavy rainfall and possibly severe storms are in the forecast for the Mississippi and Alabama coasts today, forcing a restructuring of weekend Mardi Gras plans.
On tap for today is a 100 percent chance of heavy rain, with a 100 percent chance of precipitation tonight including the threat of severe thunderstorms.
A National Weather Service severe weather outlook for today and tonight indicates a deepening surface low over the western Gulf was to move into central Alabama by early this morning. This forecast track of the low center continues to result in a risk of severe weather across the region. Instability will likely remain offshore this afternoon as the warm front struggles to move inland due to heavy rainfall expected north of the boundary.
This will greatly limit the severe weather threat through the afternoon, the advisory states, but the severe weather threat will increase early this evening across southeast Mississippi and southwest Alabama as the warm front begins to move further north and a squall line develops ahead of the surface low and its cold front.
The threat will push further east into the northwest Florida panhandle and south central Alabama by late evening into the early morning hours, with the threat ending by 3 am Sunday, the advisory states.
The primary threat with the squall line will be damaging wind gusts, although an isolated tornado will also be possible. The greatest severe weather risk will be roughly along and south and east of a Wiggins, Mississippi to Atmore, Alabama to Greeneville, Alabama line.
The weather service says this storm system is expected to produce rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches across the north central Gulf Coast, with locally higher totals possible especially between the Interstate 10 and Highway 84 Corridors.
The advisory also states that, given the heavy rain experienced Wednesday night, this additional heavy rain will increase the likelihood of localized flooding, especially in urban and low-lying areas. As a result a flood watch has been issued for the entire forecast area from this morning through early Sunday morning.
Windy conditions will develop along the coast tonight as the warm front moves inland, the advisory states. A wind advisory is in effect from late this afternoon through tonight.