Muggy weather stirs up scattered storms around Alabama for the rest of the week

A slight drop in humidity made it a little more tolerable Tuesday, but thick humidity is back and so are some scattered showers and storms on Wednesday. Check the video forecast for the latest.STICKY, HUMID AIR SURGING AGAINTemperatures dropped as low as the upper 50s in North Alabama this morning, and it even got below 70°F in Birmingham for the first time in almost two weeks.Much more humid air sloshes northeast from Mississippi into Alabama overnight into Wednesday, and that makes it feel stickier again as well as brings back the unevenly scattered, hit-or-miss daily downpours.Wednesday looks hot; however, a disturbance west of Alabama sends shadow-casting clouds over the state throughout the day, and that should keep us close to the ‘normal’ high around 90-92 degrees (with some spots struggling to get out of the 80s under the denser overcast).The best chance of scattered storms exists west of Interstate 65, but a brief shower or storm could stray east of the Birmingham area toward East Alabama by late afternoon and early evening.FEELING LIKE THE 100sHotter air blowing in from the west combined with much higher humidity brings us back to an ‘apparent temperature’ in the 100s from Thursday through the weekend.What is an ‘apparent temperature?’ It’s the heat index: “The heat index, also known as the apparent temperature, is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature. This has important considerations for the human body's comfort. When the body gets too hot, it begins to perspire or sweat to cool itself off.” In other words, it’s not just how it feels; it’s how your body reacts to its inability to cool itself in a natural way, and that stresses your body.This heat does not climb to the dangerous levels of two weeks ago, but the effects can sneak up on you before you know it.Expect highs in the 90s, a heat index around 100°F to 105°F, and a chance of some daily showers and storms through the weekend.A heat index in that range can lead to heat cramps or heat exhaustion. Heat stroke is possible with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity.HOW MUCH RAIN?North and Central Alabama average around one inch of rain per week in July. Sometimes it comes in an hour, sometimes it comes through several small showers spaced over a week, and sometimes you get a month’s worth of rain in a single week.That is the nature of scattered storms in the South this time of year, and we get that same uneven (maybe even unfair) rainfall pattern again through the end of this week.A few spots may get more than five inches of rain; a few may come up short of one inch, but most of us will be somewhere in the middle with a reasonable amount of total rainfall (around 1-2”) through the first part of next week.The question that cannot be answered is then exact when and where it happens. Be flexible with your plans; this is just more of the same pattern we have dealt with all summer so far.WEATHER RUMORSHave you heard about the Saharan sandstorm supposedly coming to Alabama? Or maybe you have seen a scary YouTube video about the ‘death ridge’ next week? How about the Gulf of Mexico water temperatures being way above average?None of these pose any sort of immediate threat for Alabama, Florida or the Gulf Coast region.The Saharan ‘dust storm’ (Saharan Air Layer) is something that we see influencing the weather over the tropical Atlantic and the southeastern United States every summer. It tends to make it hazy and suppress afternoon storms: that’s about all.The ‘death ridge’ is not a sure bet. A ridge is a weather feature that tends to make it hot and dry at the surface by shoving the jet stream to the north and promoting an over-all sinking motion in the atmosphere below it. It gets hot and dry, but it does not equal ‘death’ for anything other than rain chances. That may be something that has more influence on us toward the middle of next week, but even then, it is not in position to bring record heat or sudden drought.And lastly, the Gulf. Yes, it’s warm. Yes, that can be a very bad thing IF a hurricane is involved. It is also negative for coral reefs. This is something to note if and when any tropical development gets close to the Gulf region; for now, it’s just something notable that folks are talking about.CLICK TO SEE THE 7-DAY FORECASTSTAY WEATHER AWAREGet the free WVTM 13 app and turn on the alerts for the latest weather updates in your neighborhood.For the latest Birmingham weather information and central Alabama's certified most accurate forecast, watch WVTM 13 News.Current Weather ConditionsHourly Forecast | 10-Day ForecastInteractive RadarBirmingham SkycamsLive Doppler RadarSign Up For Email Weather AlertsDownload the WVTM 13 AppDon't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.