Tracking the Tropics: Tropical Depression Two expected to be Arlene on Friday

FIRST, THIS IS 13 WEATHER. WELL, HERE IS TROPICAL DEPRESSION NUMBER TWO HERE AT 10:19 P.M. WE’VE GOT THE THUNDERSTORMS THAT ARE ON THE NORTHEASTERN SIDE OF IT, WHICH IS PRETTY TYPICAL. BUT THERE ARE NO THUNDERSTORMS NEAR OR SOUTH OR WEST OF THE CENTER AT THIS POINT. AND THAT IS ONE REASON THAT WE DON’T EXPECT ANY RAPID STRENGTHENING WITH THIS, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A PRETTY GOOD CHANCE IT COULD BRIEFLY BECOME TROPICAL STORM ARLENE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS IT SLOWLY DRIFTS DOWN TOWARD THE SOUTH. AND YOU NOTICE THAT’S A WAY, OBVIOUSLY, FROM THE ALABAMA AND FLORIDA GULF COAST. HOWEVER, THERE’S STILL SOME FAIRLY HIGH RIP CURRENTS FROM PANAMA CITY OVER TOWARD GULF SHORES, ORANGE BEACH, THAT WILL BE THE CASE RIGHT ON THE UNTIL TOMORROW AFTERNOON, TOMORROW EVENING, WHEN THE WIND SHIFTS MORE TOWARD THE NORTH AND THINGS START TO SETTLE DOWN THERE. WELL, HERE’S THE ENHANCED SATELLITE VIEW. AND WE’VE TAKEN SOME OF THE COLORS OFF SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE SWIRL OF WHAT WE WOULD CALL A NAKED CIRCULATION. THERE’S JUST NO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER IT WHATSOEVER FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT. YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE THE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE CENTER OF IT, AND IT’S JUST NOT HAPPENING FOR TONIGHT. SO THERE IS A CHANCE THAT IT BRIEFLY BECOMES ARLENE EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. AND THEN IT DEGENERATES BACK DOWN TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION OR JUST A STANDARD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE AS IT WORKS SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO. SO THAT’S A GOOD NEWS FOR THE BEACH. THIS WEEKEND. PARTLY CLOUDY SKY DOWN ALONG THE ALABAMA NORTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST ON FRIDAY. THE RIP CURRENT RISK IS MODERATE. SO I EXPECT THE FLAGS TO GO BACK TO YELLOW. THEY’VE BEEN AT RED TODAY AND ON THE ALABAMA GULF COAST. THAT’S USUALLY WHERE THEY STAY, RIGHT AROUND THAT YELLOW. THEY RARELY EVER USE THE GREEN FLAG BECAUSE THERE’S ALWAYS SOME KIND OF DANGER OUT THERE. NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON WHAT’S GOING ON OUT IN THE OCEAN, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF THOSE BIG WAVES IN THE RIP CURRENTS BEING A POSSIBILITY RIGHT NOW. NO RAIN, NO STORMS AROUND JEFFERSON COUNTY OR SHELBY COUNTY TOMORROW. IT’S NOT GOING TO LOOK EXACTLY LIKE IT DID TODAY. THERE’S A LITTLE BIT BETTER CHANCE OF SOME BRIEF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TOMORROW AFTERNOON, HUMID IN THE MORNING AROUND 68 INTO THE UPPER 80S. TOMORROW AFTERNOON. AND WE THINK THE BEST CHANCE OF A STORM WOULD BE NEAR OR JUST WEST OF INTERSTATE 65. SOME OF THEM LOCALLY HEAVY, BUT RELATIVELY SMALL AND COMPACT. 8:00 IN THE EVENING, STILL A FEW OF THOSE ONGOING BIRMINGHAM’S HIGH AT 89 TOMORROW, AN ISOLATED STORM IS POSSIBLE, A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A STORM OR TWO ON SATURDAY. AND THEN ON SUNDAY, A BETTER CHANCE OF SCATTERED STORMS. THOSE WILL START MID-AFTERNOON OVER EAST ALABAMA AND KIND OF WORK BACKWARD, MOVING FROM EAST TO WEST ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, SUNDAY EVENING, THAT IT’S JUST HIT OR MISS THROUGH NEXT WEEK. SO, JASON, IN YOUR WORLD STORMS ME A WHOLE NOTHER THING THAN WHAT THEY DO IN SPORTS. BUT POSSIBLY DANGEROUS IN BOTH OF THEM. AND COMING UP, WE HAVE A NEW DECISION ON WHAT FIELD SWIMMING COULD ME