textproduct: Huntsville

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 959 AM CDT Tue Jul 29 2026

- A cold front will keep low showers and thunderstorm chances in the forecast for portions of NW AL to near Cullman county through the early afternoon hours. Gusty winds and frequent lightning are the main threats with any storms that develop.

- An unsettled weather pattern begins Friday night and continues through Saturday with medium to high chances (50%-80%) for showers and thunderstorms each day into early next week.

NEAR TERM

(Rest of Today and Tonight) Issued at 245 PM CDT Wed Jul 29 2026

Based on observations, the front has pushed southeast of northern Alabama. Dewpoints have dropped upper 60s to around 75 degrees in most areas already. Northerly winds behind the front have picked up to between 5 and 10 mph with a few higher gusts. The advection of cooler and drier air will continue tonight. Clear skies and light winds should allow for good radiational cooling and lows to drop into the 65 to 70 degree range overnight (maybe some lower 60s in southern middle Tennessee and NE Alabama). This drier air should keep fog from forming towards the daybreak hours on Thursday.

SHORT TERM

(Thursday through Saturday) Issued at 959 AM CDT Wed Jul 29 2026

Dry and much nicer weather is expected on Thursday with highs primarily in the mid to upper 80s. Dewpoints should mix down into the lower to mid 60s in the afternoon with strong subsidence in place. Heat index values should remain below 95 degrees, even in the late afternoon hours. This pattern will continue into Friday afternoon with similar conditions expected. The front moves northward Friday afternoon into Friday evening as a longwave trough axis approaches the Tennessee Valley. Cloud cover should build in from the west during the mid/late afternoon hours. Dewpoints should be higher towards the AL/MS border, back into the upper 60s/lower 70s.

By the evening hours, the weak front should stretch along the MS/AL border or just to its west. With ample instability, this looks to provide just enough forcing given the instability in place for low/medium chances of showers and thunderstorms to develop. No shear is shown in guidance, so general thunderstorms are expected. This activity should increase in coverage overnight, as the weak front moves east ahead of the main longwave trough axis aloft. Cloud cover and increasing low level moisture advection should make for a warmer night with lows only dropping into the lower 70s.

Saturday looks to be even wetter, as the longwave trough axis aloft and surface cold front moves through the area. Shear still looks fairly weak (only around 20 knots at best), so no severe storms are expected. However, heavy rainfall will be a concern with PWATs climbing again. Given expected cloudy conditions and persistent rainfall expected, highs should only reach the lower to mid 80s.

LONG TERM

(Saturday night through Wednesday) Issued at 245 PM CDT Wed Jul 29 2026

The surface front is slow to push southeast and in most guidance stalls somewhere near eastern Tennessee into NW Georgia late Saturday night into Sunday. However, the better low level forcing shifts east into Georgia NNE into the Mid-Atlantic area into early next week. Despite that, an upper low forms in the base of the upper level trough axis over the area late Saturday night into early next week. This will provide some good upper level lift. Intensity of precipitation should be lighter (due to lower moisture content and forcing throughout the entire atmospheric column). This activity should be fairly widespread and mainly in the afternoon and early evening hours. Expect expansive cloud cover to be fairly routine during this timeframe. This and lower temperatures should make for a continuing cool period over the area with highs remaining in the 80 to 85 degree range primarily.

This upper low is pulled north or northwest towards another longwave trough axis on Wednesday. However, low to medium chances of showers and thunderstorms should linger over the area. With more morning sunshine and a strong upper ridge beginning to edge into NE ALabama from the east, highs should rebound back into the mid to upper 80s.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 110 PM CDT Wed Jul 29 2026

VFR conditions are expected at both terminals through the TAF period. Drier air behind a cold front should keep fog from forming towards daybreak on Thursday.

HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

AL...None. TN...None.