textproduct: Huntsville

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 943 AM CDT Thu Sep 17 2026

- A Heat Advisory is in effect through 8 PM Saturday across all of southern middle Tennessee and northern Alabama.

- NWS Heat Risk highlights Moderate (Level 2/4) to Major (Level 3/4) heat impacts through the weekend across the Tennessee Valley. Localized Extreme (Level 4/4) impacts may occur in urbanized areas.

NEAR TERM

(Tonight) Issued at 112 PM CDT Thu Sep 17 2026

By sunset, the scattered cumulus field should dissipate, leaving a clear sky overnight. With dew points in the 60s at most areas, temperatures will fall fairly quickly into the upper 70s to around 80 by 9 pm. Overnight lows will drop into the lower 70s. Any fog development late tonight will be very patchy.

SHORT TERM

(Friday through Saturday night) Issued at 943 AM CDT Thu Sep 17 2026

A near persistence forecast prevails Friday into Saturday with the 5h shifting into northeast TX and the 8h ridge shifting southeast into AL. The TUTT low will cross the FL peninsula on Saturday into the eastern Gulf of America. There is a 10-20% of a shower or thunderstorm along the higher terrain along the Cumberland Plateau both Friday and Saturday afternoons, but elsewhere will have chances below 5-10%. Highs both days will be in the 95-100F range along and west of I-65, and in the lower to middle 90s east of I-65 (coolest atop the higher elevations and where more clouds and a low chance of showers/thunderstorms occur).

LONG TERM

(Sunday through Wednesday) Issued at 1020 PM CDT Wed Sep 16 2026

Extended range model data suggests that light S-SW flow in the low-levels will exist across the region from Sunday into Monday, as a weak area of low pressure tracks east-northeastward from the Ozarks into northern parts of the TN Valley. This will sustain a warm and increasingly moist airmass, with highs remaining in the m-u 90s (in lower elevations) and an isolated-widely scattered coverage of mainly afternoon/early evening showers and thunderstorms. During the timeframe from Monday night into Tuesday, the weakening area of low pressure to our north will evolve into a frontal wave as it lifts further northeastward into the Upper OH Valley, with a general increase in the spatial coverage of showers and thunderstorms anticipated both periods as the trailing cold front drifts southeastward. Whether or not the front continues to advance southeastward (and brings our forecast area a slightly cooler/drier airmass on Tuesday night/Wednesday) remains up for debate, and will likely be dependent on amplification of an upper-level trough to our north. Regardless, we will advertise slightly cooler high temps (u80s-l90s) by Wednesday.

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1101 AM CDT Thu Sep 17 2026

VFR flight weather conditions are forecast.

HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

AL...Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT Saturday for ALZ001>010-016.

TN...Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT Saturday for TNZ076-096-097.