James Spann: Much colder air arrives this weekend in Alabama
James Spann Alabama NewsCenter Weather Forecast November 19 from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
FOGGY START: A dense fog advisory covers much of Alabama early this morning; in some spots visibility is down to a fraction of a mile. Photo below is from downtown Birmingham (by @kickbackattack)
Once the fog burns off, the sky will be mostly sunny today with a high well up in the 60s. Tomorrow will be dry as well; we begin the day in the low 40s, and the high tomorrow afternoon will be in the low 60s with a good supply of sunshine.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: A storm system will pass well to the north of the state Saturday, putting down a strip of heavy snow from Des Moines over to Chicago and Milwaukee. It will drag a cold front through Alabama Saturday evening. There will be very little moisture to work with, but I will probably insert a small risk of a shower “just in case”. The best chance of a shower will be over the northwest corner of the state Saturday afternoon, and the high will be close to 60 degrees.
Much colder air arrives Saturday night; we will drop down to near 30 degrees early Sunday morning. Then, despite a sunny sky, we won’t get out of the 40s Sunday afternoon.
NEXT WEEK: A very significant freeze is likely at daybreak Monday with temperatures down in the 20s over the northern half of the state. The weather stays dry through the week with a slow warming trend; we rise into the low to mid 60s by Thanksgiving. Early morning lows will be mostly in the chilly 30s Tuesday and Wednesday morning, with 40s Thursday.
Here is a look at projected weather across the nation next Wednesday, November 25, which many believe is the busiest travel day of the year. Biggest issue will be snow in some of the western mountains.
IRON BOWL? Needless to say, this is out in “voodoo land”, and there is little skill in a forecast beyond seven days. But, the latest GFS runs show a cold front moving through the state on Saturday November 28 with a risk of showers during the day. This could, and probably will change, so stay tuned. See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: Perfect weather for the high school playoff games Friday night; clear with temperatures falling through the 50s, perhaps reaching the 40s by the fourth quarter. No risk of rain.
Alabama hosts Charleston Southern Saturday (3:00p CT kickoff) at Bryant-Denny Stadium; the sky will feature a mix of sun and clouds, and we will introduce a small risk of a shower during the game. Temperatures falling from around 59 degrees at the start of the game, into the mid 40s by the final whistle.
Auburn will host Idaho at Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday (also kicking off at 3:00 CT)… scattered clouds, and a small risk of a shower. Temperatures near 60 at kickoff, dropping into the mid 40s by the end of the game.
AT THE BEACH: Mostly sunny days, fair nights through early next week for the area from Panama City Beach west to Gulf Shores. See the complete Gulf Coast 7 Day Planner here. The Gulf Coast Beach Forecast is presented by Gulf Shores Plantation by Mandoki Hospitality Vacation Rentals. Escape to Gulf Shores Plantation where memories last a lifetime.
WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.
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