James Spann: No drought relief in Alabama for at least the next week from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
DROUGHT CONTINUES TO WORSEN: Today will be the 38th consecutive day without measurable rain for Birmingham (based on data from the airport), and with the lack of soil moisture the stage is set for very warm afternoons for the next seven days. With all of the solar energy going into heating the ground, which in turn heats the air, we will deal with highs in the 80s for a while. Here are the record highs for Birmingham for the rest of October:
- Today — 88 (1963)
- Oct. 27 — 88 (1940)
- Oct. 28 — 86 (1900)
- Oct. 29 — 86 (1984)
- Oct. 30 — 86 (1984)
- Oct. 31 — 87 (1984)
Kids were sweating that Halloween in 1984, and we will be close to those levels Monday.
It is likely that the Birmingham Water Works will need to go to a “stage four” drought condition soon, and the “no burn ban” will stay in place for at least the next 10 days. No outdoor burning, period. And conserve water. Droughts are serious business.
REST OF THE WEEK: Today will be partly sunny with a high around 80, and we will continue to mention isolated showers tomorrow with a weak surface boundary passing through, but most places won’t see a drop, and there won’t be any drought relief. Friday will be warm and dry with ample sunshine and a high in the mid 80s.
THE WEEKEND: Sunny, warm days and clear, pleasant nights. Looks like we will reach the mid 80s both Saturday and Sunday.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: A clear sky for the high school games Friday night, with temperatures falling through the 70s.
For Saturday’s Magic City Classic in Birmingham (Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M, 3 p.m. kickoff), the sky will be sunny, with temperatures falling from near 85 degrees at kickoff into the 70s by the fourth quarter.
Auburn is on the road this weekend, playing at Ole Miss in Oxford (6:15 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be clear, with temperatures falling from near 74 at kickoff into the mid 60s by the fourth quarter.
Alabama has the weekend off.
NEXT WEEK: The weather stays dry with very warm afternoons through Wednesday; we do expect some chance of showers toward the end of the week, but for now global models suggest it won’t be a big rain event.
We note the average rain for November is 4.63 inches at Birmingham, and it represents the beginning of the late fall tornado season, which continues into December.
AT THE BEACH: Mostly sunny days, fair nights on the coast from Panama City Beach to Gulf Shores through the weekend, with highs in the low 80s. See a detailed Gulf Coast forecast here.
TROPICS: The Atlantic basin is quiet; over in the eastern Pacific, Hurricane Seymore is packing sustained winds of 150 mph, but it will weaken quickly in coming days as it gains latitude and encounters colder water. No threat to land.
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