James Spann: Alabama looks dry for the next week or so from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

WE TIE THE RECORD TODAY: For Birmingham, today will be the 52nd consecutive day without measurable rain; that ties the record of 52 consecutive dry days set in 1924, and we will break that record tomorrow as drought conditions continue to intensify across Alabama.

We note December 1924, after that long dry spell, was very wet and stormy with 6.89 inches of rain; long-range computer guidance suggests the same thing could very well happen this year (more about that later). But rain won’t return for at least the next five days.

DROUGHT EMERGENCY CONTINUES: A drought emergency remains in effect for all 67 Alabama counties. No outdoor burning: It is illegal for any person to set fire to any forest, grass, woods, wildlands or marshes; to build a campfire or bonfire; or to burn trash or other material that may cause a forest, grass or woods fire. If a person is convicted, the penalty for violating the No Burn order is up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $500.

RADAR CHECK: We do actually have rain on radar this morning, but it is confined to the area near the Gulf Coast:

Light rain over Mobile and Baldwin counties will end later this morning. Up Birmingham way, lingering morning clouds will give way to a sunny afternoon with a high in the low 70s.

TOMORROW THROUGH THE WEEKEND: Sunny days, clear nights, no hope for rain. Highs in the low 70s tomorrow and Friday but dropping into the 60s over the weekend as the coolest air so far this season settles in. Lows will be generally in the 40s, but many places drop into the 30s at daybreak Sunday, with potential for a freeze for colder spots.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the high school playoff games Friday, a clear sky with temperatures falling from the low 60s at kickoff into the upper 40s by the second half.

Alabama hosts Mississippi State Saturday (11 a.m. kickoff). The sky will be sunny, with temperatures rising from near 62 at kickoff to 68 by the fourth quarter.

Auburn travels to Athens, Ga., to take on the Georgia Bulldogs (2:30 p.m. kickoff). A perfect day for football: about 65 degrees at kickoff, dropping back into the upper 50s by the final whistle.

NEXT WEEK: Still dry for the first half of the week with highs around 70 and lows in the 40s. But the long-awaited “pattern flip” will open the door for rain-producing systems by late week, and the GFS and the ECMWF (Euro) suggest a chance of rain/storms in the Nov. 18-19 time frame. No way to resolve timing or details, or whether there will be a severe weather threat. Just good to see a chance of rain on the board.

LONG RANGE: European ensemble guidance continues to show potential for active weather in late November and December; the ensemble mean shows more than 6 inches of rain for Birmingham.

AT THE BEACH: Rain ends later today; then, expect sunny days and fair nights tomorrow through early next week from Panama City Beach to Gulf Shores, with highs mostly in the 70s. See a detailed Gulf Coast forecast here.

TROPICS: The Atlantic basin remains quiet, and tropical storm formation is not expected through early next week.

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