DROUGHT INTENSIFICATION CONTINUES: The new U.S. Drought Monitor released this morning shows 70 percent of Alabama is now in an “exceptional” or “extreme” drought.

This is now the longest period of no measurable rain on record for Birmingham. Today is the 53rd consecutive day with no measurable rain at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport, where the records are kept, beating the old record of 52 dry days set in 1924.

A drought emergency remains in effect for all 67 Alabama counties. Remember: 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.

Conserve water. Birmingham Water Works remains in a “stage four extreme drought emergency.”

The fire below is along I-65 north between Warrior and Blount Springs, and northbound traffic is being diverted off the interstate at Warrior (photo from @kristigranade).

Larger wildfires are visible on MODIS satellite imagery this afternoon northeast of our state.

DRY THROUGH THE WEEKEND: Sunny, pleasant days and clear, cold nights. Many places will see temperatures down in the upper 30s again early tomorrow morning with potential for a freeze for colder valleys and protected areas. The high tomorrow will be in the low 70s, then dropping into the 60s over the weekend.

NEXT WEEK: Still dry for the first half of the week. By next Thursday, Nov. 17, we will have gone 60 consecutive days with no measurable rain. Global models continue to show a cold front arriving Friday night (Nov. 18) or Saturday (Nov. 19) with a chance of showers and storms. Doesn’t look like a big rain event for now, but we will take anything we can get. And long-range ensemble guidance from the European global model still suggests more than 6 inches of rain for Birmingham from Nov. 15 through Dec. 25.

AT THE BEACH: Sunny days and fair nights from Gulf Shores to Panama City Beach through early next week, with highs in the 70s. See a detailed Gulf Coast forecast here.

TROPICS: The Atlantic remains quiet, and tropical storm formation is not expected for the next five days. Hurricane season runs through the end of November.

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