James Spann: Alabama weather stays quiet through Friday from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
MOSTLY DRY THROUGH FRIDAY: We will see an increase in clouds across the northern half of Alabama later today and tonight ahead of a cold front, but for most of the state, it will pass through in dry fashion. We will mention just the chance of a few isolated showers over the Tennessee Valley this afternoon and early tonight, but rain amounts there will be very light and very spotty. The high today will be in the mid 60s for most communities.
Tomorrow and Friday will feature a good supply of sunshine both days; highs will be generally in the upper 60s. Friday morning will be fairly cold, with lows in the 37- to 42-degree range; colder spots could be close to freezing.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: We are getting better clarity on the timing of the showers over the weekend ahead of a cold front. The sky becomes mostly cloudy Saturday, and we will mention the chance of a shower by mid to late afternoon. But the most organized band of showers should move through Saturday night, ending very early Sunday morning. Rain amounts should be one-half inch or less for most communities. Severe weather is not expected, and probably little, if any, thunder.
For now it looks like the main window for showers will come from about 4 Saturday afternoon through 6 a.m. Sunday. Then, during the day Sunday, the sky becomes partly to mostly sunny, but it will be breezy and colder, with a high in the low to mid 50s.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: For high school playoff games Friday night, the weather looks pleasant and dry with temperatures falling from the mid 60s at kickoff into the upper 50s by the final whistle.
Saturday, Alabama hosts the Mercer Bears at Bryant-Denny Stadium (11 a.m. kickoff). The sky will be mostly cloudy, and we will mention just a small chance of a shower during the second half of the game. The best chance of showers in Tuscaloosa should come after 4 p.m. Temperatures will be in the 60s.
Auburn will host Louisiana-Monroe Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium (11 a.m. kickoff). It will be mostly cloudy but dry; the best chance of rain in Auburn comes after 6 p.m. Temperatures will be in the 60s.
UAB will be down in Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators (kickoff at 3 p.m. Central). The sky will be mostly sunny with a kickoff temperature near 80 degrees, dropping back into the mid 70s by the second half.
THANKSGIVING WEEK: Monday morning will be cold, with lows in the 26- to 32-degree range for most north and central Alabama communities. Tuesday will be dry, and it now looks like the next wave at midweek will stay far enough to the south to keep a decent part of Alabama dry, despite a cold front passing through Wednesday. For now, Thanksgiving Day looks cold and dry with a sub-freezing low, followed by a high in the 45- to 50-degree range. And the weather stays dry for Black Friday and Iron Bowl Saturday with cold mornings and cool afternoons.
ON THIS DATE IN 1989: Around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 1989, a tornado touched down near Madkin Mountain on Redstone Arsenal, southwest of Huntsville. The tornado moved northeast toward the heavily populated Airport Road area, where it would destroy or damage 80 businesses, three churches, a dozen apartment buildings and more than 1,000 cars. It moved on, climbing over Garth Mountain, demolishing Jones Valley Elementary School and destroying 259 homes in the Jones Valley area. The tornado then moved out into eastern Madison County, where it damaged the equipment and maintenance headquarters of Commission District 2 as well as a state forestry office, and destroyed three more homes, a volunteer fire department, several barns and sheds, and numerous electrical towers. All told, the tornado killed 21 people and injured 463. This EF-4 tornado inflicted approximately $250 million in damage.
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