RAW, COLD AFTERNOON: As expected, temperatures have been steadily falling across Alabama this afternoon, and some communities have reached the upper 30s over the northern quarter of the state. Some patchy light rain lingers over central and south Alabama, but the storms we dealt with early this morning are long gone. Clouds cover all of our state now, but we expect clearing tonight as dry air works in.
Look for a low between 28 and 32 early tomorrow morning as the sky becomes clear.
TOMORROW/FRIDAY: With sunshine in full supply tomorrow, we project an afternoon high in the mid to upper 50s. Then, on Friday, the sky will be partly sunny with a high in the low 60s. We will mention the chance of a shower late in the day, but showers are more likely late Friday night as moisture levels rise.
WET WEEKEND: Rain returns to Alabama over the weekend. We are forecasting occasional showers and thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday with potential rain amounts of 1 to 2 inches. A strong storm will be possible since there will be some surface-based instability involved, but for now the overall severe weather threat looks low. The weather will be mild; the high Saturday will be in the mid 60s, and some spots will touch 70 degrees Sunday afternoon.
If you have something planned outdoors over the weekend, there will be some decent breaks in the rain, but showers and thunderstorms will be possible at any hour along with a few heavy downpours.
NEXT WEEK: Moist air will hang over Alabama for at least the first half of the week; we will need to mention some chance of showers Monday through Wednesday. The sky will be mostly cloudy, and the weather stays mild, with highs generally in the 60s.
STORM DAMAGE THIS MORNING: Storm damage has been reported this morning at Jemison in Chilton County, and at Gallion near the Marengo/Hale County border. More damage has also been reported in Sumter and Randolph counties; National Weather Service survey teams will review each case to determine if the damage was caused by a small tornado or straight-line winds.
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For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit AlabamaWx.