James Spann: Widespread rain for Alabama today

Published On: 10.25.18 |

By: James Spann

James Spann: Widespread rain for Alabama today

James Spann has the forecast for a wet Thursday in Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

VERY COOL AND WET: Rain is moving into west Alabama early this morning in response to a surface low over Louisiana; today will be very wet and cool across the state, with rain becoming widespread by late morning and through the afternoon and tonight. Temperatures won’t get out of the 50s over the northern half of the state; the average high for Birmingham today is 73.

Some thunder is possible over far south Alabama; the Storm Prediction Center has a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms defined for parts of Mobile and Baldwin counties.

TOMORROW AND THE WEEKEND: Rain will end early in the day tomorrow, but clouds will linger. The high tomorrow afternoon will be in the low 60s for most communities. For Saturday, the sky will be occasionally cloudy, but mostly dry. We will mention the risk of a few sprinkles or light showers during the afternoon and evening in response to an upper trough over the region, but rain, if any, will be very light and very spotty. Saturday’s high will be close to 60 degrees as temperatures remain below average.

Sunday will be warmer with a partly sunny sky; a bit of light rain is possible Sunday evening over north Alabama thanks to a passing cold front. The high Sunday will be in the low 70s.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the high school games Friday night, the weather will be dry and cool; the sky will be cloudy with temperatures in the 50s.

For Saturday’s Magic City Classic in Birmingham (Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M at Legion Field, with a 2:30 p.m. kickoff), the sky will be occasionally cloudy, and there is just an outside chance of a few light showers during the second half of the game. Temperatures will be in the low 60s at kickoff, but they will fall into the upper 50s by the final whistle.

Alabama and Auburn have a bye week. UAB is on the road, taking on UTEP in El Paso, Texas, Saturday evening (6:30 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be clear, with temperatures falling from the low 70s at kickoff to near 60 by the end of the game.

NEXT WEEK: Our weather will be dry Monday through Wednesday with sunny, pleasant days and clear, cool nights. Highs will be in the 60s Monday and Tuesday, then rise into the 70s on Wednesday (Halloween). A band of showers and thunderstorms is likely late Thursday or Thursday night with a cold front passing through.

TROPICS: A tropical or subtropical storm will likely form in the central Atlantic in coming days; it will get the name Oscar. It will drift westward, then turn northeast out to sea in response to a deep upper trough that will be over the eastern U.S. this weekend, so the system is no threat to North America. The rest of the Atlantic basin is quiet.