James Spann: Occasional rain for Alabama through Friday

Published On: 01.02.19 |

By: James Spann

James Spann: Occasional rain for Alabama through Friday

James Spann has the Alabama forecast for midweek from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN: A deep storm system to the west of Alabama will bring more wet weather to the state over the next few days; we note some light rain on radar early this morning over the northwest counties. Otherwise, we begin the day with a cloudy sky; temperatures are in the 40s over north Alabama, but we are seeing 60s over the far southern counties south of a stalled surface front.

Rain will increase statewide this afternoon, becoming widespread tonight. Looks like the best chance of rain Thursday will come during the morning, but the sky will stay cloudy throughout the day with a high in the 50s. Then, we will deal with another surge of rain Friday as a surface low moves over the state.

Rain amounts of 1 to 2 inches are likely between today and Friday — not enough for flash flooding, but it will keep streams and creeks swollen and, in some cases, out of their banks. On the positive side, there are no worries with severe storms, and probably no thunder thanks to a cool, stable air mass.

BRIGHTER WEEKEND: The sky will clear Friday night, and we will get a good chance to dry out this weekend. Look for sunny days and clear nights Saturday and Sunday; the high will be in the upper 50s Saturday, followed by mid 60s Sunday. Morning lows over the weekend will be in the 30s.

NEXT WEEK: The good news is that the dry pattern continues for much of the week. We will mention the chance of a few showers Monday night or early Tuesday with a passing front, but moisture will be very limited and rain amounts light and spotty. The high will be in the 60s Monday, followed by 50s Tuesday through Friday. There’s no sign of any bitterly cold air for Alabama for the next 10-15 days.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: Alabama will play Clemson in the national championship game Monday night in Santa Clara, California (in the San Francisco Bay area). It’s a little early for a specific forecast, but the overall weather pattern there looks somewhat wet and unsettled for the weekend and early next week. Highs will be generally in the 55- to 60-degree range, with lows between 48 and 52.

OUCH: Bitterly cold air covers much of the western and northern U.S. this morning. Hibbing, Minnesota, reported minus 21 degrees at 5 a.m.; it’s even colder at Craig, Colorado, where the temperature was minus 26 at the same hour.