James Spann forecasts a nice fall Tuesday for Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
PLEASANT DAY: A strong upper trough is squeezing out a few showers over Alabama early this morning; these showers will end by midmorning, and the sky becomes mostly sunny with a high in the mid 60s this afternoon. The average high for Nov. 19 at Birmingham is 64.
Wednesday and Thursday will stay dry with a good supply of sunshine both days; the high will be in the mid 60s Wednesday, and by Thursday there’s a good chance we reach the 70-degree mark.
FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: Clouds return to the state Friday, and an approaching cold front will bring a chance of rain to parts of north Alabama by afternoon. Rain is most likely Friday night as a wave of low pressure moves along the front; the rain will end Saturday morning. For now it looks like the best chance of rain will come from about 4 p.m. Friday through 8 a.m. Saturday, but the rain could linger into early Saturday afternoon over the southeast part of the state.
Rain amounts will be around 1 inch for the northern counties, with one-half inch or less for south Alabama. Some thunder is possible, but we expect no risk of severe storms. Saturday will be cooler, with a high between 57 and 60 degrees. Then, on Sunday, expect a good supply of sunshine with a high close to 60.
THANKSGIVING WEEK: We expect a midweek storm system that will bring a risk of rain, possibly a few thunderstorms, to Alabama. It’s just about impossible to nail down the timing now, but be aware that some rain is possible either Tuesday or Wednesday, followed by dry weather on Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and Iron Bowl Saturday. Temperatures look seasonal for the week, with highs most days between 60 and 65 and lows in the upper 30s and low 40s.
TROPICS: A disturbance in the Atlantic, northeast of the Leeward Islands, is expected to become a tropical depression today. If it reaches tropical storm strength, it will get the name Sebastien. It will move north over the open Atlantic and most likely will be no threat to land. The hurricane season ends Nov. 30.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: Rain is likely for the high school football playoff games over the northern half of Alabama Friday night with temperatures in the 60- to 65-degree range.
Saturday, Alabama hosts Western Carolina (11 a.m. kickoff) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The sky will be mostly cloudy with temperatures rising from near 55 at kickoff to 60 degrees by the final whistle. For now it looks like rain will end Saturday morning in Tuscaloosa before the game begins.
Auburn will host Samford Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium (11 a.m. kickoff). There is some risk that rain over east Alabama could linger into the first quarter of the game; otherwise the sky will be cloudy with temperatures in the upper 50s at kickoff, rising into the low 60s by the fourth quarter.
UAB hosts Louisiana Tech Saturday at Legion Field (2:30 p.m. kickoff). The weather will be dry and some clearing is possible during the game. We expect 60 degrees at kickoff and low to mid 50s by the end of the game.
Jacksonville State will host Eastern Kentucky Saturday (1 p.m. kickoff). No rain is expected, but the sky will be mostly cloudy. Temperatures will hover in the 55- to 60-degree range during the game.
ON THIS DATE IN 1930: An estimated EF4 tornado struck the town of Bethany, Oklahoma. Between 9:30 a.m. and 9:58 a.m., it moved north-northeast from three miles west of the Oklahoma City limits and hit the eastern part of Bethany. About 110 homes and 700 other buildings, about a fourth of the town, were damaged or destroyed. Near the end of the damage path, 3.5 miles northeast of Wiley Post Airfield, the tornado hit the Camel Creek School. Buildings blew apart just as the students were falling to the floor and looking for shelter, and five students and a teacher were killed. A total of 23 people were killed and an additional 150 injured, with 77 being seriously injured.
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