James Spann forecasts a change ahead for Alabama’s weather from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
DRY, PLEASANT WEATHER AGAIN TODAY: We are forecasting a partly sunny sky across Alabama today with a high between 67 and 70 degrees this afternoon. The average high for Nov. 21 at Birmingham is 63. Clouds will increase tonight.
WET WEATHER RETURNS: Friday will be a cloudy day with a high in the mid to upper 60s; showers will likely begin across the northern half of the state by mid to late afternoon. Then, we are forecasting periods of rain Friday night and Saturday as a cold front slowly pushes through. While there could be some thunder in spots, we don’t expect any severe weather issues. Rain amounts will be around 1 inch for much of the state, and the rain will end from northwest to southeast Saturday afternoon with temperatures in the 60s. The sky will clear late Saturday night.
Sunday will be dry and cooler; with a good supply of sunshine, the high will be in the 57- to 62-degree range.
THANKSGIVING WEEK: Monday will be dry and pleasant; after starting the day in the 30s, the high will be in the low 60s. Clouds will increase Tuesday, and some rain is likely Tuesday night into Wednesday morning with another cold front. There will be little surface-based instability, so at this point we are not expecting any severe weather issues, and rain amounts should be in the one-half-inch to 1-inch range. Wednesday will be cloudy and cooler with a high in the 50s. For now, we expect a mix of sun and clouds for Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday with highs in the 60s. Of course, this is a week away and the forecast could change.
TROPICS: Tropical Storm Sebastien, in the Atlantic well northeast of the Leeward Islands, has sustained winds of 60 mph this morning and could become a hurricane Friday as it moves northeast over open waters. It becomes post-tropical this weekend. Hurricane season will end Nov. 30.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the high school playoff games Friday night, periods of rain are likely with temperatures in the 60s.
Saturday, Alabama hosts Western Carolina (11 a.m. kickoff) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. There is a chance the wet weather will be over in time for kickoff, but some light rain or drizzle could linger into the first quarter. Otherwise, the sky will be mostly cloudy with temperatures in the 60s.
Auburn will host Samford Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium (11 a.m. kickoff). Periods of rain are likely with temperatures in the mid 60s.
UAB hosts Louisiana Tech Saturday at Legion Field (2:30 p.m. kickoff). There’s a very good chance the rain will be over by kickoff; the sky will be cloudy with a kickoff temperature near 66 degrees, falling back into the low 60s by the fourth quarter.
Jacksonville State will host Eastern Kentucky Saturday (1 p.m. kickoff). Rain will remain possible during the first half. The sky will be cloudy with temperatures in the 60s.
ON THIS DATE IN 1992: The Nov. 21-23 tornado outbreak in 1992 was the third-largest outbreak in recorded history and one of the longest continuous outbreaks ever recorded. There was no break in tornado activity from 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 21, when the tornadoes started in Texas, until 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 23, when the last tornadoes lifted in North Carolina. On this date, severe thunderstorms spawned six tornadoes within 70 minutes in the Houston metro area in Texas. At one time, there were three on the ground in Harris County. The strongest, an F4, tracked 20 miles through the eastern suburbs of Houston, destroying 200 homes and damaging 1,000 more. In total, 23 tornadoes struck Mississippi and Alabama. An F4 tornado killed 12 people on a 128-mile track through seven Mississippi counties; one of the bodies was blown a quarter-mile into a tree. In Alabama, 13 tornadoes touched down, injuring dozens of people. One of them moved through parts of Etowah and DeKalb counties, injuring 12 people in Sardis City.
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