James Spann forecasts a dry, warmer Thursday for Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
NICE WARM-UP TODAY: Temperatures are mostly in the 30- to 37-degree range across Alabama early this morning, but we project a high in the mid 60s this afternoon with a partly to mostly sunny sky. Clouds will increase tonight ahead of a weather system west of our state.
RAIN RETURNS: We continue to forecast periods of rain Friday; we expect totals around one-half inch for the northern half of the state, with lighter amounts over south Alabama. Temperatures will be in the 50s, so the air will be stable; there is no risk of severe storms and probably very little thunder. While most of the rain will end Friday evening, we can’t rule out some patches of light rain or drizzle in scattered spots Friday night.
A moist air mass will linger into the weekend. Saturday will feature more clouds than sun, but any showers should be pretty isolated, and most of the day will be dry with a high around 60. On Sunday we rise into the mid 60s with a mostly cloudy sky and the risk of a few scattered showers, but nothing heavy or widespread.
NEXT WEEK: Showers are possible during the day Monday, and an organized band of rain and thunderstorms will move through Monday night ahead of a cold front. Rain should end fairly early in the day Tuesday, and much colder air rolls into the state. It looks like we hold in the 40s all day Tuesday, and by early Wednesday temperatures will drop into the 20s. Wednesday and Thursday will be dry with cool afternoons and cold nights. Clouds increase late in the week, and global models show the next big rain event Friday night into Saturday, Dec. 14.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the “Super 7” high school state championship games at Auburn, dry weather is the story for the three games played today and tonight (1A, 3A and 5A), but occasional rain is likely for the 2A and 4A games during the day Friday. There’s a decent chance the rain will be over by Friday night’s 6A clash featuring Oxford and Spanish Fort.
Saturday, UAB travels to Boca Raton, Florida, to take on Florida Atlantic in the C-USA conference championship game (kickoff at 12:30 p.m. Central Time). The sky will be sunny with a kickoff temperature near 77 degrees, falling into the low 70s by the fourth quarter.
ON THIS DATE IN 1953: A tornado outbreak occurred over northeastern Louisiana, southeastern Arkansas and western Mississippi. At least four confirmed tornadoes touched down. The strongest tornado, rated F5, severely damaged the town of Vicksburg, Mississippi. This tornado first touched down just west of the Mississippi River in East Madison Parish in Louisiana. The tornado crossed the river and tore through downtown Vicksburg. On the ground for seven miles, this tornado caused 38 deaths and 270 injuries, and cost an estimated $25 million in damages.
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