James Spann: Alabama stays dry, mild again Friday; showers arrive Saturday
MILD DECEMBER DAY: Temperatures have exceeded 70 degrees across a decent part of Alabama this afternoon; Birmingham reported 71 degrees at 2 p.m. The average high for Birmingham on Dec. 10 is 57. The air remains very dry and the sky is pretty much cloudless. Tonight will be clear and cool, with a low in the 40s.
Friday will be another dry, mild day; the sky will be partly sunny with a high around 70. Clouds will increase Friday night.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: A cold front will bring a band of showers into the state Saturday. High-resolution model data shows nothing more than a narrow line of showers passing through during midday; some thunder is possible in spots, but no severe storms are expected. Rain amounts should be light, generally less than a quarter-inch. Otherwise, Saturday will be mostly cloudy with a high in the mid 60s.
A decent part of the day Sunday will be dry with a few intervals of sunshine possible; the high will be between 57 and 60 degrees. Rain becomes likely Sunday night as an upper disturbance moves into the state. It will be a cool rain with no risk of severe storms, and too warm for any snow. Amounts will be around one-half inch.
NEXT WEEK: Rain ends early Monday morning; the sky becomes partly sunny during the day with a high in the upper 50s. Most of Tuesday will be dry, but a little scattered light rain is possible Tuesday night and early Wednesday as an upper trough swings through. Wednesday will be sharply colder; temperatures will hold in the 40s all day with a cool north breeze. Thursday and Friday are looking cool and dry before more rain returns the following weekend (Dec. 19-20). It’s too early to know the timing or amount of rain to be expected that weekend.
There’s no sign of any winter weather issues or severe weather threats for Alabama during the next 10-15 days.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: Saturday, Alabama will take on Arkansas in Fayetteville (11 a.m. kickoff). The weather looks dry but cold. The sky will be cloudy with temperatures rising from 39 degrees at kickoff into the low 40s during the second half.
Saturday evening, Auburn travels to Starkville to take on Mississippi State (kickoff at 6:30). The sky will be mostly fair with temperatures falling from the low 50s at kickoff into the mid 40s by the final whistle.
ON THIS DATE IN 1961: It was the beginning of a three-day severe weather event for the Deep South, which included 13 tornadoes. An F-3 tornado struck the eastern outskirts of Brewton, in south Alabama, devastating a two-block area; seven homes were demolished and 12 more heavily damaged.
ON THIS DATE IN 2002: A shower of tiny fish rained down on Korona, a village in the mountains of northern Greece. A Greek television reported a waterspout on Lake Doirani caused the incident.
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