Published On: 03.19.21 | 

By: James Spann

James Spann: Alabama stays dry through the weekend

James Spann forecasts dry but cloudy weather for Alabama to end the work week from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

CLOUDS LINGER: We are forecasting dry weather for Alabama today, but clouds will linger over the northern half of the state with an upper trough just to the east. The high today will be between 55 and 60 degrees for north and central Alabama, but south Alabama will see highs in the 60s with a mostly sunny sky. The average high for Birmingham on March 19 is 68.

Dry weather continues over the weekend. The sky will be sunny statewide Saturday with a high in the 60s, and temperatures reach the mid to upper 60s Sunday with a good amount of sunshine. Sunday morning will be cold; many communities will drop into the 30s with potential for some scattered light frost. Colder pockets over north and central Alabama might even see a freeze.

NEXT WEEK: Look for a partly sunny sky Monday with a high in the low 70s. Clouds increase Monday night, and showers and storms return to the state Tuesday. For now we are not expecting any severe weather with this feature as the main dynamic support will be well to the north. A surface front will stall out around here Wednesday, keeping clouds in place along with a chance of showers. Then, a more robust system will bring another wave of rain and storms to Alabama Thursday. There are considerable model differences, and it remains to be seen whether there will be a severe weather threat.

ON THIS DATE IN 2003: One of the worst blizzards since records began in 1872 started with a vengeance, striking the Denver metro area and Colorado’s Front Range. Denver International Airport was closed, stranding about 4,000 travelers. The weight of the snow caused a 40-foot gash in a portion of the roof, forcing the evacuation of that section of the main terminal building.

ON THIS DATE IN 2018: Six tornadoes and hail up to 5 inches in diameter affected the north half of Alabama. An EF-3 tornado moved through Jacksonville, producing major damage on the campus of Jacksonville State University. It was on the ground for 34 miles, with estimated winds peaking at 150 mph. Four people were injured; there were no fatalities. Large hail battered Cullman that night; the 5.38-inch hailstone recovered in the Walter community was declared the official Alabama state record and is the second-largest hailstone officially recorded east of the Mississippi River, behind a 5.7-inch stone that fell on Wausau, Wisconsin, in 1921.

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