James Spann: Rain returns to Alabama Friday night, Saturday morning
QUIET AFTERNOON: As advertised, the sky has become mostly sunny across north and central Alabama this afternoon with temperatures around 70 degrees. Clouds linger over the southern counties, but there is nothing there on radar. The weather will be cool and dry statewide tonight; temperatures will drop into the mid 40s over the northern half of the state.
FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: Clouds increase Friday and rain will push into the western counties late in the day. Expect periods of rain, and maybe a thunderstorm or two, Friday night into Saturday morning. For most places the main window is from about 6 p.m. through 11 a.m. Rain amounts of around one-half inch are likely over north and central Alabama, with amounts to 1 inch across the southern counties. Saturday afternoon will be dry, but clouds will linger. The high will be between 67 and 70 degrees Friday and in the mid 60s Saturday.
Sunday will feature a partly sunny sky with a high in the mid to upper 60s.
NEXT WEEK: The weather looks rain-free Monday through Thursday with highs in the low to mid 70s; rain returns on Friday, April 23.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: Both Auburn and Alabama will hold their annual spring scrimmage games Saturday. The game in Tuscaloosa kicks off at noon; kickoff in Auburn is set for 1. Some light rain is likely Saturday morning across the state, but that will will be gone by early afternoon. Expect dry but mostly cloudy weather in Tuscaloosa with temperatures in the 60s. Some lingering light rain is possible around kickoff in Auburn, but most of the game will be rain-free with overcast conditions. Temperatures there will also be in the 60s.
For the Magic City Classic at Legion Field in Birmingham Saturday night (Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M, kickoff 6:30 p.m.), the weather will be dry with a gradually clearing sky. Temperatures will fall from near 64 degrees at kickoff into the upper 50s by the final whistle.
ON THIS DATE IN 1998: An F3 tornado hit downtown Nashville, causing extensive damage but no loss of life. An additional 62 tornadoes touched down in Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee. These tornadoes caused 12 fatalities and approximately 120 injuries.
ON THIS DATE IN 2011: In the “forgotten tornado outbreak,” 45 tornadoes touched down in Alabama. An EF-3 produced a swath of damage in Tuscaloosa County from the community of Ralph to just south of Veterans Memorial Parkway in Tuscaloosa. Another large EF-3 tornado struck the Myrtlewood-Pinhook communities in Marengo County. Several dozen single-family and mobile homes were destroyed or severely damaged. One person was killed when his mobile home was tossed several hundred feet across Alabama Highway 69.
Another EF-3 tornado moved through the Boones Chapel community in Autauga County. This twister was the third one to affect the same general area for the day, but this one was a killer. Three people were killed and four were seriously injured as the tornado destroyed their mobile home. The event was forgotten by many because of what would happen 12 days later — the generational tornado outbreak of April 27, 2011, that produced 62 tornadoes, killing 252 people in Alabama.
ON THIS DATE IN 2019: Eleven tornadoes touched down across Alabama. All were rated EF-0/1 and there were no fatalities or injuries. These tornadoes moved through communities such as Troy, Glencoe, Gallion and Phenix City. One EF-0 tornado moved through Highland Lakes in Shelby County.
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