James Spann: Clouds move into Alabama tonight, showers on Thursday
MILD NOVEMBER DAY: Temperatures are mostly in the mid 70s across Alabama today with a good supply of sunshine. The average high for Birmingham on Nov. 10 is 67. Clouds will move into the state tonight ahead of a cold front approaching from the west.
Thursday will be a cloudy day with occasional showers — not a washout, but off-and-on rain is likely with potential for a rumble of thunder as well. There’s no risk of severe storms with the main dynamic support far to the north. Rain amounts should be around one-quarter inch for most places and the high will be close to 70 degrees. Showers will end early Thursday night as the cold front moves on to the east.
FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: Friday will be mostly sunny and a bit cooler, with a high in the 60s, but colder air follows for the weekend. Despite sunshine in full supply, temperatures won’t get past the mid 50s Saturday and upper 50s Sunday. Lows over the weekend will be in the 30s and many places will see a freeze early Sunday morning. Colder spots drop into the 20s.
NEXT WEEK: The weather looks quiet Monday through Thursday with mostly sunny days and fair nights. The high will be in the upper 50s Monday, followed by 60s through midweek. A cold front will bring a chance of rain on Friday.
TROPICS: A storm-force non-tropical area of low pressure several hundred miles east-northeast of Bermuda is producing a large area of showers that extend near and to the north of its center along an associated frontal boundary. Although the shower activity has increased near the center today, the system has not acquired sufficient characteristics to be classified as a subtropical cyclone. There remains only a brief period through tonight for this system to become a subtropical storm before it reaches much cooler waters Friday morning. By this weekend, the system is expected to be absorbed by a larger non-tropical low.
The rest of the Atlantic basin is very quiet, and the hurricane season ends Nov. 30.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the high school playoff games Friday night, the sky will be clear with temperatures mostly in the 40s.
For the college games Saturday:
NEW MEXICO STATE AT ALABAMA (11 a.m. kickoff at Bryant-Denny Stadium): Expect a sunny sky with temperatures rising from near 49 at kickoff into the mid 50s by the second half.
MISSISSIPPI STATE AT AUBURN (11 a.m. kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium): With a sunny sky, temperatures will rise from 50 degrees at kickoff to near 56 by the final whistle.
MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE AT WEST ALABAMA (1 p.m. kickoff at Tiger Stadium): The sky will be sunny with temperatures in the 50s during the game.
BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN AT MILLSAPS COLLEGE (1 p.m. kickoff at Jackson, Mississippi): A sunny day for the game with temperatures in the 50s.
SOUTH ALABAMA AT APPALACHIAN STATE (1:30 p.m. CT kickoff at Boone, North Carolina): Cold, dry weather. Despite a sunny sky, temperatures will be only in the low to mid 40s.
KENNESAW STATE AT NORTH ALABAMA (2 p.m. kickoff at Tom Braly Stadium): With a clear sky temperatures will drop from near 52 at kickoff into the 40s by the fourth quarter.
UAB AT MARSHALL (2:30 p.m. CT kickoff at Huntington, West Virginia): The weather will be dry and cold; a clear sky with temperatures in the 40s.
LOUISIANA AT TROY (2:30 p.m. kickoff at Veterans Memorial Stadium): The day will be cool and dry. With a clear sky, temperatures will fall from 58 degrees at kickoff to near 50 by the fourth quarter.
JACKSONVILLE STATE AT LAMAR (4 p.m. CT kickoff at Beaumont, Texas): The sky will be clear with temperatures falling from near 65 at kickoff into the 50s by the second half.
ON THIS DATE IN 1975: The SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank 17 miles northwest of Whitefish Point, at the northeastern tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on Lake Superior. While the sinking cause is unknown, strong winds and high waves likely played a significant role. The crew of 29 members was lost.
ON THIS DATE IN 2002: The second-largest November tornado outbreak on record over the eastern United States occurred during the Veterans Day weekend of Nov. 9-11. Seventy-six tornadoes were reported in 17 states. Almost one out of every six was a killer, resulting in 36 fatalities. In Alabama, 10 touched down, including two parallel long-track F3 tornadoes. One of them hit Carbon Hill, and four were killed along the path. Another death came from an F2 tornado in Cherokee County. In the Birmingham metro, an F2 touched down at Bessemer.
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