James Spann: One more mild day for Alabama; showers Thursday with falling temps
James Spann has the midweek forecast for Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
MILD NOVEMBER DAY: With a partly to mostly sunny sky, we project a high between 72 and 76 degrees across Alabama today; the average high for Birmingham on Nov. 18 is 64. Clouds will increase tonight ahead of a cold front that will bring showers to the state on Thursday. Moisture will be fairly limited, and rain amounts for most places should be one-quarter inch or less.
Temperatures will go the wrong way Thursday over the northern third of Alabama. After starting the day around 60 degrees, temperatures will fall into the 40s by mid to late morning north of I-59. The colder air will reach Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Anniston and Gadsden by early afternoon and south Alabama Thursday night.
FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: Friday will be sunny but very cool. After a low between 30 and 35 degrees, the high Friday will be in the upper 50s for most places. On Saturday, with a good supply of sunshine, temperatures will reach the 60s by afternoon. The day Sunday will be dry with a high in the 60s, but rain will likely reach north Alabama Sunday night ahead of the next cold front.
THANKSGIVING WEEK: Rain will end early in the day Monday, followed by a clearing sky. Temperatures will likely hold in the 40s all day Monday with a brisk north wind. Tuesday and Wednesday look mostly sunny and cool with highs in the 50s. The latest global model data suggests some scattered light rain will be possible over Alabama Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday with highs remaining in the 50s.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the high school games Friday night, the sky will be clear with temperatures falling through the 40s, possibly reaching the upper 30s by the final whistle.
For the college games Saturday:
HUNTINGDON AT BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN (noon kickoff at General Krulak Stadium): A sunny day for football with temperatures between 60 and 65 degrees.
FURMAN AT SAMFORD (noon kickoff at Seibert Stadium): The sky will be sunny with temperatures in the low to mid 60s.
NORTH ALABAMA AT HAMPTON (noon CT kickoff at Hampton, Virginia): The sky will be sunny with temperatures between 50 and 55 degrees during the game.
JACKSONVILLE STATE AT EASTERN KENTUCKY (1 p.m. CT kickoff in Richmond, Kentucky): The sky will be partly sunny with a kickoff temperature near 52 degrees, holding in the low to mid 50s during the game.
ARKANSAS AT ALABAMA (2:30 p.m. kickoff at Bryant-Denny Stadium): It will be a sunny afternoon with a kickoff temperature around 65 degrees, falling into the 50s by the fourth quarter.
UAB AT UTSA (2:30 p.m. CT kickoff in San Antonio, Texas): This game will be played inside the Alamodome. Outside, the sky will be partly sunny with afternoon temperatures in the low to mid 70s.
APPALACHIAN STATE AT TROY (2:30 p.m. kickoff at Veterans Memorial Stadium): The sky will be sunny; about 68 degrees at kickoff, falling to near 60 by the final whistle.
AUBURN AT SOUTH CAROLINA (6 p.m. CT kickoff in Columbia, South Carolina): The weather will be clear and cool; temperatures will fall from near 52 at kickoff to near 45 by the final whistle.
SOUTH ALABAMA AT TENNESSEE (6:30 p.m. CT kickoff in Knoxville, Tennessee): The sky becomes mostly cloudy with temperatures falling through the 40s. No risk of rain.
ON THIS DATE IN 1927: A tornado (at times to 260 yards wide) cut a 17-mile path through Alexandria, Virginia, across the District of Columbia from the Navy yard to Benning Road and 19th Street NE to East Riverdale, Maryland. This storm injured 31 people. The tornado struck the Naval Air Station, where a wind gust of 93 mph was recorded.
ON THIS DATE IN 2013: An unusually powerful storm system spun up five dozen tornadoes from the Great Lakes to the Tennessee Valley. Two EF4 twisters struck Illinois, hitting the communities of Washington and New Minden.
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