James Spann: Warmer days ahead for Alabama
James Spann forecasts dry, warmer weather for Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
NICE WARM-UP TODAY: Temperatures are between 25 and 35 degrees across Alabama early this morning, but despite the morning chill we project a nice warm-up today. With sunshine in full supply, we project a high in the mid 60s for most places this afternoon. The average high for Birmingham on Nov. 30 is 61.
For the rest of the week, look for sunny days, clear nights and a warming trend. Temperatures reach the upper 60s Wednesday, followed by low 70s Thursday and Friday.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Look for a partly sunny sky Saturday and Sunday with afternoon highs remaining about 10 degrees above average for early December, between 70 and 73 degrees. Clouds will increase late Sunday, and a cold front will bring rain to the state late Sunday night and early Monday morning. Moisture will be limited and rain amounts should be one-quarter inch or less for most communities.
NEXT WEEK: After the rain ends early Monday, look for a clearing sky and cooler temperatures; the high will be in the mid to upper 50s. Tuesday will be dry with a high in the 60s; then a disturbance will bring a chance of rain Wednesday. Rain at times will remain possible Thursday and Friday as an unsettled pattern develops.
HURRICANE SEASON ENDS: Today marks the last day of the 2021 hurricane season. There were 21 named storms, although a number of them were weak, short-lived systems far from land. There were seven hurricanes, four of them reaching “major” status. Of those, only one U.S. hurricane landfall involved a major storm: Hurricane Ida, which slammed into Port Fourchon, Louisiana, on Aug. 29 with Category 4 maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. Ida killed 91 people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NOAA estimated Ida inflicted almost $65 billion in damage. That’s the fifth-costliest tropical cyclone in U.S. history behind only Katrina, Harvey, Maria and Sandy.
ON THIS DATE IN 1925: An extremely rare late November hurricane began to affect the west coast of Florida as it strengthened during the day. The storm made landfall very early on Dec. 1 south of Tampa Bay, weakened to a tropical storm as it crossed central Florida and exited around St. Augustine. The storm regained hurricane strength off Jacksonville late Dec. 1. Heavy rain continued over northeast Florida on Dec. 2. Gale-force winds were reported from the Keys to Jacksonville and more than 50 people lost their lives, mostly on ships at sea. Damage along the coast south of Jacksonville was heavy, and excessive rain and wind seriously damaged citrus and truck crops.
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