James Spann: Showers, storms for Alabama Saturday, dry and cooler Sunday
CLOUDS HANGING TOUGH: While there are some breaks in the overcast across Alabama this afternoon, the sky is generally cloudy. The cloud cover is keeping temperatures between 68 and 72 degrees for most places, so no new record highs today (Birmingham’s record high today is 73, set in 1984). We are seeing a few showers over the southwest part of the state, but most communities are dry. Clouds will thicken tonight and showers are possible after midnight as a cold front slowly approaches.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Saturday will be cloudy with mild temperatures, occasional showers and possibly a thunderstorm. In fact, the Storm Prediction Center has introduced a low-end marginal risk (level 1 out of 5) of severe thunderstorms for the southern half of the state; this is for the potential for gusty winds with heavier storms. There is no tornado threat.
It won’t rain all day Saturday, but off-and-on showers are likely with a rumble of thunder possible. The high will be close to 70 degrees, and the rain will end by midnight as the front moves through. On Sunday the sky becomes partly sunny and the day will be noticeably cooler, with a high in the mid 50s.
NEXT WEEK: The day Monday will be cool and dry, with a high in the upper 50s, but clouds will increase by afternoon. A wave of low pressure moving through the northern Gulf of Mexico will bring some rain to the southern two-thirds of the state Monday night and Tuesday morning. No thunder is expected, and rain amounts should be less than one-half inch for most places. Tuesday will be another cool day with a high in the mid to upper 50s, and the sky will clear Tuesday night.
The weather looks dry with mostly sunny days Wednesday through Friday with highs between 57 and 62 degrees. For Christmas Day (Saturday, Dec. 25), we expect a mix of sun and clouds with a high in the low to mid 60s. We are seeing some signals in global model output there could be a few isolated showers, but for now we will keep the forecast dry.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: UAB will take on BYU Saturday in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana (2:30 p.m. CT kickoff on ABC 33/40). The sky will be cloudy, and rain is likely during the game. Temperatures will be falling from the low 60s at kickoff into the 50s by the second half.
ON THIS DATE IN 1924: A severe glaze storm occurred in west-central Illinois. The area of destruction was about 75 miles wide and 170 miles long. In the affected area, trees were badly damaged, wires broken and thousands of electric poles went down. Electric services were paralyzed, and it required weeks to restore operation and months to permanently rebuild the lines.
ON THIS DATE IN 2000: Very cold air invaded Alabama; temperatures struggled to climb out of the 30s with a biting north wind. Snow showers and flurries fell in the cold air, while tornado recovery was underway in places like Tuscaloosa, where an F4 tornado had killed 11 people the day before.
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