James Spann: Warmer days ahead for Alabama; dry through at least Friday
SUNNY DAYS: On this last day of meteorological winter, we are enjoying sunshine in full supply across most of the state. The only clouds are over the southern counties. Temperatures are mostly between 58 and 63 degrees, and tonight will be clear with a low in the 30s.
REST OF THE WEEK: Look for sunny days, clear nights and a warming trend. Look for upper 60s Tuesday, low 70s Wednesday and mid to upper 70s Thursday and Friday — perfect weather for the first few days of meteorological spring.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Moisture and humidity levels will rise, but an upper high will likely keep most of the state dry Saturday and Sunday. It will be the warmest weekend so far this year; with a partly sunny sky look for highs between 78 and 82 degrees both days.
NEXT WEEK: The upper high weakens, and we will introduce the chance of showers and thunderstorms on Monday. Models are not in very good agreement next week, but the overall pattern suggests the weather will be more active with some risk of rain on several days. It’s too early to know whether severe thunderstorms will be an issue.
FEBRUARY RAIN: For most of Alabama, February was a wet month. The exception was the far southern part of the state, where rain was well below average. Here are some totals from Feb. 1 through today:
- Huntsville — 8.51 inches
- Muscle Shoals — 7.59
- Birmingham — 6.79
- Tuscaloosa — 6.57
- Montgomery — 5.65
- Anniston — 5.46
- Mobile — 2.62
- Dothan — 1.62
ON THIS DATE IN 1962: Wilmington, North Carolina, reached a high temperature of 85 degrees. This is the warmest temperature on record during February.
ON THIS DATE IN 2007: A severe storm blew into France, Portugal and Spain, smashing sea walls, destroying homes, polluting farmland with saltwater and devastating the Atlantic coast’s oyster farms. Winds reached about 125 mph on the summits of the Pyrenees and up to nearly 100 mph along the Atlantic Coast. Wind speeds of 106 mph were measured atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
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