James Spann: Warm, dry weather continues in Alabama through the weekend
DRY WITH WARM AFTERNOONS: With a sunny sky, temperatures are mostly between 76 and 81 degrees across Alabama this afternoon; the average high for Birmingham on March 3 is 63. Tonight will be clear with a low in the 40s.
Dry weather continues through the weekend with warm afternoons. With a sunny sky Friday, the high will be close to 80. Then, over the weekend, expect partly sunny days with highs between 79 and 82 degrees. Humidity levels will rise a bit Saturday and Sunday.
NEXT WEEK: A cold front will bring showers and thunderstorms to Alabama Monday. A few strong storms will be possible, but for now it doesn’t look like a classic severe weather setup. Tuesday will be dry and cooler, with highs in the mid to upper 50s. Forecast confidence for the rest of the week is low, but the latest model guidance suggests another round of rain is likely Wednesday, followed by sharply colder air toward the end of the week.
ON THIS DATE IN 1966: A large, violent long-track tornado devastated central Mississippi. The F5 tornado went through Jackson during the rush hour around 4-5 p.m. and struck the Candlestick Park shopping center. Businesses and homes were leveled to the ground, pavement was scoured and eyewitnesses reported cars being thrown more than half a mile. Nineteen fatalities occurred in Hinds County, the majority in the Candlestick Park area, and 26 fatalities occurred in Scott County. The tornado continued on the ground for 202.5 miles; it moved into Alabama, ending northwest of Tuscaloosa. The damage to the Candlestick Park shopping center, Jackson area and along the path in Mississippi were devastating. Fifty-eight fatalities (57 in Mississippi and one in Alabama) and 517 injuries occurred, making it the second-deadliest tornado to strike Mississippi in the 20th century. Due to the damage in the Candlestick Park area, the tornado would come to be known as the “Candlestick Park” tornado.
The tornado was responsible for one death in west Alabama at Coker, just west of Tuscaloosa.
ON THIS DATE IN 2019: A violent EF-4 moved through Lee County, south of Auburn and Opelika. A total of 23 people were killed; the victims countywide ranged in age from 6 to 93. Of those killed, 19 were in mobile homes. Beauregard and Smiths Station were the hardest hit. Five other tornadoes touched down, including an EF-2 near Eufaula.
ON THIS DATE IN 2020: A group of tornadoes affected west and middle Tennessee on the night of March 2 and into the morning of March 3, including a high-end EF-3 tornado that hit Nashville and Mount Juliet, becoming the sixth-costliest tornado in United States history, and a violent EF-4 tornado that affected areas in and just west of Cookeville. A total of 25 people were killed by the tornadoes, with an additional 309 being injured. Two tornadoes touched down in Alabama during the event, in Hale and Bibb counties.
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