James Spann forecasts some wind, rain for Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

NICOLE TO BRING RAIN TO PARTS OF ALABAMA: Tropical Storm Nicole will bring rain to a decent part of Alabama over the next 36 hours. Clouds will increase today, and rain will enter the southeast corner of the state by mid to late afternoon. The high this afternoon will be in the low to mid 70s.

Rain becomes widespread across the eastern half of the state tonight and Friday morning. Heavier amounts will be along and east of U.S. 431 (near the Georgia border). The western third of the state could see a few showers, but many places there will be dry. There will be no risk of severe storms or tornadoes; that will be well to the east of Alabama.

Winds will ramp up tonight over east Alabama, with gusts to 40 mph possible in spots. A wind advisory is in effect from Cleburne, Clay and Randolph counties south to the Dothan area.

Rain will end from the south Friday morning; otherwise, Friday will be mostly cloudy and breezy with a high between 65 and 69 degrees.

COLD WEEKEND AHEAD: The coldest air so far this season rolls into Alabama over the weekend. We are going to bring in a chance of light rain Saturday morning over the northern half of the state as the cold air arrives; most of it will come from about 2 until 10 a.m. Otherwise, Saturday will be mostly cloudy with a high in the low to mid 50s; a brisk north wind will make it feel colder.

Temperatures drop into the 27- to 32-degree range by daybreak Sunday, followed by a high in the mid 50s with a sunny sky.

NEXT WEEK: Monday will be dry with a high in the upper 50s, but a disturbance will bring rain into the state late Monday night and Tuesday. New model guidance suggests some risk of rain will continue at times into Wednesday and Thursday, and possibly into part of the day Friday. Temperatures remain below average through the week, with highs in the 50s.TROPICS: Nicole is now a tropical storm about 50 miles southeast of Orlando early this morning with winds of 70 mph. Gradual weakening will continue today as the system turns northward. Nicole will move through Georgia Friday and should dissipate over the Carolinas Friday night.The rest of the Atlantic basin is very quiet; hurricane season ends Nov. 30.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: The weather will be dry for the high school playoff games across Alabama Friday night, but it will be mostly cloudy and breezy, with temperatures falling into the 50s.

Saturday, Alabama travels to Oxford to take on Ole Miss (2:30 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be mostly sunny with temperatures in the mid to upper 40s and a brisk, chilly north wind.

UAB will host North Texas at Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham Saturday (2:30 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be mostly cloudy with a kickoff temperature around 52 degrees, falling into the 40s by the final whistle. Some rain is likely in Birmingham Saturday morning, but it will be over by the time the game begins.

Auburn hosts Texas A&M Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium (6:30 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be mostly fair with temperatures falling from near 47 at kickoff into the low 40s by the final whistle.

ON THIS DATE IN 1975: The SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank 17 miles northwest of Whitefish Point, at the northeastern tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on Lake Superior. While the sinking cause is unknown, strong winds and high waves likely played a significant role. The crew of 29 members was lost.

ON THIS DATE IN 2002: The second-largest November tornado outbreak on record over the eastern United States occurred during the Veterans Day weekend of Nov. 9-11. Seventy-six tornadoes were reported in 17 states. Almost one out of six was a killer, resulting in 36 fatalities.

In Alabama, 11 tornadoes touched down, including two (both rated EF-3) with a parallel track through Fayette and Walker counties. Twelve people were killed in the state. The Saragossa tornado, which killed eight, was on the ground for 73 miles, making it the fourth-longest path length of any tornado in modern Alabama history at the time. The town of Carbon Hill was dealt a heavy blow. In June 2002, the town’s high school had burned to the ground. On this deadly night, an F3 tornado destroyed the town’s elementary school.

BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.

For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit AlabamaWx.