Published On: 05.03.23 | 

By: James Spann

James Spann: Dry weather continues for Alabama today; not as windy

James Spann has the Alabama forecast for midweek from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

DRY MAY DAYS: Temperatures are mostly in the 40s across Alabama early this morning, but again we are seeing some spots in the mid to upper 30s over the northern half of the state. Today will be another sunny day with a high in the 70s. The afternoon will be breezy, but not as windy as recent days; winds today will average 10-20 mph.

Tonight will be clear and cool again with a low generally in the 40s; it might be the last time we see a low in the 40s until sometime in late September. The day Thursday will be sunny with a high back in the 70s.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: Friday will be partly sunny and warm, and a few isolated showers could form during the afternoon and evening as moisture levels rise. But odds of any one place seeing rain are only 20-25%. The high will be close to 80 degrees.

Saturday will be warm with a mix of sun and clouds; temperatures reach the low 80s by afternoon. A few scattered showers or storms are possible, but the rain won’t be especially widespread or heavy. The chance of any one community getting wet is 40-50%. Sunday looks mostly dry with only an outside risk of a brief shower. Temperatures reach the mid 80s Sunday afternoon.

NEXT WEEK: The week will feature a summerlike pattern with warm, humid air and highs in the 80s. There will be some risk of scattered showers and storms daily, most active during the afternoon and evening.ON THIS DATE IN 1999: There were 63 tornadoes in Oklahoma, making this the worst outbreak ever to strike the state. In central Oklahoma alone, eight individual supercell thunderstorms produced 57 tornadoes. Bridge Creek, Moore and southern parts of the Oklahoma City metro area were hit the hardest. When it was near Moore, a truck-mounted Doppler radar measured a wind speed of 318 mph, the highest ever observed in a tornado. Forecasters at the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, Oklahoma, were faced with the unprecedented situation of a major tornado on the ground threatening their location. As a major F5 tornado was approaching the Oklahoma City metro area from the southwest, the SPC notified its backup, the Air Force Weather Agency at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, that it might have to assume operational responsibility if the tornado approached Norman. The storm remained several miles west of the facility but was visible from the SPC roof.

Damage from this single tornado was around $1 billion, making it the costliest tornado in history. Estimated damage from the entire outbreak was $1.485 billion, making this the most expensive tornado outbreak ever. In all, 2,314 homes were destroyed and an additional 7,428 were damaged. To the north in Kansas, an F4 tornado tracked 24 miles through Sumner and Sedgwick counties, killing six, injuring 154 and causing $146 million in damages. Haysville and Wichita sustained severe damage.

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