Published On: 11.29.23 | 

By: James Spann

James Spann: Rain returns to Alabama late Thursday night; wet at times Friday, Saturday

James Spann forecasts a gradual warm-up for Alabama by the weekend from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

FRIGID START: For most of Alabama this is the coldest morning so far this season. Here are some temperatures just before sunrise:

  • Tuckers Chapel (Cherokee County) — 17
  • Gadsden — 18
  • Fort Payne — 18
  • Ashville — 18
  • Margaret — 19
  • Haleyville — 20
  • Jasper — 21
  • Pell City — 21
  • Chelsea — 21
  • Hueytown — 21
  • Decatur — 23
  • Anniston — 23
  • Muscle Shoals — 23
  • Trussville — 23
  • Huntsville — 24
  • Birmingham — 26
  • Greenville — 26
  • Montgomery — 27
  • Northport — 27
  • Tuscaloosa — 27
  • Auburn — 29
  • Ozark — 29
  • Dothan — 32
  • Mobile — 33

Today will be another mostly sunny day with highs in the 50s over north Alabama and 60s for the southern counties. Another freeze is likely for some early Thursday; then we will have a warming trend through the weekend.

Thursday will be dry with a partly sunny sky, but rain returns to the state late Thursday night, generally after 10 p.m.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: The weather will be wet and unsettled, with multiple waves of rain and a few thunderstorms. The Storm Prediction Center has defined a low-end “marginal risk” (level 1 out of 5) of severe thunderstorms for the southern two-thirds of Alabama Friday; there could be sufficient instability for a few storms with gusty winds during the afternoon and evening.

Occasional rain will continue Saturday and Saturday night, with potential for some thunder. The rain will likely end early Sunday morning, and drier air moves in by Sunday afternoon and night. Rain potential Thursday night through Sunday will be around 4 inches for the southeast corner of the state, 2-3 inches for the southern counties, 1-2 inches for places like Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Anniston and Gadsden, and around 1 inch for the Tennessee Valley of north Alabama.

Expect highs between 65 and 70 degrees over the weekend with very little sun.

NEXT WEEK: For now, the weather next week looks dry with seasonal temperatures — highs in the 50s and 60s, with lows in the 30s and 40s.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the high school playoff games Friday night, rain is possible statewide but most likely over the southern counties. Temperatures will be in the 50s.

For fans headed to Saturday’s SEC Championship game in Atlanta (Alabama vs. Georgia, 3 p.m. CT kickoff), the game is being played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium under the dome, but outside the stadium rain is likely with temperatures in the low to mid 60s.

TROPICS: The Atlantic basin is quiet, and hurricane season ends Thursday.

ON THIS DATE IN 1991: A tornado struck southeast Springfield, Missouri, causing F4 damage. Shortly after touchdown, the tornado reached F3 intensity approximately 3 miles north of the town of Nixa. While crossing Highway 65, the tornado picked up a truck and dropped it onto a frontage road, killing one passenger and injuring 10 others. The tornado intensified to F4 strength as it moved through the Woodbridge and Natural Bridge Estates subdivisions, where 15 homes were destroyed. Altogether, two people were killed and 64 others injured.

ON THIS DATE IN 2022: Several tornadoes touched down across Alabama, including an EF-3 that began in Greene County, Mississippi, and lifted in Washington County in southwest Alabama.

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