Published On: 10.17.24 | 

By: James Spann

James Spann: Warming trend ahead for Alabama; still dry through next week

COLD START: Here are some temperatures across Alabama just before sunrise:

  • Fort Payne — 31
  • Gadsden — 31
  • Jasper — 32
  • Cottondale — 32
  • Morris — 32
  • Haleyville — 33
  • Hueytown — 34
  • Anniston — 34
  • Chelsea — 34
  • Pell City — 34
  • Cullman — 34
  • Troy — 35
  • Decatur — 35
  • Oneonta — 35
  • Huntsville — 36
  • Greenville — 37
  • Prattville — 38
  • Montgomery — 38
  • Tuscaloosa — 38
  • Ozark — 39
  • Dothan — 42
  • Mobile — 46

With sunshine in full supply, temperatures reach the upper 60s over north Alabama, with low to mid 70s to the south. Tonight will be cold again, and many communities across north and central Alabama will see some frost again early Friday morning.

Friday will be sunny with a high in the 70s.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Look for sunny, pleasant days and fair, cool nights with highs in the 70s and lows in the 40s. The warming trend continues next week, with low 80s by midweek. Dry air means no rain.

DRY: Today is the 19th consecutive day with no rain for most of Alabama.

TROPICS: Showers and thunderstorms associated with a trough of low pressure several hundred miles east of the Leeward Islands remain disorganized. Environmental conditions appear only marginally conducive for slow development as the disturbance moves quickly westward to west-northwestward around 20 mph, passing near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Friday, then near the Greater Antilles over the weekend. The National Hurricane Center has dropped the chance of development to 30%.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: We’ll have perfect weather for high school football games across Alabama Friday night — a clear sky with temperatures in the mid 60s at kickoff, falling into the 50s during the second half.

Saturday, Auburn plays Missouri in Columbia (11 a.m. CT kickoff). The sky will be sunny with temperatures rising from near 68 at kickoff into the low 70s during the second half.

Alabama will be in Knoxville to take on Tennessee (2:30 p.m. CT kickoff). It will be sunny and about 70 degrees at kickoff, falling into the 60s by the fourth quarter.

UAB will be in Tampa to play South Florida (2:30 p.m. CT kickoff). The weather will be sunny and warm, with temperatures in the low to mid 80s.

ON THIS DATE IN 1910: A Category 4 hurricane moved north-northeast, passing just east of the Dry Tortugas. The maximum storm surge observed in Key West was 8 feet, with 15-foot waves at what is now Fort Zachary Taylor State Park.

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