WARM NOVEMBER DAYS: Expect a high between 78 and 82 degrees across Alabama today and Friday, about 10 degrees above average for early November. We will forecast a mix of sun and clouds both days with just a few isolated showers; the chance of any one spot seeing rain is 20-25%.

A few scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible both Saturday and Sunday; the chance of rain for any one community both days is 50-60%. But the rain distribution will be uneven, and it isn’t the kind of rain that will break a drought. The high will be near 80 Saturday, followed by mid 70s Sunday.

NEXT WEEK: A few isolated showers are possible Monday, but Tuesday and Wednesday look dry. Highs for the first half of the week will stay in the 70s. A cold front will bring some chance of isolated showers and cooler air; highs drop into the 60s Thursday and Friday with lows in the 40s.

TROPICS: Hurricane Rafael, with winds of 105 mph, is about 180 miles west of Key West this morning in the southeast Gulf of Mexico. It is moving northwest at 12 mph.

A ridge over the northern Gulf will keep Rafael well to the south of the central Gulf Coast; it will move westward over the next few days. By early next week it will likely be sheared apart and no threat to land.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: A few isolated showers are possible for the high school football playoff games across Alabama Friday night, but most stadiums will be dry. The sky will be mostly cloudy with temperatures falling through the 70s.

On Saturday, UAB will host UConn at Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham (1:30 p.m. kickoff); expect a mix of sun and clouds with a passing shower possible during the game. Temperatures will hover between 78 and 81 degrees.

Alabama will be in Baton Rouge to take on LSU (6:30 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be cloudy with a few periods of rain possible; temperatures will fall slowly through the 70s. Some lightning and thunder can’t be ruled out.

ON THIS DATE IN 1957: A historic tornado outbreak affected southeast Texas and southwestern Louisiana. Ten people were killed.

ON THIS DATE IN 2001: Typhoon Lingling struck the southern Philippines, killing 171 people with 118 missing in Camiguin. The typhoon then struck Vietnam five days later, killing an additional 18 people.

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