COBALT BLUE SKY: There’s not a cloud in the Alabama sky this afternoon as a very dry air mass remains in place. Temperatures are generally in the mid 50s; the average high for Birmingham on Nov. 1 is 71. Tonight will be clear and cold; another freeze is likely for north Alabama, with frost down into the southern counties of the state.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: The dry air mass remains in place, and the weekend will feature sunny, cool days and clear, cold nights. Highs will be 59-62 for most places, with lows in the 30s early Sunday morning.

NEXT WEEK: Don’t look for much change during the first half of the week. It should be dry through Wednesday with a slow warming trend; the high will be close to 70 by Wednesday. Then, a cold front passes through Thursday evening with some risk of rain, but probably nothing too heavy or widespread because of limited moisture. A new surge of cool, dry air arrives by Friday. There’s no sign of any severe weather issues for the next 10 days.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: It will be clear and cold for the high school games in the state tonight; temperatures will be in the 40s.

Saturday evening, Auburn hosts Ole Miss (kickoff at 6). The sky will be clear with temperatures falling from near 54 at kickoff into the 40s by halftime.

UAB travels to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers (6 p.m. kickoff). The weather there will be clear and cold. Temperatures will fall from 51 degrees at kickoff through the 40s, possibly reaching the upper 30s by the final whistle.

Jacksonville State is also on the road in Tennessee, playing UT-Martin Saturday (2 p.m. Central kickoff). The sky will be sunny with temperatures in the mid 50s during the game.

WAY TOO EARLY BAMA/LSU FORECAST: Medium-range global models suggest the weather in Alabama will be cool and dry for the Alabama/LSU game on Saturday, Nov. 9. Of course, this could change, but the weather looks excellent for now.

LOWS THIS MORNING: These are low temperatures across Alabama early this morning:

• Hamilton — 27
• Heflin — 29
• Remlap — 29
• Decatur — 29
• Millport — 29
• Gadsden — 29
• Cottondale — 29
• Courtland — 29
• Birmingham Airport — 30
• Cullman — 30
• Huntsville — 30
• Black Creek — 30
• Moody — 30
• Hueytown — 31
• Arley — 31
• Mountain Brook — 31
• Muscle Shoals — 32
• Inverness — 32
• Tuscaloosa — 33
• Anniston — 33
• Montgomery — 34
• Mobile — 36

TIME CHANGE: Don’t forget we go back on standard time this weekend; set your clocks back one hour before you go to bed Saturday night. The sunset Sunday for Birmingham will be at 4:53 p.m.

ON THIS DATE IN 1870: United States Army Signal Corps observers at 24 sites around the country simultaneously made weather reports and transmitted them to Washington, where a national weather map would be drawn. This started the process of sending out weather reports by telegraph to metropolitan newspapers. This would be the beginning of our present-day National Weather Service.

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