James Spann: Mild weather for Alabama again Wednesday; showers Thursday, then cooler
MILD NOVEMBER AFTERNOON: The sky is partly to mostly sunny across Alabama this afternoon with temperatures between 70 and 75 degrees. The average high for Birmingham on Nov. 16 is 65. Tonight will be mostly fair with a low between 48 and 55 degrees.
The high Wednesday will rise back into the low to mid 70s with a partly to mostly sunny sky, but it will be the last day with a high in the 70s for a while. Clouds return Thursday ahead of a cold front, and a few showers will likely pass thorough Thursday afternoon. Moisture will be limited and rain amounts should be one-quarter inch or less for most places. The high Thursday will be in the mid 60s.
FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: Friday will be sunny and cooler with a high in the upper 50s for most places. Sunny weather continues Saturday; after a low in the 30s the high will be in the mid 60s, perfect college football weather. Sunday will be partly sunny with a high in the upper 60s; clouds will increase Sunday night.
THANKSGIVING WEEK: Monday will be cloudy and cooler with a chance of showers as another cold front passes through. The high will drop into the low to mid 50s. Cool, dry weather will continue Tuesday and Wednesday. The latest global model set suggests there will be some risk of rain Thanksgiving Day for the northern third of Alabama.
RAIN UPDATE: Here are rain totals since Jan. 1, and the departure from average:
- Mobile — 77.58 inches (18.2 inches above average)
- Birmingham — 64.01 (14.45 above average)
- Tuscaloosa — 62.55 (16.45 above average)
- Huntsville — 58.3 (12.26 above average)
- Muscle Shoals — 56.74 (10.37 above average)
- Dothan — 56.69 (9.79 above average)
- Montgomery — 50.96 (6.84 above average)
- Anniston — 43.13 (2.08 below average)
ON THIS DATE IN 1989: Snow squalls moved across north Alabama with temperatures in the low 30s, making for challenging conditions for tornado recovery efforts in Huntsville. The day before, an F4 tornado had torn through the southern part of the city, killing 21 people and injuring almost 500.
ON THIS DATE IN 2006: An early-morning F3 tornado killed eight people, injured 20 others and left 100 people homeless in Riegelwood, North Carolina. This storm was the second-deadliest tornado in the state in the past 50 years.
ON THIS DATE IN 2011: An EF-1 tornado touched down in northeast Macon County near Notasulga. It continued northeastward into Lee County and caused extensive tree damage, which resulted in damage to dozens of homes and mobile homes on the western side of Auburn. Several residences were destroyed. The tornado crossed the southern edge of Auburn University’s campus and caused damage to homes and the baseball facilities at Auburn High School. The tornado moved across Lake Harding and into Georgia, then across Harris County, Georgia, for another 26 miles and strengthened to an EF2. The total tornado path length was 59 miles.
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