Showers End Early This Morning; Clearing, Cooler, Less Humid This Afternoon
ON THE MAPS: A strong cold front is over the northwest corner of Alabama early this morning… a band of showers is along the front over the northern third of the state. The front will race through over the next few hours, and all of the showers should be out of the state by 9-10 a.m. Then, the sky becomes mostly sunny, and a northwest wind of 10-20 mph will usher in cooler and much drier air. The high today will be in the mid 70s for most communities; the average high for Birmingham on September 22 is 84.
The cold front is right on time… today is the first “official” day of fall. The autumnal equinox comes at 2:20p CT… we will have approximately 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness.
TOMORROW THROUGH THE WEEKEND: We are looking at the beginning of an extended period of dry weather for the state. Expect picture perfect fall weather with sunny pleasant days and clear cool nights. The high tomorrow will be in the mid 70s, followed by upper 70s Friday, and low 80s over the weekend. Morning lows will be in the 45-55 degree range for most communities tomorrow and Friday morning, easily the coolest air so far this season.
NEXT WEEK: New global model data suggests the week will stay rain-free with mostly sunny days. Highs will be in the 81-85 degree range, with lows mostly in the low 60s. See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.
TROPICS: Pater and Rose are now tropical depressions in the Atlantic, and will dissipate soon over open water. The remnants of Odette, in the North Atlantic, are being monitored for possible redevelopment, but the system will remain far from land. And, Invest 98L in the central Atlantic has a high chance of becoming a tropical depression or storm soon, but it will turn northward before reaching the Leeward Islands and seems to be no threat to land.
There are no tropical systems threatening the Gulf of Mexico or the U.S. at least for the next seven days.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: Perfect weather for the high school games across Alabama tomorrow and Friday; clear and cool with temperatures falling through the 60s.
Here are the forecasts for the college games Saturday:
GEORGIA STATE AT AUBURN (3p CT kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium): A clear sky with temperatures falling from near 80 degrees at kickoff into the low 70s by the final whistle.
SOUTHERN MISS AT ALABAMA (6:30p CT kickoff at Bryant-Denny Stadium): Clear and very pleasant. Kickoff temperature near 78 degrees, falling into the upper 60s by the fourth quarter.
UAB AT TULANE (7p CT kickoff at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans): A clear sky with temperatures falling from 77 degrees at kickoff to near 70 by the final whistle.
UT-MARTIN AT JACKSONVILLE STATE (3p CT kickoff at Burgess-Snow Field): A beautiful day; the sky will be clear with temperatures falling from 79 degrees at kickoff to near 70 by the end of the game.
TROY AT LA-MONROE (7p CT kickoff at Monroe, LA): The sky will be clear with temperatures falling from near 80 at kickoff, into the upper 60s by the final whistle.
ON THIS DATE IN 2006: Six tornadoes touched down across North Alabama… three of them were in Blount County, others were in Marshall and Colbert counties. An EF-2 in Blount County at Oneonta brought down numerous trees and power lines. Oneonta High School suffered significant damage to its football field press box, and two concession stands were destroyed. The high school structure also sustained roof damage. The Blount County Courthouse sustained roof damage and many flagpoles were broken. Several homes and outbuildings received major damage, and a local gas station had its canopy blown off. Three people were injured, one seriously.
This was part of an outbreak of 48 tornadoes across the Central U.S.; this was one of the most widespread non-tropical September outbreaks in United States history, yet no tornado-related deaths occurred.
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Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:00 this afternoon… enjoy the day!
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James Spann is one of the most recognized and trusted television meteorologists in the industry. He holds the AMS CCM designation and television seals from the AMS and NWA. He is a past winner of the Broadcast Meteorologist of the Year from both professional organizations.Subscribe
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