Sunday Weather Briefing Video: Dry Until Friday

October is arguably the nicest month for weather in Central Alabama. Of course, our perception of what is nice is subjective and personal. A slow day-long soaking rain is probably the most beautiful weather I can think of almost anytime. More about October in a minute.

LOOKING BACK ON SEPTEMBER: The month we just left was a warm and dry one for most. At Birmingham, the total precipitation for the month was 1.94 inches, well below the mean of 4.00 inches. The mean temperature was 2.75 degrees warmer than normal. We saw 10 days with highs of 90 or above, just above the long-term average of 9.2.

RACE DAY IN BAMA: Thousands of folks are heading to Talladega for the bi-annual spectacle. The weather will be nearly perfect, albeit a little warm. Fans should make sure to dress comfortably, and wear a hat and sunscreen. Drink plenty of water and be alert for the signs of heat related illness. Highs will be in the middle and upper 80s today. Skies will be partly cloudy and the chance of rain is zero. Winds will be out of the east at 5-8 mph. Fair skies and calm conditions tonight with low in the lower 60s.

THE WEEK AHEAD: Strong high pressure ridging down the eastern part of the nation will be in charge of Alabama’s weather through at least Thursday, with partly cloudy skies and dry conditions each day. Highs will be in the lower and middle 80s each day. Lows will be in the upper 50s and lower 60s. A trough will establish itself over the East by Friday, and an approaching front will bring us a small chance of showers on Friday, but with meager moisture, rain chances and amounts will be low.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK: Saturday and Sunday look dry and slightly cooler. Saturday highs will be in the lower 70s North and middle and upper 70s Central. There could be an 80 degree reading across South Central sections of the state. Sunday morning lows will be in the 40s North and lower 50s Central. Sunday highs will be limited to the 60s over the Tennessee Valley, with lower 70s Central.

VOODOO TERRITORY: Low pressure dominates the landscape in the week two period. But things should be dry until Thursday, when another front will push through. Temperatures look just a tad cooler than normal, with highs in the lower and middle 70s and lows in the middle 50s through midweek. Highs late in the week into the weekend will be in the

OCTOBER ALMANAC: October ranks as the driest month in Birmingham with an average 3.34 inches of rainfall in the month. 11.90 inches fell in October 1995, thanks to Hurricane Opal. Four Octobers have been completely dry, including 1897, 1899, 1901 and 1924. October 2016 saw only a trace as we were in the middle of a flash drought.

Temperatures will really start to fall off in the month ahead as the heat budget continues to become more negative as daily sunlight continues to decrease in both duration and sky angle. The average high at the beginning of the month is 82F, but that will fall to 70F by the end of the month. The average low for the 1st is 60F, but that too will fall to 46F by Halloween.

Birmingham’s earliest recorded freeze occurred on October 18, 1948. The coldest it has ever been in the Magic City in any October is 27F on October 28, 1957, and October 29, 1952. On October 3, 2019, Birmingham recorded a record high of 101F. A high of 90F has been recorded as late as October 20th. We only see 90F in the month about once every three years. On average, measurable rain is received on 7.1 days in the month and thunderstorms occur on an average of 1.5 days.

BEACHCAST: A beautiful week along the beaches of Alabama and Northwest Florida. It should be rain free through Friday, with a few showers on Saturday. The following week looks great too. Highs throughout the two weeks will be in the 80s. Lows will be in the 60s. Water temperatures are around 80F. The rip current risk will be high starting tonight through midweek.

Click here to see the Beach Forecast Center page.

IN THE TROPICS: Rina is about 1200 miles east northeast of the northern Leeward Islands this morning. If it has not already weakened into a depression by the time you read this, it won’t be long. In fact, it will become post-tropical by tomorrow. Philippe will be passing about 150-175 miles east northeast of the northern Leewards today and tonight. That sounds like a close shave, but the tropical storm has winds of 50 mph this morning and they are mostly on the eastern side of the storm. The storm should gradually strengthen over the next few days as Rina gets out of the way. It should become a hurricane by Tuesday evening. By Thursday night, Philippe should be a 90 mph hurricane about 359 miles east southeast of Bermuda.

DANCING WITH THE STATS: More record highs across the South on Saturday, including 96F at Baton Rouge, LA and Greenville, Greenwood, and Vicksburg in Mississippi. It was 98F in Alexandria LA. All of these readings were records for the date.

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WEATHERBRAINS: This week, the panel will entertain. Check out the show at www.WeatherBrains.com. You can also subscribe on iTunes. You can watch the show live on our new YouTube channel for the show.You will be able to see the show on the James Spann 24×7 weather channel on cable or directly over the air on the dot 2 feed.

ON THIS DATE IN 1893: Second major hurricane of the year strikes the Bayou Country of Louisiana with little warning. Heavy destruction was reported along the coast from Timbalier Bay in Louisiana to Pensacola FL. Landfall occurred between Port Eads and New Orleans. Winds reached hurricane force around nightfall and continued to increase until the eye crossed the shore about 11 p.m. By 10 PM, the storm surge was increasing water levels along the low-lying coastal sections. Tides reached 15 feet along the Louisiana coast and 16 feet on the Chandeleur Islands. Waves reached as high as the lantern at the Chandeleur Island Lighthouse. 2000 people died in the storm, 779 from Cheniere Caminada and 250 at Grand Lake alone. Follow my weather history tweets on Twitter. I am @wxhistorian at Twitter.com.

Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Tropical