Trending Drier Today; Clouds Linger
RADAR CHECK: Rain lingers over parts of East and Southeast Alabama early this morning; that should be out of the state by 8:00 a.m. as the surface low (non-tropical) in the Gulf of Mexico moves eastward. Clouds will stick around for much of the day, although there could be a few intervals of sunshine this afternoon. Today’s high will be in the 69-75 degree range for most communities… the average high for Birmingham on October 12 is 78.
Tomorrow will be a mostly cloudy day across the state, and a disturbance could squeeze out out a few spotty showers, mainly over the eastern counties. Nothing too widespread or heavy, and the high will be in the upper 60s and low 70s.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: On Saturday, early morning clouds will give way to a partly to mostly sunny sky with a high in the 70s. Sunday will be breezy and much cooler with a high only in the low to mid 60s along with a mix of sun and clouds. A north wind of 10-20 mph will make it feel cooler. We drop into the 40s Monday morning.
NEXT WEEK: At this point the week looks cool and dry. Highs in the 60s through Wednesday, then in the low 70s Thursday and Friday. See the video briefing for maps, graphics, and more details.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the high school games tomorrow night, the sky will be mostly cloudy with just a small risk of a shower. Temperatures will fall from near 70 at kickoff to the mid 60s by the final whistle.
Saturday, Alabama hosts Arkansas at Bryant-Denny Stadium (11a CT kickoff). The sky will be partly too mostly sunny with temperatures rising from near 72 at kickoff, into the mid 70s by the fourth quarter.
Auburn will be in Baton Rouge to take on LSU (6:00p CT kickoff). The sky will be clear with temperatures falling from near 76 at kickoff, into the upper 60s by the final whistle.
UAB is also on the road… they will take on UTSA in San Antonio (7:00p CT kickoff). The Roadrunners play their home games at the Alamodome, so weather won’t be an issue. But for the fans headed that way Saturday will be a sunny day in San Antonio with a high in the mid 80s. It will be clear Saturday night with temperatures falling through the 70s after sunset.
TROPICS: Sean is now a weak, sheared tropical depression in the Atlantic about 890 miles west/southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. It will likely dissipate by Saturday far from land.
And, a broad area of low pressure (Invest 94L) located several hundred miles to the south-southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands is producing some disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Environmental conditions could support some slow development of this system over the next several days while it moves generally westward across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic. NHC gives it a 30 percent chance of development.
SOLAR ECLIPSE SATURDAY: The annular solar eclipse (the path runs from parts of South Texas to Oregon) will be visible in Alabama as a partial eclipse. For Birmingham (and most of Alabama), it begins at 10:38a CT, peaks at 12:08p CT, and ends at 1:43p CT. At the peak 57.5 percent of the sun will be obscured by the moon. For now it looks like the sky will be mostly clear during the event here… be sure and use eclipse glasses from a reputable dealer! Never watch a solar eclipse with the naked eye or sunglasses.
ON THIS DATE IN 1962: The Columbus Day Storm of 1962 was a Pacific Northwest windstorm that struck the West Coast of Canada and the Pacific Northwest Coast of the United States. It is considered the benchmark of extratropical wind storms. The storm ranks among the most intense to strike the region since at least 1948, likely since the January 9, 1880 “Great Gale” and snowstorm.
ON THIS DATE IN 1979: The lowest barometric pressure ever recorded occurs in the center of Typhoon Tip. A fly reconnaissance mission recorded the low pressure of 870 mb or 25.69 inHg. Typhoon Tip was the most extensive tropical cyclone on record with a wind diameter of 1380 miles at its peak.
Look for the next video briefing here by 3:00 this afternoon… enjoy the day!
Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Weather Xtreme Videos
About the Author (Author Profile)
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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