Thursday Morning Weather Briefing Plus Cloudy Skyleonard’s Take on the Weather for the Weekend Games

No video today, but the good news in the Weather Department is that the Big Boss will be back in the saddle tomorrow morning for all of the Friday weather. The man is amazing. But you already knew that…

WEDNESDAY was a neat kind of day, with a mix of clouds and sun, and a stiff easterly breeze that made it pretty chilly as it gusted to near 20 mph at times. High temperature across North and Central Alabama ranged from 59F at Eufaula and Alex City to 69F at Tuscaloosa. I know, we usually have a north to south temperature gradient, but this east to west one was courtesy of the easterly wedge. Lows overnight were in the 40s over the North and Northwest with 50s elsewhere.

THE SURFACE LOW over the Gulf of Mexico is weakening, and as it loses its influence today, sunshine will be increasing across Alabama, especially the northern third of the state, making for a nice day. High temperatures across the area will be in the lower 70s over the northern half of Alabama, with a few upper 60s over East Central Alabama thanks to the remaining vestiges of that easterly wedge.

NOTE FROM THE TROPICS: A surface low is expected to form off the coast of Southeast Florida and move northeastward over the next 24 hours. And meanwhile, there is still a chance that a tropical depression could form over the western Caribbean over the next 24-36 hours. Observations from SKSP show lowered pressures with a barometer of 1007 mb at La Isla de San Andres off the coast of Nicaragua, so we know a surface low is lurking there. The GFS and its ensemble members take it northward, slowly strengthening as it goes, turning it northeast by Friday and carrying it near the Windward Passage between Cuba and Hispaniola and to near the Turks and Caicos by Sunday. 9/10s of the intensity guidance keeps it a tropical storm, with a couple of models like the HMON taking it up to a Category One. Will be fun to watch. If it does become a tropical storm, the NHC will name it Vince.

CLOSER TO HOME: A cold front will be approaching our state from the northwest on Friday. The good news for anyone who has anything planned on Friday, it that the showers will be scarcer than hen’s teeth. The bad news is that if you are tending a garden, you want the rain. High temperatures Friday will be in the upper 60s Northwest and lower 70s elsewhere. The front will reach Northwest Alabama by evening, sweeping southeastward through the overnight hours and ending up near Panama City by Saturday morning. Lows will be in the upper 40s to lower 50s Friday night.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK: Saturday and Sunday won’t be bad, with a good supply of sunshine both days. Saturday and Sunday highs will be in the lower and middle 60s. Overnight lows will reach the 30s over the northern half of Alabama with some lower 40s to the south.

FOOTBALL FORECAST LEONARD’S LOSERS STYLE: Well, howdy football fans! This is Cloudy Skyleonard, bringing you a quick peek at the skies over our three local football teams’ games this coming Cupcake Satuhday…The Alabama Crimson Tide and the Chattanooga Mocs will tangle in T-town at 11 a.m. and the Pachyderms and Mockingbirds better hold onto their helmets, ’cause there’s gonna be a brisk northwesterly wind a-blowin’ behind a cold front, faster than a jackrabbit on a hot griddle. Skies will be clearin’ up quicker than a smile on payday, perfect for some pigskin action. Temperatures are gonna be as mild as grandma’s sweet tea, rising from a cozy 63°F at kickoff to a toasty 65°F by game’s end. So, pack a light jacket and get ready for a day as pleasant as a porch swing in springtime.

Auburn vs New Mexico State, 3 pm Saturday: By the time that eagle flies over Jordan Hare, the skies above the loveliest village on the Plains will have cleared, shining as bright as a polished apple at the Lee County fair. The temperatures, starting off at a comfortable 69°F, will have fallen to a brisk 59°F by the final whistle, just as the toilet paper starts flying high in Toomer’s Corner. So, folks, you’ll have wanted to bring a cozy jacket, as comforting as a fireside chat, because it will have turned into a splendid evening for football, with weather as delightful as a slice of pie at a family reunion.

Temple at UAB, 2 p.m.: Our smart little pill machine is ready to forecast the future as the Owls trek to the Pittsburgh of the South for their 2 PM kickoff at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. By the time the clock hits zero, the temperatures, which will have started off at a nifty 62°F, will have risen to a snug 64°F, only to fall back to a crisp 59°F as the game wraps up. The skies, partly cloudy like a patchwork quilt, will have kept things interesting, while a breezy northwest wind will have been blowing through the stadium, lively as a square dance on a Saturday night. So, fans, you’ll have wanted to dress in layers, as cozy as a potluck supper, because by the end of the game, you’ll have enjoyed weather as varied as a potpourri at a country fair.

Enjoy the games, y’all, and remember, it’s a fine day for football, with weather playing nicer than a kitten in a yarn basket! Get me outta here Percy!

THE HOLIDAY WEEK: The week two period will be busy with a nice rainmaker for Monday the 20th (no one complaining here). Dry and cool for Thanksgiving and Black Friday, with a weakening front moving in by that Saturday. The Iron Bowl looks dry and seasonably cool. Wet again on Monday the 27th.

BEACHCAST: Not a bad week along the beautiful beaches of Alabama and Northwest Florida. The weather will be nice, except for some rainy conditions Monday and perhaps into early Tuesday. The rip current risk continues high with seas running 4-6 feet today. Things should improve tomorrow. Water temperatures are dropping now. They are in the middle 60s.

Click here to see the Beach Forecast Center page.

ADVERTISE WITH US: Deliver your message to a highly engaged audience by advertising on the AlabamaWX.com website. We have a lot of big plans for this year. Don’t miss out! We can customize a creative, flexible, and affordable package that will suit your organization’s needs. Contact me, Bill Murray, at (205) 687-0782 and let’s talk.

WEATHERBRAINS: This week, the panel will entertain the folks from Google Deep Mind AI who think they have cracked the weather forecasting puzzle. 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.

WEATHERPODS TELETHON BENEFITTING THE AMERICAN RED CROSS SATURDAY: Join four of the best weather podcasts, including WeatherBrains, as we do a marathon 12 hour broadcast Saturday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. CST. Our hour is 3 p.m. CST when we will talk to Ken Graham, Mike Bettes, and Dr. Neil’s Mom. Watch it live at www.youtube.com/weatherbrains and donate at www.bit.ly/WxPodsTelethon.

A TERRIBLE DAY ON MT. WRIGHTSON: In November 1958, a record-breaking snowstorm struck Tucson, Arizona, resulting in over 5 inches of snow in the city and an astonishing three to seven feet of snow in the Santa Rita Mountains. On this fateful day, six Boy Scouts from Tucson had embarked on a day hike to Mt. Baldy, now known as Mt. Wrightson. Unexpectedly, they were caught in an arctic-like blizzard. Three scouts turned back, but the remaining three, Mike Early, David Greenberg, and Michael La Noue, continued and tragically lost their lives in the storm. The severe weather conditions led to the largest search operation in Arizona’s history, involving over 750 searchers for 19 days. This tragic event is memorialized in Cathy Hufault’s book, “Death Clouds on Mt. Baldy,” which details the boys’ story and the extensive search efforts that followed. We will talk to Cathy on the February 12th WeatherBrains. Follow my weather history tweets on Twitter. I am @wxhistorian at Twitter.com.

Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Tropical