COOL START: Here are some temperatures across Alabama just before sunrise …
Gadsden 52
Jasper 52
Haleyville 54
Courtland 54
Chelsea 54
Oneonta 56
Anniston 57
Moody 58
Fort Payne 59
Huntsville 59
Cullman 59
Demopolis 59
Muscle Shoals 60
Troy 60
Birmingham 61
Decatur 61
Montgomery 63
Dothan 64
Mobile 67
A dry airmass covers Alabama this morning; the sky will be sunny today with a high in the 78–84-degree range for most communities. No change tomorrow; a good supply of sunshine with a high in the low to mid 80s. Then, on Sunday, moist air begins to move northward, and we will bring in a chance of showers for the southern quarter of the state (mainly south of U.S. 84).
NEXT WEEK: We will maintain the chance of showers over South Alabama Monday, any showers over the rest of the state will be isolated. The prospect of a good, widespread rain isn’t good for the Deep South; we expect only spotty showers on a daily basis for the rest of the week with highs holding in the 80s. Global models do suggest cooler air moving in late in the week with highs in the 70s for the northern half of the state Friday.
TROPICS: A tropical wave is expected to move off the coast of Africa over the next day or two. Thereafter, this wave is forecast to interact with another disturbance in the eastern tropical Atlantic, and some slow development of the combined feature is possible as the system moves westward to west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph. The chance of development is 30%.
Closer to home, an area of low pressure may form along a remnant frontal boundary near the northwestern Bahamas and southern Florida during the next day or two. Any additional development is expected to be slow to occur as the system moves northwestward across the Florida Peninsula and into the Gulf. Chance of development is only 10%; no tropical storms or hurricanes are expected across the Gulf for at least the next 7-10 days.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: UAB hosts Army tomorrow at Protective Stadium (11 a.m. kickoff) … the sky will be mostly sunny with temperatures rising into the mid 80s.
Alabama hosts Vanderbilt tomorrow in Tuscaloosa (2:30 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be mostly sunny with temperatures in the mid 80s at kickoff, falling to near 80 by the final whistle.
Troy will host South Alabama tomorrow evening (6 p.m. kickoff) … expect a mostly clear sky with temperatures falling from the low 80s at kickoff into the 70s during the second half of the game.
ON THIS DATE IN 1903: An unusual late-season tornado moved northeast from west of Chatfield, Minnesota, passing through and devastating St. Charles, Minnesota. Seven people were killed, and 30 injured as 50 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed.
ON THIS DATE IN 1979: An F4 tornado struck the towns of Windsor, Windsor Locks, and Suffield in Connecticut, causing an estimated $400 million in property damage, on this day. The New England Air Museum, which housed more than 20 vintage aircraft, was destroyed. This tornado also caused a United Airlines flight to abort a landing at the Bradley International Airport because the pilot saw the tornado.
ON THIS DATE IN 2002: Hurricane Lili made landfall between White Lake and Vermilion Bay, Louisiana as a Category 1 storm.
For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit the Alabama Weather Network.
