Bill Murray: One more warm day, then sharply colder Sunday
DENSE FOG THIS MORNING
Ample low-level moisture resulted in fog development overnight across North and Central Alabama as clouds cleared in the wake of afternoon and evening showers and storms. Visibilities will be less than one-quarter through mid-morning, so exercise caution if you will be driving early today.
ALABAMA THIS MORNING
It’s a foggy start for North and Central Alabama with a nearly saturated airmass in place and temperatures in the 60s across the entire state. Highs today will be in the mid- to upper-60s across the northern and central parts of the state, with lower 80s over South Alabama.
Fog was the predominant condition reported by our Skywatchers this morning, but Steve Jones did report 0.44 inches of rain overnight from thunderstorms after midnight. Join the team! Learn how to become a Spann Skywatcher.
ALABAMA 7 DAY FORECAST
A push of much colder air is on the way for the second half of the weekend, but today stays warm and humid with patchy fog, a few showers, and a strong cold front looming for Sunday.
SUN AND A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS
Patchy fog and low clouds are widespread early this morning, especially across south Alabama and the Wiregrass, with some mist or drizzle around daybreak. A few leftover showers may pass through east Alabama through mid-morning before skies gradually brighten from west to east. Highs climb into the mid to upper 70s statewide, approaching 80 in Montgomery and Mobile. Winds remain light out of the south to southwest, and the severe threat from last night has ended.
MOSTLY QUIET TONIGHT WITH PATCHY FOG
Clouds return after sunset with light southwest winds and enough low-level moisture to support patchy fog again, mainly south of I-20 and closer to I-65 and the coast. Lows stay mild in the upper 50s to lower 60s in north Alabama and mid-60s farther south. A stray shower may develop near the Florida state line, but most of the night is dry.
STRONG FRONT ARRIVES SUNDAY
A much stronger cold front sweeps through the state Sunday morning with a narrow band of showers and a small chance of thunder, mainly before midday. Behind the front, northwest winds increase sharply, gusting 20 to 30 m.p.h. through the afternoon. Temperatures fall quickly after a brief morning warm-up, and the dry air pouring in sets up the coldest night of the season. Highs range from the lower 60s in the north to upper 60s and low 70s in the south before temperatures drop after lunch.
FIRST HARD FREEZE FOR MANY MONDAY AND TUESDAY
A surge of continental Arctic air settles in Sunday night. Lows Monday morning fall into the 20s across north Alabama and near freezing as far south as the I-10 corridor. Monday night will be even colder, with lower to mid-20s across most of central and north Alabama and upper 20s to near 30 in the Wiregrass. Wind chills Monday morning may dip into the upper teens north of Birmingham. Another freeze is expected statewide Tuesday morning.
LATE WEEK WARMING WITH DRY WEATHER
Temperatures begin a steady recovery late week as winds turn more westerly and the coldest air shifts east. Highs return to the 60s Thursday and climb toward the lower 70s by Friday. Overnight lows moderate into the 40s. No rain is expected through the end of the week, and drought conditions will persist.
SOUTH TEXAS RECORDS FALL ON FRIDAY
A burst of early-November heat set multiple records across South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, with Laredo leading the pack at 94 degrees, breaking a mark that had stood since 1927. Brownsville, Harlingen, San Antonio, and Austin all recorded record heat, pushing temperatures far above typical early November levels.
SPOTTY STORMS WITH A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE TENNESSEE VALLEY
A weakening front slides across the Tennessee Valley early today with a few stronger storms still possible, but the overall severe threat is low and fading quickly. Most communities will only see brief downpours and some lightning before the front moves east. Scattered showers linger along the Gulf Coast through the afternoon.
HEAVY GREAT LAKES SNOW AND LIGHT NORTHEAST RAIN
A strengthening storm system spreads a band of heavy snow from northern Minnesota into the Lake Superior shoreline late Saturday into Sunday, with lighter snow expanding across the rest of the Great Lakes. The Northeast sees periods of light rain today with another round of rain and pockets of light snow returning Sunday. Coastal Gulf showers continue but remain hit-or-miss.
COLD AIR SURGING SOUTH OUT OF CANADA
Strong Canadian high pressure pushes south behind the storm, delivering sharply colder air to the Plains, Midwest, and parts of the Mid-South by Sunday. Freezing temperatures expand across the northern tier while brisk winds make it feel even colder. This sets the stage for widespread frost and freeze conditions early next week.
WEST COAST SYSTEM ARRIVES LATE IN THE WEEKEND
A Pacific front reaches the Northwest Coast Sunday evening with light rain along coastal Washington and Oregon. Snow levels remain high, keeping impacts modest, but showers gradually spread inland early next week. This will be the next organized system to track eastward across the country.
SHUTTING DOWN OUR TROPICS SECTION
The Atlantic Basin remains calm and no development is projected over the next two weeks, so we are shutting down our tropical outlook. If something arises in the basin, we will report on it here.
COOL CHANGE COMING TO THE COAST
The Gulf Coast enjoys a mostly quiet early-November stretch this weekend, with low rip current risk and gentle surf of 1 to 2 feet from Dauphin Island to Destin. Morning clouds and pockets of fog give way to brighter skies this afternoon, though a shower or storm may still pop up near the Florida beaches. Highs stay in the mid to upper 70s with light breezes. Saturday brings the best beach weather of the period, mostly sunny and warm, before a sharp cool-down arrives Sunday night as strong north winds usher in much colder air. By Monday, surf builds to 2 to 3 feet with highs only in the mid-50s.
On Monday night’s WeatherBrains, the gang will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald disaster on Lake Superior, made famous by the Gordon Lightfoot song.
TODAY IN WEATHER HISTORY
November 8, 1989: Dothan Tornadoes
On November 8, 1989, a line of severe storms swept through Alabama and Georgia, spawning multiple tornadoes and causing one fatality. In Dothan, Alabama, an F1 tornado touched down before sunrise, destroying two homes, damaging several businesses and an office complex, and blowing out the windows of 50 cars. Hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted before a second F0 tornado struck later that morning, damaging a home, a church, and additional trees. In Georgia, a late-afternoon storm produced a deadly tornado in Pineview, killing one person and injuring eight. The storms left widespread property damage and lasting impacts on the affected communities.
For more weather news and information from Bill Murray and the rest of the James Spann team, visit the Alabama Weather Network.