James Spann: Alabama stays dry through Friday with warm afternoons; rain by Sunday

SEVERE CLEAR: Not a cloud in the Alabama sky this afternoon with temperatures generally in the low to mid 80s. Tonight will be clear with a low in the 50s for most places.

Dry weather continues through the week with highs in the 80s, morning lows will be mostly in the 50s.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Moisture will begin to return Saturday, but most of the state will remain dry with a high in the 80s. A few isolated showers could show up late Saturday afternoon over the southwest part of the state. Then, late Saturday night and Sunday, showers and thunderstorms are likely statewide ahead of a cold front. Rain amounts will be around 1/2 inch for most places, but isolated amounts to one inch are possible. This won’t break a drought, but it will be a start. A few strong thunderstorms are possible Sunday with an unstable airmass in place.

Cooler, drier air follows the rain, and at this point the weather looks dry for the first half of next week. Global models suggest another chance of rain will come by Friday (October 24) … See the video briefing for maps, graphics, and more details.

TROPICS: Tropical Storm Lorenzo is in the middle of the Atlantic, about 1150 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands. Winds are 50 mph, and it is moving to the northwest at 16 mph. It will likely remain below hurricane strength, and it will turn north into the open Atlantic. No threat to land.

The rest of the Atlantic basin remains quiet; no tropical storms or hurricanes are expected across the Gulf for at least the next 7-10 days.

RACE WEEKEND: The weather will be warm and dry in Talladega on Friday and Saturday with high in the 80s. Showers and thunderstorms are likely Sunday; it won’t rain all day, but a few strong storms are possible during the day. The high Sunday afternoon will be near 80.

ON THIS DATE IN 1954: Hurricane Hazel moved over the Bahamas with winds of 100 mph. It would strengthen on the journey north, making landfall on the North Carolina/South Carolina border on the morning of October 15th at category four strength.

ON THIS DATE IN 2006: An early season lake effect snowstorm that hit the Buffalo, New York area, and other surrounding areas of the United States and Canada. Downtown Buffalo reported 15 inches from this event. Depew and Alden record 24 inches.

For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit the Alabama Weather Network.