James Spann: Dry Friday for Alabama; a few passing storms over the weekend

SUNNY DAY AHEAD: Alabama’s weather will be dry today; with a good supply of sunshine, we expect a high between 78 and 84 degrees.

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND: Moisture levels rise, and we will need to forecast the chance of a passing shower or storm over the northern two-thirds of the state daily Saturday through Monday. The weekend won’t be a washout; the sun will be out at times with highs in the low to mid 80s. But, from time to time, a shower or thunderstorm will pass through. Where storms do form, they could be strong; the Storm Prediction Center has much of north and central Alabama in a marginal risk of severe storms. There’s no risk of tornadoes, but small hail and strong, gusty winds are possible with heavier thunderstorms.

South Alabama and the Gulf Coast will be mostly rain-free over the holiday weekend.

NEXT WEEK: The weather will be unsettled through the week, with some risk of showers and thunderstorms daily. Rain amounts over the next seven days will be 3-4 inches for the northern half of the state, with lighter amounts for the southern counties. Temperatures will be a little below average, with highs mostly in the low 80s.

HURRICANE SEASON OUTLOOK: NOAA’s outlook for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season was released Thursday. It calls for a 30% chance of a near-normal season, a 60% chance of an above-normal season and a 10% chance of a below-normal season.

The agency is forecasting a range of 13 to 19 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those, six to 10 are forecast to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including three to five major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5, with winds of 111 mph or higher). NOAA has a 70% confidence in these ranges.

Hurricane season in the Atlantic basin runs from June 1 through the end of November.

ON THIS DATE IN 1960: A massive earthquake in Chile the previous day produced a tsunami that killed 61 people in Hilo, Hawaii. An additional 180 people died on the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido in Japan.

ON THIS DATE IN 1968: One of the costliest hailstorms in Oklahoma City history pummeled the city. Hail the size of baseballs fell over much of the city, resulting in more than 40,000 insurance claims.

For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit AlabamaWx.