James Spann: Expect the dry weather to continue into next week for Alabama

DRY: Alabama’s weather won’t change much through the weekend. Sunny days and fair nights … afternoon highs close to 90, with morning lows mostly in the 60s. Global models suggest the dry pattern continues through next week as well with highs in the low 90s.

Today will be the 10th consecutive day without measurable rain for Birmingham and most of Alabama. The last time we had over a quarter inch of rain was back on August 20, when 2.44″ was measured at the Birmingham airport. Keep in mind long dry spells are common here in September and October, two of our driest months of the year.

TROPICS: The Atlantic basin remains quiet this morning, but a tropical wave is forecast to emerge offshore of west Africa in a couple of days. Environmental conditions could support some slow development of the system over the weekend into early next week as the wave moves to the west or west-northwest at about 15 mph over the eastern and central tropical Atlantic.

NHC gives this feature a 30% chance of development; it will likely turn north into the open Atlantic. No tropical storms or hurricanes are expected across the Gulf for at least the next seven days.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: Saturday Alabama will host Wisconsin at Bryant-Denny Stadium (11 a.m. kickoff) … the sky will be mostly sunny with temperatures rising from the upper 80s at kickoff into the low 90s during the second half. It will be a hot afternoon.

Auburn hosts South Alabama Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium (11:45 a.m. kickoff) … the weather will be hot and dry with a mostly sunny sky. Temperatures will rise into the low 90s during the game.

UAB hosts Akron Saturday night at Protective Stadium (7:30 p.m. kickoff) … the sky will be clear with temperatures falling into the 70s during the game.

ON THIS DATE IN 1961: Hurricane Carla made landfall on the northeast part of Matagorda Island, Texas as a strong Category 4 storm with 145 mph winds. In Texas, wind gusts as high as 170 mph were observed in Port Lavaca. Tornadoes spawned in the state, including an F4 tornado near Galveston, Texas, resulting in 60 buildings destroyed, eight deaths and 200 injuries.

ON THIS DATE IN 2001: Hurricane Erin was off the coast of New Jersey and New York. Satellite images that morning showed smoke from the World Trade Center towers drifting south as the massive Hurricane Erin passed by safely out-to-sea.

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