Fantastic Fall Weather Continues; Rain Returns for Weekend
More of the same highlights the forecast for today and tomorrow; expect more sun than clouds with warming temperatures. Highs will go from to those upper 60s and lower 70s today, to mid 70s tomorrow. Nights will remain chilly with 30s and 40s expected.
A METEOR OUTBURST COULD HAPPEN THIS WEEK: Get ready for a meteor outburst–maybe. Later this week, Earth will pass by a stream of dusty debris from an unnamed comet. Forecasters believe this could cause an outburst of alpha Monocerotid meteors on Thursday night/Friday morning (Nov. 21-22).
FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND A cold front approaching from the north will bring rain to the northern half of the state Friday afternoon and Friday night. A wave of low pressure is expected to move along the front, enhancing rain chances Friday night into Saturday. The air looks to remain stable so we are not expecting thunderstorms, and no severe weather. Saturday looks to be wet, but the rain is expected to end from west to east Saturday afternoon as the front pushes through the state. Rain amounts from one-half inch to one inch will be likely. Expect a clearing sky late Saturday night. Sunshine returns in full supply Sunday with highs in the lower 60s.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: Rain is possible for the high football playoff games over the northern half of Alabama Friday night with temperatures in the 60-65 degree range.
Saturday, Alabama hosts Western Carolina (11:00a CT kickoff) at Bryant-Denny Stadium; the sky will be mostly cloudy with temperatures rising from near 55 at kickoff, to 60 degrees by the final whistle. For now it looks like rain will end Saturday morning in Tuscaloosa before the game begins.
Auburn will host Samford Saturday morning at Jordan-Hare Stadium (11:00a CT kickoff)… there is some risk rain over East Alabama for the game, otherwise the sky will be cloudy with temperatures in the upper 50s at kickoff, rising into the low 60s by the fourth quarter.
THANKSGIVING WEEK: The dry weather looks to continue Monday with highs in the mid 60s. By Tuesday, it appears a storm system will bring rain back to Alabama, and we could deal with thunderstorms as well. Too early to know if severe weather will be an issue, or really any specifics on the system, but just something to note as we head toward that busiest travel time of the year. The weather for the rest of the holiday weekend remains uncertain due to model inconsistencies, but the pattern looks to be bit more active as we round out November and head into December.
IN THE TROPICS: Most of the Atlantic a quiet, but we do now have Tropical Storm Sebastien, which formed yesterday morning. At 500 AM AST, the center of Tropical Storm Sebastien was located near latitude 21.0 North, longitude 61.0 West. Sebastien is moving toward the northwest near 8 mph.
A turn to the north-northwest and north is expected later today. A turn toward the northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected tonight and Thursday. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 50 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours. Sebastien is expected to become an extratropical cyclone in a couple of days and be absorbed by a cold front on Friday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1002 mb (29.59 inches). Remember, hurricane season ends on November 30th.
Have a whimsical Wednesday!
Ryan
