Decreasing clouds and warmer temperatures Thursday

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Good morning and happy Thursday! Temperatures are in the 50s this morning, so you might want to grab a light jacket before you step outside.

We are starting out the day with a mostly cloudy sky. First Alert AccuTrack Radar is showing a few spotty showers across central Alabama. Our best chance to see rain will likely occur before 9 a.m. this morning. Anything that falls will remain light. The area of low pressure in the Gulf of Mexico will weaken and move off to the south which will allow for some drier air to filter into the state by this afternoon.

We are looking at a 20 percent chance for showers this morning, but we will end up dry this afternoon. We should see decreasing clouds this afternoon giving us a partly cloudy sky. Temperatures are trending warmer today with highs in the low to mid 70s. Winds will come from the east-southeast at 5 to 10 mph with gusts up to 15 to 20 mph. It should be a beautiful afternoon for outdoor activities. If you have any evening plans, we will likely remain dry with a partly cloudy sky. Temperatures are forecast to cool into the low to mid 60s by 7 p.m.

A Few Showers Possible Friday: We will likely start tomorrow morning dry with a partly to mostly cloudy sky. Temperatures are forecast to cool into the mid 50s. A weak cold front is forecast to move through Alabama tomorrow. It will give us a mostly cloudy sky with a 20 percent chance for a few showers. There isn’t a lot of moisture with this system, so I wouldn’t worry about carrying the umbrella around.

High temperatures tomorrow are forecast to warm into the upper 60s and lower 70s with winds shifting from the east-southeast to the west at 5 to 10 mph. High school playoff football games should be mostly dry tomorrow evening with temperatures cooling into the 60s. Rain chance will remain at 20 percent for Friday night.

Beautiful and Dry Weekend: We are looking at near-average temperatures and sunny conditions this weekend. Clouds will likely decrease Saturday giving way to a sunny afternoon. We’ll start Saturday morning in the 50s with a partly cloudy sky. High temperatures Saturday afternoon will likely climb into the mid 60s with a mostly sunny sky. The weather is looking fantastic for the Alabama, Auburn, UAB, and Jacksonville State home games.

Sunday morning is looking chilly as temperatures dip into the upper 30s and lower 40s. Freezing temperatures aren’t expected over the weekend, but it would not surprise me if some of our northern counties saw a little frost Sunday morning. Sunday should end up mostly sunny to partly cloudy with highs in the mid-to-upper 60s. Cloud cover will likely increase Sunday evening as our next cold front approaches the state.

Next Big Thing: It looks like a significant cold front is forecast to push into the Southeast early next week. A few showers will be possible Sunday night into Monday. I would definitely plan on grabbing the rain for early next week. Rain is looking likely Monday into Tuesday, and I can’t rule out the chance for a few embedded thunderstorms. Severe weather with this system can’t be completely ruled out.

The Storm Prediction Center is already highlighting a severe threat for parts of southern Mississippi and into southwest Alabama. Damaging winds and an isolated tornado can’t be ruled out, but it remains too early to know the exact timing and direct impacts for this severe potential. I think the greatest severe threat (as of now) will likely occur in the southern half of the state. The threat will likely ramp up Monday night and move out Tuesday morning. The main threat for us locally looks to be heavy rain and the chance for gusty winds. Temperatures Monday are forecast to warm into the low to mid 60s. I think we’ll start to dry out by Tuesday afternoon and evening.

I think this upcoming system will be our best chance to see some beneficial rainfall. We could see rainfall totals at or above an inch for most of north and central Alabama early next week. Behind this cold front, we are looking at sunny and chilly temperatures heading into Thanksgiving. Highs are forecast to cool into the 50s next Wednesday and Thursday with overnight lows in the 30s.

Tropical Update: We continue to watch two areas for tropical development today.

One area to watch is the Southeast coast where a coastal low could develop. The National Hurricane Center is giving it a 10 percent chance to develop in the next 48 hours. It will likely ramp up and move away from the Southeast coast going into the weekend. A high rip current threat will be likely along the east coast of Florida and along the Georgia and South Carolina coast.

We are also watching a weak area of low pressure in the Caribbean that has a 50 percent chance to develop into a tropical depression or storm in the next 48 hours. It will move off to the northeast and not move into the Gulf of Mexico. It could produce heavy rainfall and gusty winds for parts of Cuba and Hispaniola this weekend. The next names up on the 2023 Atlantic list are Vince and Whitney.

Hurricane season officially ends November 30.

Make sure you download the WBRC First Alert Weather App on Android and Apple devices for the latest weather information.

Have a great Thursday!

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