Record Highs Today; Much Cooler By Friday

NEW RECORD: Birmingham is reporting 88 degrees at 3:00… that is a new record high for October 18… the old record was 86 set in 1947. It is our first daily record high during the month of October since 1984. To the south, Montgomery reports 90 degrees… and the sky is mostly sunny.

TOMORROW: We are forecasting a high of 88 tomorrow… if that forecast verifies it will tie the October 19 record high for Birmingham, set in 1938. The sky will feature a mix of sun and clouds, and we are going to mention widely scattered showers and thunderstorms as the air becomes more unstable, and moisture levels rise a bit.

BIG CHANGES LATER THIS WEEK: A cold front will push a band of showers and storms into the state Thursday afternoon; SPC maintains a “marginal” severe weather risk for that part of Alabama generally north of I-20…

The main window for rain will come from 4:00 p.m. until midnight, and the main risk from stronger storms will be small hail and gusty winds (no tornado threat). Unfortunately, rain won’t be too heavy… most communities will see well under 1/2 inch. It won’t be a “drought buster”.

Friday will be a day with a stiff north breeze of 10-20 mph, and temperatures will be much cooler with a high only in the mid to upper 60s despite a sunny sky.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Saturday morning will be the coldest so far this season with a low down in the 38-43 degree range… colder pockets could see a touch of light frost. Saturday and Sunday will feature a sun filled sky; the high Saturday will be in the upper 60s, followed by mid 70s Sunday.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: For high school games Friday night, the sky will be mostly clear, and temperatures will be cool, falling through the 50s. You will need a jacket this week.

Alabama will host Texas A&M Saturday afternoon at Bryant-Denny Stadium (2:30p CT kickoff)… the sky will be sunny; 68 degrees at kickoff, falling into the upper 50s by the final whistle.

Auburn hosts Arkansas at Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday evening (5:00p CT kickoff)… the sky will be clear with temperatures falling from near 67 degrees at kickoff, into the upper 50s by the end of the game.

RACE WEEKEND AT TALLADEGA: Friday will be breezy and much cooler with a sunny sky, and a high in the mid to upper 60s. Expect a bright sunny sky Saturday and Sunday with fantastic temperatures; the high Saturday will be close to 68, followed by a high of 75 Sunday. Temperatures will drop to near 40 degrees early Saturday morning at the Superspeedway.

NEXT WEEK: Sunny pleasant days, clear cool nights. Highs mostly in the 70s, lows in the 50s… right at seasonal values for October in Alabama.

AT THE BEACH: Mostly sunny days, fair nights on the coast from Gulf Shores to Panama City Beach through the weekend. Highs in the 80s through Thursday, falling into the 70s Friday and over the weekend. See a very detailed Gulf Coast forecast here.

TROPICS: A disturbance could become a tropical depression soon, but it will move northward and is no threat to the U.S.

WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.

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I had a great time today visiting the students at Leeds Elementary School… be looking for them on the Pepsi KIDCAM on ABC 33/40 News at 5:00! The next Weather Xtreme video will be posted here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow…

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Category: Alabama's Weather