Warmest Weather So Far This Year; Storms Return Monday
DRY DAYS WITH WARM AFTERNOONS: Alabama’s weather won’t change much through the weekend as dry weather continues. With a sun filled sky today and tomorrow, look for highs in the 77-81 degree range. Humidity levels will rise a bit over the weekend; we are expecting partly sunny days with highs at or just over 80 degrees Saturday and Sunday. It will be the warmest weekend so far this year.
NEXT WEEK: A cold front will bring showers and thunderstorms back to the state Monday. There will be some surface based instability available, so a few strong storms are possible, but at the moment it doesn’t look like a classic severe weather setup. Drier, cooler air returns Tuesday with a clearing sky and a high in the upper 50s. Forecast confidence is low for the rest of the week due to model inconsistencies, but for now we will leave the forecast dry Wednesday, and bring in a chance of rain and storms in the Thursday-Friday time frame. See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.
ON THIS DATE IN 1966: A large, violent long-track tornado devastated central Mississippi. The F5 tornado went through Jackson during the rush hour around 4-5 p.m. and struck the Candlestick Park shopping center. Businesses and homes were leveled to the ground, pavement was scoured and some eyewitness reports of cars being thrown more than half a mile. 19 fatalities occurred in Hinds County, majority in the Candlestick Park area, and 26 fatalities occurred in Scott County. The tornado continued on the ground for a total of 202.5 miles… it moved into Alabama, ending northwest of Tuscaloosa. The damage to the Candlestick Park shopping center, Jackson area and along the path in Mississippi were devastating. 58 fatalities (57 in Mississippi and 1 in Alabama) and 517 injuries occurred, making it the second deadliest tornado to strike Mississippi in 20th century. Due to the damage in the Candlestick Park area, the tornado would come to be known as the “Candlestick Park” tornado.
The tornado was responsible for one death in West Alabama at Coker, just west of Tuscaloosa.
ON THIS DATE IN 2019: A violent EF-4 moved through Lee County, south of Auburn and Opelika. A total of 23 people were killed; the victims countywide ranged in age from 6 to 93. Of those killed, 19 were in mobile homes. Beauregard and Smiths Station were the hardest hit. Five other tornadoes touched down, including an EF-2 near Eufaula.
ON THIS DATE IN 2020: A group of tornadoes affected West and Middle Tennessee on the night of March 2 and into the morning of March 3, 2020, including a high-end EF3 tornado that hit Nashville and Mount Juliet, becoming the 6th costliest tornado in United States history, and a violent EF4 tornado that impacted areas in and just west of Cookeville. A total of 25 people were killed by the tornadoes, with an additional 309 being injured. Two tornadoes touched down in Alabama during the event, in Hale and Bibb counties.
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Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:00 this afternoon… enjoy the day!
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James Spann is one of the most recognized and trusted television meteorologists in the industry. He holds the AMS CCM designation and television seals from the AMS and NWA. He is a past winner of the Broadcast Meteorologist of the Year from both professional organizations.Subscribe
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