GREETINGS FROM STARKVILLE: J.B. Elliott and I am at the annual Southeast Severe Storms Symposium on the campus of Mississippi State University. This afternoon’s sessions are mostly for broadcast meteorologists; I spoke on the future of media meteorology. Tomorrow will be an all-day event with a series of presentations, including one by our own Dr. Tim Coleman. No afternoon Weather Xtreme video today… I will produce one by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.
WET AT TIMES THROUGH THE WEEKEND: Alabama’s weather simply won’t change much through the weekend; very moist air will continue to cover the state, and a stacked low (both at the surface and aloft) will continue to spin away to the west, keeping the weather unsettled for the foreseeable future. Like recent days, the sun will peek out at times, the rain won’t be continuous, but a tropical shower is possible at any hour of the day or night, and the rain could be heavy at times due to the copious amount of moisture in place. A few flash flood warning could be required, but widespread flooding is not expected. Afternoon highs will be mostly in the low to mid 80s.
NEXT WEEK: Unfortunately, our hopes for cooler and drier air next week are fading. Earlier this week, global computer models had suggested a deep, long wave upper trough over the eastern U.S. by the middle of next week, but now all models agree that the upper trough will be limited to New England and the eastern part of Canada, which will keep that cooler and drier air to the north. So, we will maintain a decent chance of showers and storms for the first half of the week, then becoming more scattered by Thursday and Friday. As an upper ridge begins to build, it looks like we might reach the mid to upper 80s late in the week.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: Showers are possible at high school games across Alabama tonight and tomorrow night, so rain gear will be in order. Temperatures will be generally in the mid to upper 70s for the games. Saturday, Alabama will host North Texas at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa (11:30 a.m. kickoff). Showers and storms are likely during the game, with temperatures generally around 80 degrees. Auburn hosts West Virginia at Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday night (6:45 p.m. kickoff)… showers are possible during the game with temperatures in the 75 to 79 degree range. UAB is at Troy Saturday afternoon (1:30 p.m. kickoff); showers or storms are likely during the game with temperatures in the low 80s at kickoff.
ON THIS DATE IN 1988: The Hurricane Bowl. The college footbll game that didn’t happen. University of Alabama football coach Bill Curry made the decision not to fly his team to College Station, Texas to play Texas A&M as Hurricane Gilbert moved acros the Gulf of Mexico. The storm later moved into Mexico. At what would have been gametime, viewers on ESPN watched as the announcers sat in an empty stadium awash in beautiful blue skies and hot temperatures. The game would eventually be played in December, and Alabama would win.
