Less than four hours away from the big game in Auburn tonight…and things are looking good for now. Regional radars shows that all of the shower activity in Alabama is north of US-80 for now. There is a light shower just north of Opelika, but it is moving away from Auburn. The temperature at the Auburn Airport is 52F, and that is about where it will be during the game. Winds are out of the ENE at 8 mph. As you’re heading to the game, dress in layered closthing and carry the rain gear, although showers during the game may remain on the light side.
Further north, showers are becoming widespread and are reaching the ground over West Central Alabama, especially from Lamar and Pickens County through Tuscaloosa and into western Jefferson County. Light showers were probably reaching the ground over parts of Marshall, Morgan and Cullman Counties as well.
Tuscaloosa has only picked up 0.01 inches so far and Meridian 0.02 inches, underscoring the light nature of the showers. Their bark on radar is a lot worse than their bite. In fact, their primary job right now is to moisten up the atmosphere. Still, you made the windshield wipers from time to time in these areas.
Temperatures across the I-20 Corridor ranged from 49F at Tuscaloosa to 51F at Birmingham and 53F at Anniston. When the rain begins, evaporative cooling will drop temperatures three degrees or so.
The heavier rain is still back over Louisiana. As a surface low over the northwestern Gulf gets its act together and moves north northeastward, the warm sector of the cyclone will move onshore tomorrow over southern Mississippi and Alabama. Just how far north it gets will delineate the severe weather area for late tomorrow into Monday. While it should stay to our southwest, this is a developing weather situation and will have to be monitored for the potential of severe storms further north late Sunday night into Monday morning.
