Fine Fall Weather Continues

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SEVERE CLEAR: What a delightful day across Alabama. Maximum sunshine, a deep cobalt blue sky, and temperatures in the 70s. Expect similar weather tomorrow and Wednesday, with highs generally in the 75 to 80 degree range.

NEXT RAIN: The 12Z GFS is a little slower with our cold front at the end of the week; it now suggests the main risk of showers will come from about 12:00 midnight Thursday night through 3:00 p.m. Friday. Rain amounts probably won’t be too heavy, with totals general under 1/2 inch. And, severe thunderstorms remain unlikely with limited dynamics, instability, and shear. And, it still looks like the rain will be mostly gone by the time the high school football games begin Friday night, although areas south and east of Birmingham night might have some rain lingering into the evening. Friday will be much cooler, with potential for temperatures falling into the 50s during the day with a chilly north wind.

WEEKEND PEEK: The weekend looks great, with sunny cool days and clear cold nights. Highs will be in the 60s, with early morning lows in the 37-43 degree range. A great weekend to get out and enjoy the fall color that is beginning to show up on the Alabama hillsides.

RINA NOW A HURRICANE: Rina gained strength rapidly this afternoon across the warm waters of the Caribbean, and is a minimal hurricane now with sustained winds of 75 mph. Steering currents in the region are very light, and the hurricane won’t be in a hurry to move in coming days, but it is expected to become a major hurricane with a threat to the Cozumel/Cancun areas of Mexico by Friday. It still remains to be seen if Rina will ultimately drift into the Yucatan region of Mexico, or is pulled to the east/northeast by the mid-latitude westerlies. One way or another, it will remain far to the south of Alabama and won’t have any impact on our weather. See the Weather Xtreme video for more details.

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. We will record this week’s episode tonight at 8:30 p.m. CDT… you can listen live via uStream here, and the show will be posted to iTunes and the web by midnight.

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I had a great time today visiting with the earth science classes at Sylacauga High School…. be looking for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow…