TODAY WILL MAKE 20 CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF NO RAIN IN BIRMINGHAM:
That’s right! Today will make it the 20th day in a row at the Birmingham Airport that no measurable rain has fallen. With that being said, drought conditions will continue to worsen for Alabama. Looking at the latest GFS run, rain is not likely at all through the end of the run on Monday, October 17th, and that would make it 29 consecutive days. So, the sun will be out in full force today, and afternoon highs will range from near 80 in the northern part of Central Alabama, to the upper 80s in the southern part. It will be a breezy day, with winds out of the north at 10 to 15 MPH, with gusts up to 30 MPH. So hang on to your hat.
NORMS AND RECS FOR TODAY IN BIRMINGHAM:
The normal high for October 8th is 78, while the normal low is 54. The record high for today was set back in 1897 at 91. The record low was set back in 1991 at 34.
NO AIR QUALITY ALERT TODAY:
Ozone and Particulate Matter 2.5 levels will be below criteria to raise an Air Quality Alert for the Birmingham metropolitan area today. No actions needed.
SUNDAY THROUGH THE WORK WEEK:
Mostly clear to sunny skies can be expected from Sunday through Friday, with afternoon highs hovering around the upper 70s to the low 80s for most communities in Central Alabama, with a few warmer pockets reaching the mid 80s. Nights will be fair with overnight lows in the 50s throughout the time period, with a few colder pockets reaching the 40s.
HEADED TO THE BEACH:
Sunny days, clear nights on the coast from Gulf Shores to Panama City Beach through next week, with highs mostly in the 80s.
TROPICAL STORM NICOLE:
Tropical Storm Nicole has continued on a weakening trend and is expected to meander around near its current location until sometime in the Sunday night to Monday morning time frame. Latest forecast track has a northward turn and Nicole will be near Bermuda by Wednesday as a Tropical Storm. No threat to the U.S.
HURRICANE MATTHEW:
At 10:00 PM CDT last night, the eye of Hurricane Matthew was continuing on a northward track just off the coast of Georgia. Maximum sustained winds have dropped down to 105 MPH. The system is becoming less organized and the eye wall has broken open with the remaining convection in a band just north of the center. It will start to turn more northeastward during the next 24 hours, and the latest forecast track has it staying just offshore near the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. It will encounter strong vertical shear and will start to entrain dry air that is associated with an approaching frontal system. This could possibly lead to Matthew weakening to a Tropical Storm within the next 24 hours. By Sunday night, Matthew will be headed back towards the south well away from the coast, and will continue to weaken as it starts to turn back towards the Bahamas by Wednesday morning. It should only be a depression by that time.
Even though Matthew is weakening and the eye is forecasted to stay offshore, the water hazards still remain. Inland flooding from heavy rains, and life-threatening inundation from storm surge is still a very real possibility in the Carolinas and Georgia. Also, winds increase very rapidly with height. At the top of a 30-story building, winds could and often average one Saffir-Simpson category higher than winds at the surface.
ON THIS DAY IN 1988:
Snow was reported across parts of northern New England. Two inches blanketed Mount Snow VT. Warm weather continued in the northwestern U.S. The afternoon high of 80 degrees at Stampede Pass WA exceeded their previous record for October by seven degrees.
Central Alabama Weather 