Drier air sets up a nice, comfortable forecast for Alabama through the weekend

Humidity drops sharply, and the air feels much more comfortable through the weekend. Hurricane Lee rages and rapidly intensifies in the Atlantic. Check the video forecast for the latest. FOOTBALL WEATHERThe first two weeks of the high school season gave us some rough weather: thunderstorms, excessive heat, and weather delays. This week, Alabama gets the jackpot of September weather.Friday night high school games look great! Expect comfortable weather: Temperatures dropping from the upper 70s at kick-off to near 70 degrees by the fourth quarter. A steady, northerly flow pattern will continue to sustain a drier air mass, making for a very comfortable weekend. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY Expect nice, comfortable mornings Saturday and Sunday with lows in the 60s and a light north wind. Highs climb to the mid-80s on both days with more sun than clouds. Most of Alabama stays totally dry this weekend; however, there is a tiny chance of some light sprinkles or showers near the Georgia border on Saturday and Sunday, thanks to a weak disturbance nearby. ALABAMA vs. TEXAS: A nice, warm Saturday in Tuscaloosa ends with beautiful weather for college football at Bryant-Denny on Saturday evening. The 6 p.m. kickoff features a partly cloudy sky, light north wind, and temperatures hovering in the lower 80s. It cools slightly to the 70s by the end of the game, with low humidity and a fair sky. AUBURN at CALIFORNIA: The late kickoff Alabama time (9:30 p.m.) is primetime in Berkeley (7:30 p.m.), and it looks like a typical November game in Auburn. This is typical for California: temperatures falling from nearly 70 degrees at kickoff to the 50s by the time the game ends. Some locals have told us to make sure Auburn fans know to bring a jacket because it’s just different!UAB at GEORGIA SOUTHERN: There is a chance of some scattered storms around Statesboro Saturday afternoon, and the cool, dry air never quite makes it there. It looks hot and humid: temperatures in the middle to upper 80s for most of the game, with a south breeze and a partly cloudy sky.NEXT WEEKWith a shift in the winds, Alabama heats up and gets more humid again on Monday and Tuesday. A better supply of moisture sets the stage for some scattered showers and a few storms through midweek. Rain does not look extremely heavy, but the clouds and occasional showers should keep temperatures well below normal on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday look drier, with some cooler air flowing into the state again. TROPICAL OUTLOOKHurricane Lee still has a smooth road to becoming the strongest hurricane of the year in the Atlantic: very warm water, very little shear, and no land in the immediate path through the weekend. Lee rapidly intensified from a minimal hurricane at 4 p.m. CDT Wednesday (75 mph winds and pressure at 991 millibars) to a Category Five beast at 10 p.m. CDT Thursday (160 mph winds and pressure at 928 millibars). Track Hurricane Lee here on WVTM13.com.Lee most likely stays north of the Windward Islands and Puerto Rico: gradually taking a turn to the north-northwest that could bring it near the East Coast next week.One thing is clear, though. Lee is no threat to the Gulf of Mexico or to the Alabama or Florida coast. Tropical Storm Margot has also been named in the Atlantic Thursday afternoon. This one is no threat to land.The climatological peak of hurricane season occurs on Sept. 10, so storms like these out in the Atlantic are somewhat expected this time of year. The unusual part is the rapid intensification.Remaining storm names for 2023:LeeMargotNigelOpheliaPhilippeRinaSeanTammyVinceWhitneySUMMER SLIPPING AWAYBirmingham’s average final 90-degree day of the year comes around Sept. 20. Through Wednesday, we have recorded 68 days at or above 90 degrees. An average summer has around 65 days in the 90s or hotter.Birmingham’s normal high temperature drops from 89 degrees this week to 82 degrees by the last day of the month. Fall begins on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 1:50 a.m. CDT, and there is a good chance we will be finished with the 90s by that point.It may not feel like mid-October anytime soon, but the sting and stuffiness of summer’s heat fades fast through the next few weeks. CLICK TO SEE THE 7-DAY FORECASTSTAY WEATHER AWARE For the latest Birmingham weather information and central Alabama's certified most accurate forecast, watch WVTM 13 News.Current Weather ConditionsHourly Forecast | 10-Day ForecastInteractive RadarBirmingham SkycamsLive Doppler RadarSign Up For Email Weather AlertsDownload the WVTM 13 AppDon't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.