West Alabama Wednesday Briefing

It is Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and we woke up this morning with a trick from last night's Halloween celebration, the coldest temperatures since last March. Most reporting locations across North and West Alabama saw temperatures at or just below freezing overnight.

A Freeze Warning will be in place tonight from 10:00pm until 9:00am tomorrow morning. Temperatures will again dip to at or below freezing across the area. Frost is also possible.

The cold and dry weather combined with breezy winds have prompted the continuation of the Red Flag Warning for all of West and Central Alabama.

Some area residents reported a thin sheet of ice on their windshields this morning as they head out the door.

There is good and bad news ahead.

First, the good news. Temperatures will moderate as we head into the coming weekend with lows in the 40s and highs in the upper 70s to near 80.

The bad news is there is no rain in sight until Monday night and Tuesday of next week. But even then, the rain chances and accumulations are small. Drought conditions are expected to continue to worsen.

The National Weather Service Birmingham Forecast:

Today: Sunny, with a high near 56. North wind 5 to 15 mph.

Tonight: Widespread frost after 1am. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 29. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Thursday: Widespread frost before 8am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 63. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.

Thursday Night: Areas of frost after 3am. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 33. East wind around 5 mph.

Friday: Widespread frost before 8am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 68. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph.

High School Football Friday Night: Mostly clear and chilly by kickoff, with a low around 39.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 75.

Crimson Tide Football Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45.

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Topping the New:

The new safety precautions put into effect on the Strip west of the UA Campus for home football weekends has proven to be effective. TPD Major Kip Hart tells reporters arrests and traffic congestion issues are down from last year. There have also been fewer firearms incidents and confrontations.

An arrest has been made in that deadly shooting on Timbertop Lane in the Fosters-Ralph community yesterday morning. 20yo Tywann Long has been charged with murder in the death of 22yo Jaylin Reed, who died at the scene. The motive is still under investigation and more arrest are possible.

Concern over cutbacks in services and personnel at the Tuscaloosa Public Library and elimination of at least one branch has prompted area officials to plan a sit-down meeting to discuss the library's funding needs in the near future.

The library relies on funding from the governments of Tuscaloosa and Tuscaloosa County to survive, with additional help sometimes coming from the city of Northport.

Library officials report their funding has been stagnant while the costs of operation have risen significantly in recent years.

In a reply to a message voicing concern for the library from Shelby Dorrill, Mayor Maddox said the city's partners must match the city's funding or it makes no sense to have a county library system.

A legislative committee, which includes, members of the Tuscaloosa County delegation, continues to attempt to find why only 57% of Alabamians are working despite more than 140,000 jobs being available. Ed Castle with the Alabama department of Commerce claims a lot of people either are not qualified or just don’t want to work. A lack of childcare has been cited as a major obstacle to some people working outside the home.

A group calling itself the Alliance for Responsible Growth has voiced concerns over the future use of the old McFarland Mall property, now they are expressing concern about the Sports Illustrated Resort planned on Rice Mine Road. They claim the project goes against responsible growth and site traffic congestion as a concern.

Stillman College has kicked off its annual "Day of Giving" campaign. It runs today and tomorrow with the focus of alumni and community support for the school of 786 students in West End. Supporters can go to the Give 1876 website to give. You can also Text "GIVE1876" to 41444.

Donors can give to specific programs such as academic departments, baseball, the Blue Pride Marching Band, Career Services, Basketball or scholarships among others.

In Sports:

The first College Football Playoff Committee rankings were released last night, and Alabama is ranked 8th.  Georgia has been replaced at No. 1 by Ohio State. The Bulldogs are second, followed by No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 Florida State. Washington is 5th and Oregon 6th, rounding out the top six.

The complete CFP POLL (SEC Teams in bold):