textproduct: NWS Birmingham

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1214 AM CDT SAT MAR 28 2026

- Due to dangerous fire conditions, a Red Flag Warning is in effect until 7 PM Saturday for all of central Alabama.

DISCUSSION

(Saturday through next Friday) Issued at 1031 PM CDT FRI MAR 27 2026

Water vapor imagery this evening reveals trough sliding across the eastern CONUS as ridging builds back in across the Desert Southwest. At the surface, a cold front is currently moving south across the state. A few light returns can be seen on the KBMX radar as this boundary moves through. The main concern with this system will be the influx of much drier air across the region on Saturday. Relative humidity values are forecast to fall into the 15-20% range during the afternoon hours. Meanwhile, northerly winds will be elevated with frequent gusts from 25-30 MPH. Therefore, the Red Flag Warning remains in effect for the entire CWA from 7AM-7PM Saturday. Burning in these conditions is highly discouraged, as even controlled fires could quickly become uncontained.

The front eventually stalls across the Northern Gulf on Saturday before retreating back to the north on Sunday. Weak ridging building in across the southeast will keep us dry through the remainder of the weekend and early next week. We begin to see a pattern shift by the middle of next week as a series of shortwave eject across the Plains. There are a lot of details to work out over the next few days but this would likely bring rain chances back to Central AL.

Lastly, to touch on temps, we will trim about 15-20 degrees off our highs on Saturday as we struggle to break out of the 60s across the northern half of the area. Our cool down will be brief with highs rebounding back into the 80s early next week.

95/Castillo

AVIATION

(06Z TAFS) Issued at 1214 AM CDT SAT MAR 28 2026

Post-frontal MVFR cigs are beginning to break up but may still impact the terminals over the next hour or two. After that, VFR conditions are expected through the period. Northerly winds remain gusty overnight and Saturday morning, gusting to 25-30kts at times. Winds will decrease by afternoon, eventually becoming easterly by Saturday evening as high pressure reaches the East Coast.

32/JDavis

FIRE WEATHER

MinRH values will be critically low tomorrow, with most locations falling below 20%. Given dry fuels, strong winds, and low RH values, we have issued a Red Flag Warning until 7PM Saturday. Moisture begins to increase on Sunday with min RHs hovering in the 35-45% range. By the work week we will see min RHs back near 40-50%. Rain chances look to return by mid week.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Gadsden 65 40 70 50 / 0 0 0 0 Anniston 67 41 70 53 / 0 0 0 0 Birmingham 67 46 70 55 / 0 0 0 0 Tuscaloosa 68 45 73 53 / 0 0 0 0 Calera 68 44 71 53 / 0 0 0 0 Auburn 70 44 70 54 / 0 0 0 0 Montgomery 72 47 71 55 / 0 0 0 0 Troy 72 49 70 55 / 0 0 0 0

BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Red Flag Warning from 7 AM this morning to 7 PM CDT this evening for the following counties: Autauga-Barbour-Bibb-Blount-Bullock- Calhoun-Chambers-Cherokee-Chilton-Clay-Cleburne-Coosa-Dallas- Elmore-Etowah-Fayette-Greene-Hale-Jefferson-Lamar-Lee-Lowndes- Macon-Marengo-Marion-Montgomery-Perry-Pickens-Pike-Randolph- Russell-Shelby-St. Clair-Sumter-Talladega-Tallapoosa-Tuscaloosa- Walker.