James Spann: Alabama stays mostly dry through Tuesday; rain returns Wednesday

COOL START: Temperatures are in the 40s across much of north and central Alabama just before daybreak. For some places, this will most likely be the last morning with temperatures in the 40s until late September or October. Expect a partly to mostly sunny sky today with only isolated showers over the Tennessee Valley this afternoon and early tonight; highs will be in the 70s.

Tuesday will be dry for most of the state, but a few showers could creep into the southwest counties by late afternoon. The high will be between 77 and 82 degrees.

RAIN RETURNS: The latter half of the week will be wet at times. We expect occasional rain Wednesday through Friday as an upper low slowly approaches from the west. Some thunder is possible, but severe storms are not expected. Rain amounts will be 1-2 inches for most of Alabama on these three days, but heavier amounts are possible, mainly over the southern part of the state. Highs will remain in the 70s.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: The upper low will weaken and continue drifting eastward. Alabama’s weather trends drier, with a partly sunny sky forecast Saturday and Sunday. Any showers should be widely spaced, and mainly over the southern quarter of the state. Highs will be between 75 and 80 degrees both days.

For now, much of next week looks dry with highs returning to the 80s Tuesday through Friday.

ON THIS DATE IN 1933: An estimated F4 tornado moved from near Brent and Centreville to Helena before dawn. It killed 14 and injured 150 while demolishing more than 100 buildings. Much of Helena was destroyed. Another tornado the same day killed four people at Demopolis.

ON THIS DATE IN 1995: A supercell thunderstorm brought torrential rains and large hail up to 4 inches in diameter to Fort Worth, Texas. This storm also struck a local outdoor festival known as the Fort Worth Mayfest. At the time the storm was the costliest hailstorm in the history of the United States, causing more than $2 billion in damage.

For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit AlabamaWx.