James Spann: Mild afternoons in Alabama this week; rain/storms return by Friday

BIG WARM-UP: Temperatures early this morning range from the upper 30s across the Tennessee Valley, to the low 50s over far South Alabama. Expect a nice warm-up today with highs in the 60s this afternoon statewide.

Afternoons will be very mild this week, with most communities reaching the 70-degree mark or higher Wednesday through Friday. The weather will be generally dry through mid-week with only a few small, isolated showers tomorrow and Wednesday.

We will bring in the chance of a few spotty showers Thursday as moisture levels rise, but the next organized rain event will come late Friday through at least part of the day Saturday. This is in response to a cold front approaching, and we note SPC has defined a risk of severe storms for the northwest corner of Alabama.

At the moment it looks like the core threat of severe storms will remain west and north of Alabama, but we will watch model trends over the next few days.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: By Saturday afternoon the best chance of rain will shift into East and South Alabama as the front continues moving southward. Colder air will roll into the state over the weekend, and by Sunday temperatures won’t get out of the 40s over the northern counties with a brisk north wind. Sunday will be dry with a sunny sky.

NEXT WEEK: Temperatures will be at or below seasonal levels with highs in the upper 40s and 50s. For now much of the week looks dry, although a disturbance could bring a little light rain Tuesday.

ON THIS DATE IN 1962: Two tornadoes, about 100 yards apart and each making paths about 100 yards wide, followed parallel paths from southeast to northwest through the edge of the Crestview, Florida’s residential area, killing a 6-month-old girl and injuring 30 others. Tornadoes also touched down that day near Troy and Andalusia in South Alabama.

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