RADAR CHECK: Rain has pulled out of Alabama this afternoon, but clouds linger across much of the state, with temperatures in the 50s.

Tomorrow will be a dry, cool day; the sky will be generally cloudy, although the sun could peek out at times. Again, the high will be in the mid 50s.

ARCTIC FRONT ARRIVES THURSDAY: A few light rain showers or sprinkles could move through Thursday morning ahead of the front, but moisture will be very limited, and any precipitation will be pretty much insignificant. The big story is the cold air rushing into the state Thursday with strong north winds of 15-25 mph, gusting at times to 30 mph. We will have a very hard time getting past the low 40s, and the wind will make it feel colder.

Friday will be a brighter day with sunshine returning in full force, but it will be cold. The low early Friday will be in the 20- to 25-degree range, followed by a high between 37 and 40 degrees. Some places near the Tennessee border could stay below freezing all day.

Then, by early Saturday, we project a low between 18 and 22 degrees for most communities across North/Central Alabama. The record low for Dec. 10 (for Birmingham) is 13, set in 1995. That is probably safe.

THE WEEKEND: Saturday will be a sunny day, and a warming trend begins with a high in the upper 40s. Then, on Sunday, clouds increase during the day as temperatures reach the 50s. The next wave to the west will bring rain back into the state by Sunday night into Monday morning; the latest global model guidance suggests rain amounts of around one-half inch will be likely.

ANOTHER ARCTIC SHOT: We are still seeing strong signals that another very cold Arctic airmass will move into Alabama next Thursday and Friday, Dec. 15-16), and that one could very well be colder than the one we expect this week.

We stress there is no evidence of any problems with snow, ice or other winter mischief here in Alabama despite the cold air shots over the next 10 days. As usual, we are seeing wild and crazy Facebook and Internet forecasts that are far from reality from people looking for likes and clicks. Please think before you share.

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