James Spann: Very windy day for Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

STRONG WINDS TODAY: The vigorous storm system that brought multiple rounds of severe storms to the southern U.S. is on the way out this morning.

A deep, 988-millibar surface low is east of Alabama, and the tight gradient on the west side of the low will bring north winds of 15-30 mph today, with gusts to 40 mph. A wind advisory is in effect for all 67 Alabama counties.

Otherwise, today will be mostly cloudy and cooler with highs in the 50s; some lingering light rain or drizzle is possible as well, mainly over the eastern half of the state.

MIDWEEK: Tomorrow will be mostly sunny and pleasant; we start the day in the mid 30s, then rise to a high in the low 60s. Clouds return Wednesday, and some light rain is possible late in the day and into Wednesday night. No worries with storms this time, and rain amounts should be one-quarter inch or less. On Thursday, that rain ends during the pre-dawn hours, followed by a partly sunny sky and a high in the 50s.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: We expect cool, dry weather across Alabama on these three days. Highs 50-55 Friday and Saturday, then dropping into the 40s Sunday as a new surge of colder air drops in from the north. The coldest morning will come early Sunday, with lows between 25 and 29 for most communities.

NEXT WEEK: Cold, dry weather continues at least for the first half of the week, with highs mostly in the 40s and lows in the 20s.

No sign of any issues with severe storms or “winter mischief” for the next 10-15 days around here.

FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY: A pre-dawn severe storm dropped two tornadoes in Jefferson County, killing a 16-year-old girl in Clay and an 81-year-old man in Oak Grove. The Center Point/Clay tornado was rated EF-3.

WEATHER BRAINS: You can listen to our weekly 90-minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including meteorologists at ABC 33/40. We will produce this week’s show tomorrow night at 8:30.

CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks:

Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus
Instagram
Snapchat: spannwx

For more weather news and information, visit AlabamaWX.