James Spann has the Alabama forecast looking toward the weekend from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

ONE MORE DRY DAY: Temperatures are in the 20s over the northern half of Alabama early this morning; here are some readings right before daybreak:

• Black Creek — 19
• Cullman — 22
• Hueytown — 24
• Gadsden — 24
• Cottondale — 24
• Decatur — 25
• Birmingham — 27
• Pell City — 27
• Marion — 28
• Anniston — 29
• Demopolis — 29
• Tuscaloosa — 31

We are forecasting a high in the 50s today with a partly sunny sky; clouds will increase tonight ahead of a storm system to the west.

WET AT TIMES OVER THE WEEKEND: Tomorrow will be cloudy and cool; many communities across the northern half of Alabama won’t get out of the 40s. Rain moves in during the afternoon; for now it looks like the main window will come from noon until midnight. With a stable air mass in place, there are no worries with severe thunderstorms and no thunder. Rain amounts will be generally one-half inch or less for most places.

Sunday will be cloudy with a chance of some lingering light rain or drizzle, mainly during the morning. The high Sunday will be in the mid 50s.

TO THE NORTH: A nice swath of snow develops from Kansas City to St. Louis, Indianapolis and ultimately Washington, D.C., and Baltimore today through the weekend. Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories have been issued for these areas.

NEXT WEEK: The week looks mostly dry with seasonal temperatures; we project highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s Monday through Thursday. Some rain is possible by Friday and into the following weekend (Jan. 18-20), but it is too early for specifics. For now it doesn’t look like a severe weather setup, or an event that will bring especially heavy rain. And there’s no sign of any snow or ice problems for Alabama for the next 10 days.

ON THIS DATE IN 1918: An incredibly strong area of low pressure brought snow and bitter cold temperatures to much of the southern United States. Birmingham picked up an inch of snow. In far southeastern Alabama, an estimated F3 tornado damaged virtually every building in the town of Webb (Houston County). The tornado leveled a rural school, killing one teacher and seven students.

ON THIS DATE IN 1885: Five documented strong-to-violent tornadoes struck Alabama during the evening of Jan. 11, 1885. These tornadoes affected at least 15 counties across the state from approximately 5 p.m. until after 11 p.m.

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