James Spann has the Alabama forecast for the beginning of the work week from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

DRIER AIR ARRIVES: After an unsettled weekend, drier air has moved into Alabama today. The sky will be partly to mostly sunny with a high in the mid 70s, which is below average for mid-May in Alabama. The average high at Birmingham for May 13 is 81.

Tonight will be fair and cool; many of the cooler valleys will drop down into the 40s. Tuesday will be sunny with low humidity, and the high will remain in the mid 70s.

WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY: Wednesday will be partly sunny, and we are forecasting a high of 80. A few widely scattered showers are possible Wednesday night and Thursday as a disturbance scoots through the northern half of Alabama, but rain amounts will be light and spotty. Otherwise, we expect a mix of sun and clouds Thursday with a high in the mid 80s.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: The weather looks mostly dry and very warm. Look for lots of sunshine Friday and Saturday with a high in the upper 80s. Sunday will feature a partly sunny sky with a high between 85 and 89 degrees. Clouds will increase late in the day, and we will mention a chance of showers Sunday night with a surface front approaching.

NEXT WEEK: A few showers are possible Monday, but the rest of the week looks dry with highs between 87 and 90 degrees as an upper ridge gets stronger over the Gulf Coast region. There’s no sign of any severe weather issues for the next seven to 10 days here.

RAIN UPDATE: Here are rain totals since Jan. 1, and the departure from average:

• Huntsville — 34.38 inches (+13.05)
• Tuscaloosa — 25.12 (+4.16)
• Birmingham — 23.54 (+2.62)
• Anniston — 23.39 (+3)
• Montgomery — 20.37 (-0.91)

ON THIS DATE IN 1980: An F3 tornado ripped directly through the center of Kalamazoo, Michigan, killing five people, injuring 79, leaving 1,200 homeless and causing $50 million in damage. The tornado passed directly over the American Bank, where a barograph reported a pressure drop of 0.59 inches.

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