James Spann has the midweek forecast for Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

COLD START: Temperatures are below freezing across much of north and central Alabama this morning. Colder spots just before sunrise include:

• Gadsden — 26
• Fort Payne — 26
• Hueytown — 28
• Anniston — 28
• Pell City — 28
• Prattville — 29
• Sylacauga — 29
• Cullman — 29
• Demopolis — 31
• Birmingham — 32
• Tuscaloosa — 32
• Coker — 32
• Heflin — 32

Look for a high around 60 degrees this afternoon with a good supply of sunshine. Thursday will be dry as well; with a partly sunny sky, temperatures will reach the low 60s. Clouds will increase Thursday night.

RAIN RETURNS: A wave will bring periods of rain to the state Friday. Temperatures will be in the 50s during the day, so the air will be stable, with no risk of severe storms and probably very little thunder. Rain amounts should be generally around one-half inch, and the rain should taper off by Friday evening.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Moist air will linger over Alabama through the weekend, and we will introduce an outside risk of a shower Saturday with a mostly cloudy sky. Still, most of the day should be dry with a high around 60 degrees. Expect pretty much the same situation Sunday; a few scattered showers are possible, but a decent part of the day should be dry. The sky will be generally cloudy, and Sunday’s high will be in the low 60s.

NEXT WEEK: An approaching cold front will bring a good chance of rain late Monday, Monday night and into Tuesday morning, followed by sharply colder air for the midweek period. Highs will drop into the 40s by Wednesday, with subfreezing low temperatures. Rain and possibly a few thunderstorms will follow on Friday, Dec. 13, with the next storm system.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the “Super 7” high school state championship games at Auburn, tonight will be dry and cool for the 7A Thompson/Central (Phenix City) game, with temperatures falling from the 50s at kickoff into the 40s by the second half. Dry weather is likely for the three games played Thursday and Thursday night (1A, 3A and 5A), but occasional rain is likely for the 2A and 4A games during the day Friday. There’s a decent chance the rain will be over by Friday night’s 6A clash featuring Oxford and Spanish Fort.

Saturday, UAB travels to Boca Raton, Florida, to take on Florida Atlantic in the C-USA conference championship game (kickoff at 2:30 p.m. Central Time). The sky will be sunny with a kickoff temperature near 77 degrees, falling into the low 70s by the fourth quarter.

ON THIS DATE IN 1952: December started off with chilly temperatures in London. This cold resulted in Londoners burning more coal to heat their homes. On Dec. 5, a high pressure settled over the Thames River, causing a dense layer of smog to develop. The smog became so thick and dense by Dec. 7 that virtually no sunlight was seen in London. Most conservative estimates place the death toll at 4,000, with some estimating the smog killed as many as 8,000 people.

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