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

RADAR CHECK: Patches of light rain are scattered over parts of Alabama this morning ahead of a short wave approaching from the west. We will continue to forecast some light rain at times today, but moisture is limited, and rain amounts for most places should be less than one-tenth of an inch. Otherwise, today will be mostly cloudy with a high in the mid to upper 50s. Look for gradual clearing tonight; some fog is possible after midnight.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Thursday will be a dry, pleasant day. The sky will be partly to mostly sunny and the high close to 60 degrees. Clouds increase Thursday night, and on Friday the next wave will bring potential for more scattered, light rain. Like today, amounts will be pretty light.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: A deep upper trough will swing over the state Saturday; this could squeeze out a few showers Saturday morning. Otherwise, the sky will feature cloudy periods with a high in the mid 50s. Sunday promises to be a beautiful day with ample sunshine and a high in the low 60s.

NEXT WEEK: Monday looks dry and mild, with a high in the 60s, but the next wave will bring another round of showers Tuesday and Tuesday night. Models are now showing some surfaced-based instability with this system, along with stronger wind fields. That means there could be potential for strong to severe thunderstorms; we will keep a close eye on forecast parameters over the next few days. Wednesday will be cooler with some lingering light rain possible. For now, Thursday and Friday look cool and dry.

ON THIS DATE IN 2016: Eleven tornadoes touched down across Alabama. Damage occurred in Pickens, Lamar, Marion, Fayette, Winston, Marengo, Hale, Lee and Chambers counties. This storm system produced damage from Texas to the Carolinas. Two EF-2 tornadoes touched down in Winston County, one near Ashridge and another near Helicon. An EF-1 produced damage near Guin and Brilliant in Marion County.

ON THIS DATE IN 2002: A major three-day winter storm blasted parts of Kansas and Missouri. A catastrophic ice storm occurred south of the snow area, with 2 inches of ice and snow accumulating in the Kansas City, Missouri area. Thousands of trees were felled by the storm, blocking roads, felling utility lines and causing fires. Two “bicentennial trees” that were estimated at being more than 200 years old were badly damaged. After Jan. 31, 325,000 people were reportedly without power in Kansas City alone.

STORM SPOTTER TRAINING: Our annual storm spotter training is Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Hoover Met. It begins at 9:30 and there is no cost. We will offer both the basic and advanced training sessions; we expect to wrap up by 2:30. No need to register; just show up with a curious mind. We need more trained storm spotters. Help us make the warning process better.

BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.

WEATHER BRAINS: You can listen to our weekly 90-minute show any time on your favorite podcast app. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including the meteorologists at ABC 33/40.

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

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Snapchat: spannwx

For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit AlabamaWx.