FINE AFTERNOON: With a mostly sunny sky, temperatures are generally in the 68- to 75-degree range across Alabama this afternoon. Cooler temperatures are over northwest Alabama, where scattered to broken clouds have lingered. We expect a gradual increase in cloud cover tonight.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: A surface low will pass north of the state, dragging a cold front through during the day Saturday. A tight pressure gradient will set up southwest winds of 15-25 mph ahead of the front, with gusts to 35 mph. A few scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible over parts of north Alabama, generally along and north of I-20, but moisture will be limited and rain amounts should be light. Some spots will see no rain at all. Where storms do form, they could be heavy, possibly producing small hail and gusty winds. The Storm Prediction Center has a low-end, marginal risk (level 1 out of 5) of severe storms defined for the part of Alabama north of a line from Winfield to Blount Springs to Piedmont.

There is no tornado threat, and we expect a high in the mid 70s. South Alabama will be rain-free Saturday. On Sunday, the weather will be dry and breezy with the sky becoming partly to mostly sunny, although clouds could linger much of the day across the Tennessee Valley of far north Alabama. Sunday’s high will be close to 70 degrees.

NEXT WEEK: Monday and Tuesday will be dry and mild with highs in the 70s; then we will bring in a chance of showers and thunderstorms Tuesday night and Wednesday. For now the risk of severe weather with this system seems low, and rain amounts will be around one-half inch. Drier air returns Thursday and Friday.

ON THIS DATE IN 1908: At least 34 tornadoes touched down generally east of the Mississippi River from April 23 through April 26. These tornadoes generally occurred from Texas to Georgia, then northward from Oklahoma to Tennessee.The violent storms killed at least 320 people and injured more than a thousand. One of the hardest-hit communities was Purvis, Mississippi, where the town was completely leveled and 55 people lost their lives. At least four tornadoes touched down in Alabama during this outbreak. These tornadoes were responsible for approximately 48 fatalities and at least 260 injuries.

ON THIS DATE IN 2010: Eight tornadoes touched down across central Alabama, including an EF3 that moved through Parrish, Cordova, Sumiton and Empire.

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