WINDY, COOL MAY DAY: Strong north winds of 15-25 mph are ushering cool air into Alabama this afternoon; temperatures are mostly in the 68- to 73-degree range, but Cullman reported only 60 degrees at 2 p.m. The average high for Birmingham on May 6 is 79. The sky is sunny over the southern two-thirds of the state, but some clouds have dropped down into north Alabama. Those clouds will dissipate tonight, and with a clear sky and diminishing wind we project a low in the 40- to 45-degree range for most communities early Thursday.

Thursday will feature a good supply of sunshine with a high in the low 70s. Clouds will increase Thursday night, however.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: A cold front will bring showers back into Alabama Friday. We aren’t expecting any surface-based instability, meaning no risk of severe thunderstorms and probably no thunder. Rain should be one-half inch or less, and the sky will clear Friday night. Temperatures will hold in the 60s Friday with clouds and showers.

The weekend will be dry with cold mornings. Look for lows between 37 and 43 early Saturday and Sunday; some scattered light frost is possible across colder spots Sunday morning, when the wind will be near calm. The high will be in the mid 60s Saturday, followed by low 70s Sunday. Dry air means a sunny sky both days.

Here are the record lows for Birmingham:

• Saturday (May 9) — 40 (1984)
• Sunday (May 10) — 38 (1966)

We will be pretty close to those levels both mornings over the weekend.

NEXT WEEK: For now the week looks rain-free with a warming trend. Highs will be in the 70s Monday and Tuesday and close to 80 Wednesday, followed by mid 80s Thursday and Friday.

There’s no sign of any severe weather or excessive rain for Alabama over the next seven to 10 days.

ON THIS DATE IN 1975: A massive tornado hit Omaha, Nebraska, killing three people, injuring 133 others and causing more than $250 million damage. The tornado struck during the late afternoon, moving northeastward through the industrial and residential areas of west-central Omaha and lifting over the northern section of the city. The twister, which cut a swath 10 miles long and as much as a quarter of a mile wide, was the most costly in U.S. history up to that time.

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