James Spann forecasts a stormy Friday morning for east Alabama, then a dry weekend from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

RADAR CHECK: A mesoscale convective system continues to move through far south Alabama and the Florida Panhandle early this morning with strong winds; some structural damage was associated with this line in Mobile before dawn. Some light rain is over east Alabama; otherwise the sky is mostly cloudy at sunrise.

The Storm Prediction Center maintains an enhanced risk (level 3 out of 5) of severe thunderstorms for parts of east and south Alabama through early afternoon for the potential for additional development.Here are some notes on what to expect today:

• The severe weather threat for east Alabama is somewhat conditional; it depends on how quickly the air can recover from the early morning rain and storms. There is chance the storms won’t reach severe limits until they move into Georgia.
• The best chance of severe weather in Alabama today will be along and east of I-65 (the eastern half of the state). A few showers could form over west Alabama this morning, but many places across the western half of the state will be dry today.
• The main window for strong to severe thunderstorms over east Alabama will come from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
• The main threat from heavier storms will come from hail and strong straight-line winds. An isolated tornado can’t be totally ruled out, however, if the storms can reach severe limits.
• The storms will be out of the state by 1-2 p.m. and most of the afternoon across Alabama will be dry with a mix of sun and clouds. A few isolated showers could form tonight over the northern counties as the upper trough swings through, but nothing widespread.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: The weather Saturday will be noticeably cooler; the high will be between 71 and 76 degrees with a partly sunny sky. On Sunday, expect sunshine in full force with a high around 80 degrees. Some colder spots could reach the upper 40s early Sunday morning.

NEXT WEEK: Much of next week will be dry with a warming trend. Temperatures will be close to 90 degrees by Wednesday and Thursday. A few showers could show up on Friday as moisture increases from the east.ON THIS DATE IN 1967: An F2 tornado tore through the western part of Birmingham. A 57-year-old woman who was visiting her daughter on First Court West watched the tornado from the front door. She was killed when 2-by-12 timbers launched airborne from a nearby lumber yard were hurled into the house. Birmingham Deputy Fire Chief Neal Gallant watched the storm as it tore down Lomb Avenue. A five-block area near the Fairgrounds was hardest hit. The GES department store near Rickwood Field was heavily damaged. More than two dozen people were injured, and the tornado lifted just before moving into the downtown area.

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.

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