DRY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK: Dry weather will continue across Alabama through the weekend with sunny, cool days and clear, cold nights. Highs will be mostly between 50 and 55 degrees, lows between 25 and 32. Colder spots over north Alabama will see low 20s.

NEXT WEEK: Dry weather continues Monday through Wednesday with a slow warming trend; temperatures reach the low 60s by Wednesday. The next chance of rain will come late in the week, sometime in the Thursday-Friday time frame. Model consistency has not been good concerning details of the system, which is to be expected seven to 10 days out. The latest global model runs today continue to back off the risk of strong or severe storms, suggesting only a light rain event.

TROPICS: The Atlantic basin remains quiet and tropical storm formation is not expected through early next week. The hurricane season ends at the end of the month.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: Expect clear, cold conditions for the high school playoff games Friday night, with temperatures falling from the mid 40s at kickoff into the upper 30s by the second half.

Saturday, Alabama will host Austin Peay at Bryant-Denny Stadium (11 a.m. kickoff). The sky will be sunny with temperatures rising from near 49 degrees at kickoff into the mid 50s by the final whistle.

Auburn will host Western Kentucky at Jordan-Hare Stadium (3 p.m. kickoff). It will be sunny and about 55 degrees at kickoff, falling into the upper 40s by the fourth quarter.

Saturday night, UAB travels to Baton Rouge to take on LSU (kickoff at 8). Expect a cloudy sky with temperatures hovering around 50 degrees during the game. A passing shower can’t be ruled out.

ON THIS DATE IN 1927: A tornado (at times 260 yards wide) cut a 17-mile path through Alexandria, Virginia, across the District of Columbia from the Navy yard to Benning Road and 19th St. NE and northeast to East Riverdale, Maryland. This storm injured 31 people and struck the Naval Air Station, where a wind gust of 93 mph was recorded.

ON THIS DATE IN 1957: An F4 tornado moved across Walker County northeast from Cross Roads, 6 miles northwest of Jasper, to 1 mile north of Manchester. A new ranch house was picked up, blown apart and scattered. Three people were killed in that home. A fourth death occurred in another home.

ON THIS DATE IN 2013: An unusually powerful storm system spun up five dozen tornadoes from the Great Lakes to the Tennessee Valley. Two EF4 twisters struck Illinois, hitting the communities of Washington and New Minden.

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

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