James Spann forecasts a beautiful day for Alabama from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

WARM MARCH DAY: We are forecasting a highbetween 78 and 83 degrees across Alabama today with a partly to mostly sunny sky. An isolated shower or two is possible near the Gulf Coast, but even there most places will be dry. The average high for Birmingham on March 6 is 64.

We will bring in a chance of widely scattered showers Tuesday as moisture levels rise, but most of the day will be dry with a high back in the upper 70s and low 80s.

WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY: A cold front will bring cooler air into the northern two-thirds of the state Wednesday with periods of rain. Highs will drop into the 58- to 63-degree range over the northern counties, with 60s and 70s for south Alabama. The front will stall out Wednesday night, and the weather will remain wet at times Thursday and Friday with occasional rain likely. Some thunder is possible Friday, but there is no risk of severe thunderstorms.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: For now, we are forecasting a dry day for most of the state Saturday, but rain will return Sunday with another cold front. Highs will be in the 60s for north Alabama, with 70s for the southern counties of the state. Severe storms are not expected Sunday with the front.

NEXT WEEK: Overall forecast confidence is low next week in this active pattern, but there is a good chance the weather will trend colder through the week, and there is some potential for a late-season freeze by midweek for parts of north Alabama. On the positive side, the colder air means no risk of severe storms through the week.

ON THIS DATE IN 1962: The strongest nor’easter of the century struck the Mid-Atlantic region on March 5-9. Known as the “Ash Wednesday Storm,” it caused more than $200 million (1962 dollars) in property damage and significant coastal erosion from North Carolina to Long Island, New York. It was estimated to have destroyed or significantly damaged 45,000 homes in New Jersey alone. The Red Cross recorded that the storm killed 40 people. It hit during “Spring Tide.” When the sun and moon are in phase, they produce a higher-than-average astronomical tide. Water reached 9 feet at Norfolk (flooding begins around 5 feet). Houses were toppled into the ocean, and boardwalks were broken and twisted. The islands of Chincoteague and Assateague, Maryland, were completely underwater.

ON THIS DATE IN 1996: Six tornadoes touched down across Alabama before dawn, killing six people. An F3 moved through Selma, where four people were killed at a mobile home park on the northwest side of town. An F2 tore through southern Montgomery, with two fatalities there. It also brought down the WCOV-TV tower.

ON THIS DATE IN 2014: The Great Lakes saw some of their worst ice covers in nearly four decades because of a frigid winter with months of below-freezing temperatures in large sections of the northern United States, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration said. As of March 6, 2014, the federal agency said that 92.2% of the five lakes were under ice, breaking a record set in 1973 but still short of the 94.7% established in 1979.

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.