SUNNY, BREEZY, COOL DAY: Despite a good supply of sunshine, temperatures are well below average across Alabama this afternoon, mostly in the 50s and 60s. Birmingham reports 55 degrees at 2 p.m.; the average high for March 13 is 66. A freeze warning is in effect tonight for all of north and central Alabama, where lows will dip into the 25- to 35-degree range early Tuesday morning.

Tuesday will be another sunny, cool day with highs in the 50s and 60s. Another freeze is likely across north and central Alabama by daybreak Wednesday, with frost potential across the southern counties of the state. During the day Wednesday, the sky will be sunny with a high in the 60s.

Temperatures reach the 70s Thursday afternoon with a good supply of sunshine. Clouds return Thursday night, and rain arrives Friday ahead of another cold front. For now, severe storms are not expected over most of Alabama due to the lack of surface-based instability, but strong storms are possible along the Gulf Coast. Rain amounts Friday will be around 1 inch.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Another shot of colder air arrives Saturday. The sky becomes partly to mostly sunny with highs in the 50s and 60s. Another late-season freeze seems likely for much of north and central Alabama by early Sunday morning, with lows back in the 25- to 35-degree range. Sunday will be sunny and cool, with highs in the 50s for north Alabama and the 60s for the southern counties of the state.

NEXT WEEK: Freezing temperatures are possible again early Monday morning, followed by a warming trend. A batch of rain and storms will likely arrive by midweek.

ON THIS DATE 30 YEARS AGO: The generational “Blizzard of ’93” was winding down. All 67 Alabama counties had measurable snow. Winds gusted to nearly hurricane force on ridges with whiteout conditions; snow amounts of 1 to 2 feet were common over the northern half of the state, with drifts to 5 feet. There was a lot of eerie green lightning followed by the muffled sound of thunder during the peak of the storm. With the atmosphere overloaded with big snowflakes, part of the sound of thunder was absorbed. Some had no power for more than a week.

We forecast 6 to 16 inches of snow going into the event, but many didn’t believe it since we were in mid-March, the flowers were blooming and the high on March 10, 1993 (two days before the blizzard) was 75.

The storm dropped 13 inches at the Birmingham International Airport, where the records are kept, and almost 3 feet of snow across parts of southern Jefferson and northern Shelby counties. The heaviest snow across the Southeast was recorded at Newfound Gap, where U.S. 441 crosses the Tennessee and North Carolina border, with 5 feet. The temperature at Birmingham dropped to 2 degrees on Sunday, March 14, 1993, with a clear sky, light wind and a huge snow cover.

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.