COOL LATE MARCH DAY: Temperatures are in the 60s across Alabama this afternoon with a partly sunny sky. Tonight will be mostly fair with a low in the 40s; colder spots across north and central Alabama could dip into the mid to upper 30s with a touch of scattered light frost.

Thursday will be another sunny day with a high in the 70s.

FRIDAY/SATURDAY: The day Friday will be dry, warm and breezy, with a high between 77 and 81 degrees. Then, an organized batch of rain and storms will push into Alabama Friday night. The Storm Prediction Center has defined an enhanced risk (level 3 of 5) across the northwest corner of the state around the Shoals. There is a slight risk (level 2) as far south as Aliceville, Gardendale and Scottsboro. A marginal risk (level 1) is up as far south as Butler, Clanton and Heflin.The core window for severe storms will come from around 9 p.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Saturday. All modes of severe weather will be possible, including hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes. The highest tornado threat will be in areas north and west of Birmingham.

This will be another overnight event, and, like last Friday night, everyone will need to have a reliable way of hearing severe weather warnings.

By early Saturday morning the rain will be over for north and central Alabama; the sky becomes partly sunny with a high around 80 degrees. Showers will end across south Alabama by early afternoon; severe storms are not expected there.

Sunday will be a nice day with ample sunshine and a high between 74 and 81 degrees.

NEXT WEEK: Moist, unstable air surges northward, and we will have some risk of showers and storms daily during the first half of the week. Another vigorous storm system will bring the risk of severe thunderstorms to the Deep South sometime Tuesday or Wednesday; it’s way too early to be specific on this threat. The weather looks dry Thursday and Friday.ON THIS DATE IN 2007: A high school athlete was struck and killed by lightning at a track meet in Carbondale, Illinois. A bolt or two had been seen miles away, and a distant rumble of thunder was heard before the deadly strike. A reminder that when you hear thunder, you have to go indoors even if it is not raining.

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.