RADAR CHECK: Rain is widespread this afternoon across much of north and west Alabama, along and north of the slow-moving front draped across the state. Again today we have a wide range of temperatures; at 2 p.m. Haleyville reported 49 degrees with rain, while Dothan was enjoying a mostly sunny sky and 83 degrees.

Rain will be widespread across the northern half of the state tonight with temperatures dropping into the 48- to 55-degree range.

EASTER WEEKEND: Rain will continue much of the day Saturday, but it will end from northwest to southeast during midday and afternoon. By mid-afternoon most of the rain will be from Birmingham south and east. It will be cool, with highs betweeen 55 and 65 degrees for the northern two-thirds of the state; 70s are likely for the southern counties.

Sunday will be dry. The sky becomes partly to mostly sunny with highs in the 60s and 70s.

NEXT WEEK: Dry weather continues Monday and Tuesday with highs holding in the 60s and 70s. An upper low is forecast to form around the Gulf Coast by midweek with a surface low as well. This feature will likely bring some rain back into Alabama Thursday and Friday; rain could begin across south Alabama as early as Wednesday.One positive note: We see no significant chance of severe thunderstorms for Alabama for at least the next seven days.

ON THIS DATE IN 1948: Six tornadoes ripped through northern Illinois and Indiana, mainly across the southern and eastern suburbs of Chicago. The hardest hit was from a tornado that moved east from near Manteno, Illinois, to near Hebron, Indiana. This storm left four people dead — three in Grant Park, Illinois, and one near Hebron, Indiana.

ON THIS DATE IN 1980: Severe thunderstorms spawned tornadoes that ripped through central Arkansas. The storms also produced high winds and baseball-sized hail. Five counties were declared disaster areas by President Jimmy Carter. A tornado causing F3 damage also affected St. Louis and St. Charles counties in Missouri, producing $2.5 million in damage.

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.