NICE SPRING DAY: With a sunny sky, temperatures are mostly between 67 and 72 degrees across Alabama this afternoon; a few clouds are across the southern third of the state, but nothing is showing up on radar with very dry low-level air in places. Tonight will be fair and cool with a low in the 40s; a few colder pockets across north Alabama might dip into the mid to upper 30s briefly.

Most of the state will stay dry Tuesday and Wednesday with a partly to mostly sunny sky, but a few showers will be possible over the southwest corner of the state as a disturbance over the Gulf of Mexico lifts northward. Highs will be in the 70s.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: That feature will bring a chance of rain to all of Alabama Thursday into Friday; rain amounts will vary from less than one-half inch for the northern third of the state to 2-3 inches for areas south of U.S. 84. While there could be some thunder, we don’t expect any severe thunderstorms.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: For now, it looks like most of the state will be dry and warm Saturday with a high in the low to mid 80s. Then, a cold front will bring showers and storms in here Saturday night into early Sunday morning. At this time severe storms are not expected, and dry air will return Sunday afternoon. The high Sunday will be in the 70s.

NEXT WEEK: A dry air mass will settle into the state Monday, and for now much of the week looks dry and pleasant, with mild afternoons and cool nights. We see no sign of any high-impact event here (severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, etc.) for the next seven to 10 days.ON THIS DATE IN 1935: Severe dust storms across Iowa and Kansas closed schools and highways. Dodge City, Kansas, experienced its worst dust storm of record, with dense dust reported from the morning of April 9 until after sunset on April 11. The sky was almost as dark as night at times during the daylight hours. The thick dust suspended traffic on highways and railroads and also suspended most business in town.

ON THIS DATE IN 1979: This day was known as “Terrible Tuesday” to the residents of Wichita Falls, Texas, as a massive tornado rated F4 on the Fujita scale ripped through the city, killing 43 people and causing $300 million in damage. Another tornado struck Vernon, Texas, killing 11 people.

ON THIS DATE IN 2009: Eleven tornadoes touched down in Alabama, including an F3 that moved through parts of Marshall, Jackson and DeKalb counties. It was down for 33 miles with many houses heavily damaged in the area along Lake Guntersville and in subdivisions to the east, with a few destroyed. Many mobile homes and boat houses were also destroyed along its path. Five people were injured.

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

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