RADAR CHECK: Light rain is falling this afternoon over the northwest corner of the state; the rain is ahead of a cold front that will bring showers statewide tonight. There will be no risk of severe storms and probably very little thunder. Rain amounts overnight will be one-quarter to one-half inches, and the rain should be out of the state by 5 a.m. Saturday.

THE WEEKEND: Look for mostly sunny days, fair nights and a cooling trend over the weekend. The high will be in the low 70s Saturday, followed by mid to upper 60s Sunday. Temperatures early Sunday morning will be in the low to mid 40s.

NEXT WEEK: Monday will be dry with a high in the 60s, but expect periods of rain Tuesday and Wednesday. For now, severe storms are not expected, and the rain should end early in the day Thursday as dry air begins to return. Rain amounts next week will be 1-2 inches, and highs will be in the upper 60s and low 70s most days.

ALABAMA A-DAY: The sky will be mostly sunny for Alabama’s spring game Saturday (2 p.m. kickoff at Bryant-Denny Stadium) with temperatures in the low 70s.

RACE WEEKEND: Expect dry weather for the races at Talladega this weekend. The high will be close to 70 degrees Saturday, followed by mid to upper 60s Sunday.

ON THIS DATE IN 1967: Severe thunderstorms spawned 48 tornadoes in the Upper Midwest. Hardest hit was northern Illinois, where 16 tornadoes touched down during the afternoon and evening, causing $50 million damage. On that Friday afternoon, tornadoes struck Belvidere, Illinois, and the Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn, killing 58 people.

ON THIS DATE IN 1988: After having had just 12 rainouts in the previous 26 years at Dodger Stadium, the third day of heavy rain in southern California rained out a doubleheader at Dodger Stadium, which had been scheduled due to rainouts the previous two days.

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.