James Spann forecasts a dry, pleasant, windy day for Alabama from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

MILD AFTERNOONS, COOL NIGHTS: A wind advisory is in effect today for much of north and east Alabama as pressure gradient winds remain strong. West winds will average 10 to 20 mph later today, with gusts up to 35 mph possible. Otherwise, sunny weather continues today with a high in the mid 70s. The average high for Birmingham on May 2 is 79.

Dry weather continues through Thursday with sunny days and fair nights; highs remain in the 70s with lows in the 40s.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: A few isolated showers could show up Friday afternoon as moisture levels rise, but the chance of any one spot seeing rain is only 20-30%. Otherwise, the day will be partly sunny with a high not too far from 80 degrees.

The weekend will be warm, with a mix of sun and clouds and afternoon highs near or just over 80 degrees. We will mention the risk of scattered showers both days, but a decent part of the weekend will be dry. The chance of any one community seeing rain is 40% Saturday and 25% Sunday.

NEXT WEEK: The week looks “showery,” with some risk of showers just about daily. The showers should be pretty scattered in nature during the first half of the week, increasing in coverage by Thursday or Friday as a cold front approaches. The week will be warm, with highs mostly in the low to mid 80s.

ON THIS DATE IN 1929: Virginia’s worst tornado disaster occurred. Six tornadoes, two of which were west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, killed 22 people. One tornado killed 12 children and a teacher at Rye Cove in Scott County. The storms destroyed four schools.

ON THIS DATE IN 2010: Torrential rains continued across much of Tennessee, north Mississippi and Kentucky, producing severe flooding. In Nashville, a new 24-hour total rainfall record was established when 9.09 inches of rain fell on May 1-2.

Twenty-one deaths were recorded in Tennessee, including 10 in Davidson County, which includes Nashville. Of those 10, four victims were found in their homes, two were in cars and four were outdoors. Floods killed six people in northern Mississippi, and four deaths were reported in Kentucky.

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