James Spann forecasts rain for Alabama by midweek after a mostly dry Monday from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

MORE RAIN ON THE WAY: Alabama is rain-free early this morning, but we note a large mass of rain over parts of Louisiana and southwest Mississippi, and some of that will likely reach the southwest corner of the state later today and tonight. For the rest of Alabama, the sky will be occasionally cloudy with a high between 68 and 75 degrees. The average high for Birmingham on Nov. 13 is 66.

Rain will become widespread over the southern half of the state Tuesday and statewide Wednesday as a surface low moves along a stalled front near the Gulf Coast. Some lingering light rain is possible in scattered spots Thursday, and a cold front will bring a chance of showers to the state Friday.

The southern half of Alabama will see beneficial rain this week, with amounts between 2 and 3 inches for most communities. The central counties will see around 1 inch, and rain totals over the Tennessee Valley will be light, generally less than a quarter-inch.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Dry air moves into the Deep South, and the weekend will feature mostly sunny, pleasant days and fair, cool nights. Highs generally will be in the 60s, lows mostly in the 40s — seasonal for mid-November.

NEXT WEEK: Rain will return to the state, and possibly a few strong thunderstorms. Models are not in good agreement concerning the timing, but the rain could arrive as early as Monday, continuing through Tuesday and possibly Wednesday.TROPICS: A broad area of low pressure is likely to form over the southwestern Caribbean Sea in a few days. Gradual development is possible thereafter, and a tropical depression could form late this week while the system drifts northeastward across the western and central portions of the Caribbean Sea. The National Hurricane Center gives this a 60% chance of development over the next seven days.

If a depression or storm does form in the region, it will move northeast and won’t be a threat to the contiguous U.S.ON THIS DATE IN 1946: General Electric scientists produced snow in the Massachusetts Berkshires in the first modern-day cloud-seeding experiment. Scientist Vincent Schaefer dropped 6 pounds of dry ice pellets into a cloud over Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The 4-mile-long cloud was converted into snow flurries. The success of the experiment became the basis of many weather modification projects.

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