James Spann says Alabama will be rain-free through Friday from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

QUIET WEEK: Alabama’s weather will be dry through Friday with mostly sunny days and fair nights. A clipper system north of the state will push a dry cold front through here late this afternoon, reinforcing the dry air in place. Highs today will range from the upper 50s across the Tennessee Valley to the upper 60s near the coast.

Colder air drops into the state Wednesday, and by early Thursday morning temperatures will be below freezing over the northern half of the state. Highs will be mostly in the 50s Wednesday and Thursday, then rise into the 60s Friday.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: A dynamic weather system will bring rain and thunderstorms back to Alabama over the weekend. For now, it looks like the best chance of rain will come Saturday night into Sunday morning. The Storm Prediction Center has defined a risk of severe thunderstorms west of Alabama Saturday, but no formal risk has been defined here. For now, it looks like the storms will come through at a time when there is little to no surface-based instability across the state, but we will watch model trends closely over the next few days.

Rain amounts over the weekend are expected to be in the one-half-inch to 1-inch range, with the heavier totals over the northern counties. The high will be between 66 and 73 degrees Saturday and mostly in the 50s on Sunday with a cool north breeze following the surface front.

Dry weather is likely during the following week with seasonal temperatures.FOOTBALL WEATHER: The Alabama Super 7 high school football championships will be played Wednesday through Friday in Tuscaloosa at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The weather will be cool and dry for all the games; daytime temperatures will be in the 50s Wednesday and Thursday and in the 60s Friday. For the evening games, temperatures will be mostly in the 40s with no risk of any rain.

ON THIS DATE IN 1952: December started off with chilly temperatures in London. This cold resulted in Londoners burning more coal to heat their homes. On Dec. 5, high pressure settled over the Thames River, causing a dense layer of smog to develop. The smog became so thick and dense by Dec. 7 that virtually no sunlight was seen in London. About 4,000 people were known to have died as a result of the smog, but it could be many more. The pollution was so toxic it was even reported to have choked cows to death in the fields.

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