FLAKY FRIDAY: The New Year’s Eve weekend is starting off with a minor bang, with a few snowflakes flying here and there across north Alabama. Skies are mostly cloudy across much of north and central Alabama, especially along and north of I-20. Clouds should continue to increase during the day and sunshine will eventually be scarce. A few scattered light showers are ongoing this morning across the northern half of the state. A few of them are predominantly snow, and a few are mixed with or are all rain. They should change to all rain except over northeast Alabama during the morning as temperatures rise into the lower 40s. Rain and snow will increase over western and middle Tennessee by this evening, and some of that will work into our northernmost counties. But it will weaken as it pushes southeast, so the best chances for any accumulations of around one-quarter inch will be in places like Double Springs, Moulton, Decatur, Athens, Huntsville, Albertville, Scottsboro, Fort Payne and Cedar Bluff. Highs will range from 42-43 degrees across the Tennessee Valley to 45-47 degrees across north-central Alabama to around 50 at Montgomery. Lows tonight will generally be within a degree or two of freezing.

ANY SUN FOR SATURDAY? Saturday will be mostly cloudy except for areas near and south of U.S. 80 that might see a little more sunshine. Highs will range from the 40s in the northeast to the 50s in the southwest.

NEW YEAR’S EVE: The last day of 2023 will start off mostly sunny, but clouds will increase by afternoon. Highs will be in the middle 50s in the north and upper 50s to near 60 across central Alabama. Rain should reach western Alabama after 3 a.m. Monday, meaning your celebrations and that midnight kiss will not be hampered by wet weather. Lows Sunday night will be in the middle and upper 30s.

A WET START TO 2024: A cold front will push through Alabama Monday, pushing a line of showers with it. Right now, the rainfall doesn’t look heavy. Most everyone will see rain, but amounts will range from 0.1 to 0.3 inch. Highs will be in the upper 40s in the north and lower and middle 50s in central Alabama.

REST OF THE WEEK: Tuesday and Wednesday will be dry thanks to high pressure that will take over the Deep South. But rain will overtake Alabama for late Wednesday night and much of Thursday. Lows will be near freezing. Friday looks dry for much of Alabama, but a fast-moving low along the northern Gulf Coast will bring rain to the southern part of the state Friday night into early Saturday.

SPECIAL EVENT: The National Weather Service in Birmingham will hold a one-year tornado anniversary event for residents of Selma on Saturday, Jan. 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at ArtsRevive at 3 Church St. in Selma. A mosaic will be dedicated to those affected by the storm. Various agencies will be in attendance with free preparedness items. Residents can tell their stories, learn, prepare and enjoy some refreshments.

BOWL WEATHER: Auburn takes on Maryland in the Music City Bowl in Nashville Saturday afternoon. A little light snow is in the forecast today and tonight, but the best chance for accumulation will be east of Nashville. Temperatures will be in the 40s today, 30s tonight and upper 40s Saturday afternoon as a little sunshine returns for the game. Alabama plays in the Rose Bowl Monday afternoon to take on Michigan. There will be a little rain in the Los Angeles area Saturday night, Sunday night and early Monday, but the rain will be gone well before game time. Daytime temperatures will be in the lower and middle 60s, a couple of degrees below normal. Nighttime lows will be in the upper 40s.

ON THIS DATE IN 1894: When the town of Frostproof, Florida, was incorporated in 1886, real estate developers intent on attracting citrus farmers to the area lobbied to have it named Frostproof. While popular opinion favored another name, the real estate agent who volunteered to deliver the town’s official application to the U.S. Postal Service changed the application to read Frostproof. Frostproof was anything but, and a devastating freeze on this date caused severe damage to agricultural interests across much of the state. Another bad freeze occurred the following February and another a couple of years later. The town petitioned to have its name changed, but it would be changed back in 1906 and is still called Frostproof today.

For more weather news and information from James Spann, Bill Murray and other members of the James Spann team, visit AlabamaWx.