DRY: Most of Alabama is enjoying a sunny afternoon; the exception is the Tennessee Valley of north Alabama, where clouds linger at midday. We have a big thermal contrast across the state; temperatures at noon range from 39 degrees at Huntsville to 66 at Mobile. Tonight will be clear and cold, with subfreezing temperatures for most communities. Lows in the 20s are likely down to U.S. 80 (Demopolis to Selma to Montgomery to Opelika).

Dry weather continues Tuesday with ample sunshine; expect a high between 47 and 60 degrees across Alabama from north to south.

WEDNESDAY: A weak surface low in the northern Gulf of Mexico will bring clouds and light rain to the Deep South. The best chance of rain across Alabama will be over the southern two-thirds of the state (Hamilton to Cullman to Gadsden and points south). Initially the air will be very dry, and evaporative cooling could drop temperatures into the 30s over north and central Alabama. Some high-resolution models even suggest the light rain could mix with a few snowflakes Wednesday afternoon or evening over the east and northeast counties of the state, but if that happens, we don’t expect any accumulation or impact with temperatures above freezing.

Rain amounts on Wednesday will likely be less than one-half inch with limited moisture. Some thunder is possible along the Gulf Coast, but there is no risk of severe storms with a cool, stable air mass in place.

THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Thursday will be sunny with upper 40s for north Alabama and low to mid 50s to the south. The day Friday will be dry with a high in the 50s, but clouds will return Friday night with some rain possible.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: A dynamic weather system will bring a soaking rain to Alabama Saturday. Amounts of 1-2 inches are likely; some thunder is possible, but no severe storms are expected due to the lack of surface-based instability. Temperatures will hover between 50 and 55 degrees during the day.

Dry air returns Sunday with a partly to mostly sunny sky. The high will be mostly in the 50s, right at seasonal averages for early January.

NEXT WEEK: The active pattern continues with potential for another soaker late Monday night into Tuesday (Jan. 8-9); the latter half of the week looks dry for now. Temperatures will be near average through the week.

ON THIS DATE IN 1964: Bear Bryant said the only thing that could have messed up his eighth-ranked Alabama team’s chances in the 1964 Sugar Bowl against sixth-ranked Ole Miss in New Orleans would be a freak snowstorm. Much to his chagrin, it did snow an amazing 4½ inches the night before the Jan. 1 game in the Crescent City. Alabama won the game 12-7.

The “New Year’s Eve Snow” in the Deep South also dumped an incredible 19.2 inches at Muscle Shoals (still a record for Alabama) and 17.1 inches on Huntsville. Much of northwest Alabama was buried under 15-17 inches of snow. Roofs and awnings collapsed under the weight. The snow paralyzed much of the area for up to three days, closing schools and businesses. To the south, 15 inches fell at Meridian and more than 10 inches at Bay. St. Louis, Mississippi. Mobile picked up 2 inches. Birmingham picked up 8.4 inches, the fifth-biggest snowstorm in the city’s history.

ON THIS DATE IN 2011: Southern and central Mississippi saw 11 tornadoes during the night of Dec. 31 into the morning of Jan. 1. Of the 11, two were EF-3, two were EF-2, six were EF-1 and one EF-0.

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