James Spann forecasts quiet, warming weather for Alabama, with a few sprinkles possible tonight from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

COLD START: Temperatures are generally between 25 and 35 degrees across Alabama early this morning, but we expect a big warm-up today, with a high in the 60s statewide. The sky will be mostly sunny during the day, but some clouds will move into the northern half of the state tonight thanks to a clipper system. A few sprinkles are possible tonight, mainly over northeast Alabama, but most of the state will stay dry.

REST OF THE WEEK: Wednesday will be sunny and cooler, with a high in the 50s. Dry weather continues through Friday with a warming trend; the high Thursday will be between 57 and 64 degrees, followed by 60s statewide Friday. Some south Alabama communities could touch 70 degrees.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: The day Saturday will be dry with a high in the 60s and low 70s, but clouds increase by afternoon. We will forecast periods of rain Saturday night and Sunday as a complex weather system moves through the Deep South. There could be thunder, and maybe a strong thunderstorm near the Gulf Coast, but for now we are not expecting severe storms. The high Sunday will be between 55 and 65 degrees.

NEXT WEEK: We will maintain the chance of some lingering rain Monday, but the rest of the week will be dry with seasonal temperatures. Highs will be mostly in the 50s and 60s. There’s still no sign of any true arctic air for the Deep South for the next 10 days.

ON THIS DATE IN 1966: Alabama’s coldest temperature ever, 27 degrees below zero, was measured at New Market in northeast Madison County about 25 miles northeast of Huntsville.

The reading was recorded under clear skies with light winds and 12 inches of snow on the ground, perfect for extremely cold weather. This broke the previous state record of 18 below zero at Valley Head, measured on Feb. 14, 1905.

Other lows on that frigid morning were minus 24 at Russellville, minus 17 in Haleyville, minus 12 at Redstone Arsenal and minus 11 in Valley Head.

In the Birmingham area, it was minus 4 at the airport, minus 5 in Pinson and minus 2 in Bessemer. In south Alabama, it was 9 degrees in Fairhope and Bay Minette, 13 in Mobile, 14 at Fort Morgan and 5 degrees at Montgomery and Selma.

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