BLUE SKY: With a sunny sky, temperatures are in the 50s over north Alabama this afternoon and in the 60s over the southern counties. Tonight will be clear and chilly, with a freeze for many communities.

Dry weather continues through Saturday with mostly sunny days, fair nights and a warming trend. Afternoon temperatures will be in the 60s statewide Friday and Saturday, with low 70s for the southern quarter of the state. Clouds return Saturday night, and Sunday will be wet at times with periods of rain. Some thunder is possible for south Alabama, but for now severe storms are not expected. Temperatures will likely hold in the 50s Sunday with clouds and rain.

NEXT WEEK: We will mention a chance of some lingering light rain Monday as an upper low moves through. We expect dry weather Tuesday through Thursday with highs in the 50s and 60s. Some light rain could arrive on Friday, Feb. 9. There’s still no sign of bitterly cold arctic air for the Deep South for the next seven to 10 days.ON THIS DATE IN 1951: The costliest ice storm on record devastated an area of more than 100 miles wide from Louisiana to West Virginia. This ice storm swept through north Mississippi, northwest Alabama, west and middle Tennessee, most of Kentucky and parts of southern Ohio. High winds from a line of thunderstorms that developed from southwestern Louisiana to central Mississippi and northern Alabama combined with the ice glaze to result in widespread tree and power-line damage.

ON THIS DATE IN 1989: The barometric pressure at Norway, Alaska, reached 31.85 inches (1,078.4 millibars), establishing an all-time record for the North American continent. The temperature at the time of the record was about 46 degrees below zero. The severe arctic cold began to invade the north-central U.S. The temperature at Grand Fall, Montana, plunged 85 degrees in 36 hours. Valentine, Nebraska, plummeted from a record high of 70 degrees to zero in just nine hours. Northwest winds gusted to 86 mph at Lander, Wyoming, and wind chill readings of 80 degrees below zero were reported in Montana.

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