DRY AIR: The sky has become sunny across all of Alabama this afternoon; temperatures are generally in the 50s, with low 60s near the Gulf Coast. Tonight will be clear and cold, with lows in the 30s. Colder spots across north Alabama could see a freeze.

Dry weather continues Wednesday and Thursday with highs in the 60s. Clouds return Friday, and we will bring in a chance of rain late Friday and Friday night ahead of a cold front. Rain will continue Saturday, ending from the north during the day as a surge of chilly air drops into the Deep South. Temperatures will hold in the 40s Saturday over the northern third of the state, with 50s to the south.

Rain amounts Friday night and Saturday will be generally less than one-half inch for the northern half of Alabama, with one-half to 1 inch for the southern counties. There will be no risk of severe thunderstorms and probably no thunder with a cool, stable air mass in place.

Sunday will be sunny with a cold morning; temperatures will be below freezing over much of the state, with 20s for the northern counties. The high will be in the 50s.

NEXT WEEK: A clipper system will bring some risk of light rain to north Alabama Tuesday. Otherwise, the week looks dry with a warming trend; afternoon temperatures will reach the 65- to 72-degree range by midweek. There’s still no sign of any bitterly cold arctic air for the Deep South through the rest of February.ON THIS DATE IN 1899: An incredibly cold air mass made it all the way to the Gulf Coast. Birmingham’s low was 10 degrees below zero, the coldest temperature on record for the city.

It was 7 degrees in New Orleans and Pensacola. Mobile dropped to a numbing 1 below zero. The reading of 2 below zero at Tallahassee still is Florida’s coldest reading ever. Many all-time state record lows were observed during the cold wave. Montgomery recorded 4 below zero.

ON THIS DATE IN 2000: Late in the day and into the early morning of Feb. 14, severe thunderstorms spawned six tornadoes over southwestern Georgia that killed 19, injured 202 and caused $35 million in damages. An F3 tornado hit southern Camilla, killing 11 people and wounding 175 others in the town.

ON THIS DATE IN 2014: A winter storm was winding down over north Alabama; snow amounts of 2-4 inches were common from Birmingham north.

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