MILD MARCH DAY: Temperatures are in the mid 70s across most of Alabama this afternoon; clouds will continue to increase through tonight ahead of a system producing rain over parts of Louisiana and south Mississippi.

RAIN RETURNS: Rain spreads into Alabama Friday and Friday night. The air will be cool and stable, with temperatures in the low to mid 60s, but a strong thunderstorm can’t be ruled out along the immediate Gulf Coast. Rain amounts between one-half and 1 inch are likely. We will maintain the chance of a few lingering showers over the eastern counties Saturday morning, and clouds will likely stick around statewide. The high Saturday will be between 62 and 67 degrees, below average for late March in Alabama.

The sky will clear Saturday night, and Sunday will be dry with sunshine in full supply. Colder pockets will dip into the 30s early Sunday morning, but we warm to near 70 degrees by afternoon.

NEXT WEEK: The weather stays dry Monday, but showers and thunderstorms return to Alabama Tuesday. With the main dynamic support passing well to the north and limited instability, storms will likely remain below severe limits. Dry air returns Wednesday and Thursday; beyond that, models diverge greatly concerning the weather for next Friday and the following weekend.ON THIS DATE IN 1932: A generational tornado outbreak unfolded across Alabama. At least 36 tornadoes, including 27 killers and several long-lived tornado families, occurred across the Deep South, and Alabama was the hardest hit. The March 24 headline of The Tuscaloosa News stated that the death toll rose to 300, 32 of whom had died in Northport, and 2,500 were known to be injured. The Red Cross worked tirelessly to rehabilitate approximately “10,000 people left homeless in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.” According to The Tuscaloosa News, in Alabama alone, there were more than “8,000 whose domiciles were blown to the four winds.” To this day, we don’t know the exact number of people who died. There were no tornado warnings in 1932.

Chilton County was hit extremely hard, with 58 people killed. The Union Grove community near Jemison was laid to waste. Doctors and nurses from Montgomery and Birmingham worked all night by lantern and flashlight to relieve the widespead suffering. In Clay County, one of the tornadoes remained on the ground for 30 miles, cutting a path 400 yards wide. A new automobile became airborne and was carried through the air for a distance of 400 yards. Twelve people died in Clay County and 200 were injured. After the tornado, there were people living in the Clay County Courthouse.

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