James Spann forecasts unseasonably warm, mostly dry weather for Alabama from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

ANOTHER WARM DAY: We project a high in the low 80s for most communities across Alabama today. The sky will feature more clouds than sun, and while a sprinkle or two can’t be ruled out, most places will stay dry.

We will mention the chance of a few isolated showers over the northern half of Alabama Wednesday, but the chance of any one spot getting wet is less than 30%, and the southern counties will stay rain-free. The high will be between 77 and 82 degrees.

Thursday should be the warmest day of the week; with a mix of sun and clouds, afternoon temperatures will reach the mid to upper 80s.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: A few isolated showers are possible Friday over north Alabama, but again most places will stay dry with a high in the low 80s. Expect a mostly cloudy sky over the weekend with occasional showers possible both days thanks to a weak front drifting southward. The highest coverage of showers will be over the northern two-thirds of the state Saturday and statewide on Sunday. There could be a rumble of thunder but no severe storms, and rain amounts should be relatively light (mostly less than one-half inch).

The weekend won’t be a washout, but be ready for some rain at times if you have something planned outdoors. We will have a significant cooling trend; the high will be in the 70s Saturday, and much of the state won’t get out of the 60s Sunday.

NEXT WEEK: Most of the week will be dry with a warming trend; the high will be close to 80 by Wednesday. There’s still no sign of any high-impact weather event (severe storms, flooding) for at least the next seven to 10 days for Alabama.

RACE WEEKEND: The sky will be mostly cloudy at Talladega over the weekend with occasional showers both days. There’s no way at this point to know the exact timing of the rain, but delays will be possible for the races Saturday and the Geico 500 Sunday. The high will be in the mid 70s Saturday, followed by mid 60s Sunday as cooler air arrives. Some thunder can’t be ruled out, but there is no risk of severe storms, and rain amounts should be fairly light.

ON THIS DATE IN 1998: A historic outbreak of at least 13 tornadoes struck Middle Tennessee. Many of these tornadoes were strong or violent and tracked long distances, killing four people and injuring nearly 100, while causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. One tornado struck downtown Nashville, blowing out numerous windows in skyscrapers and causing the collapse of some older buildings. Other notable tornadoes included three violent tornadoes in southern Middle Tennessee that reached F4 to F5 intensity and an F3 tornado in Pickett County that damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses. Wilson County was struck by four tornadoes during the event.

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