James Spann says Alabama showers give way to drier air later today from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

RADAR CHECK: We have a band of showers and thunderstorms early this morning in areas east and south of Birmingham; the rest of the state is dry with temperatures in the 70s. A cold front will push into the state later today, and by afternoon most of the scattered showers and storms will be over the southern half of the state. With a mix of sun and clouds we expect a high in the upper 80s for most communities today.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: A dry, continental air mass will be in place, and we expect rain-free weather Friday and Saturday with sunny, warm days and clear, pleasant nights. Some of the cooler spots could dip into the 50s early Saturday morning over north Alabama. Keep in mind dry air heats very effectively; the high Saturday afternoon will be near 90, but humidity levels will be low for summer.

Much of the state will stay dry Sunday, but another front will bring a chance of showers or storms by afternoon over the northern third of the state, and there will be a risk of some rain statewide Sunday night as the front drops southward. The high Sunday will also be close to 90 degrees.

NEXT WEEK: Scattered showers Monday will likely be limited to the southern third of the state as the front keeps dropping southward, and almost all of Alabama will experience rain-free weather Tuesday through Thursday. A few scattered showers or storms are possible by Friday; highs will be between 85 and 90 degrees through the week.

TROPICS: The Atlantic basin remains quiet and tropical storm formation is not expected for the next seven days.

ON THIS DATE IN 1816: The temperature reached 92 degrees at Salem, Massachusetts, during an early heat wave, then plunged 49 degrees in 24 hours to commence the famous “year without a summer.” Snow fell near Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, June 6-10 and accumulated up to a foot with “drifts reaching the axle trees of carriages.”

ON THIS DATE IN 1944: A strong system approaching Europe on June 4, 1944, ended up delaying the original invasion of northern France on June 5. There were even disagreements in the forecast between American and British forecasters. Ultimately, Group Capt. James Stagg of the United Kingdom’s Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force, persuaded Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower to change the date of the invasion to June 6 based on weather observations from a ship in the Atlantic.

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