COLD: With a sunny sky, temperatures are in the 40s over north Alabama this afternoon, with 50s to the south. A freeze is likely tonight all the way down to I-10. We expect 20s for north Alabama and a low between 28 and 32 degrees over the southern half of the state.

The weekend will be dry with cold mornings; most places start the day with subfreezing lows Saturday and Sunday mornings. Highs will be in the low to mid 50s.

NEXT WEEK: Lows will be generally in the 20s through the first half of the week as a secondary shot of cold arrives; some spots over north Alabama could reach the upper teens for the first time this season. Highs will be in the 40s Monday and Tuesday, followed by 50s over the latter half of the week. The weather will stay generally dry, although global models hint at some risk of scattered light rain by Thursday or Friday.

HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFFS: Tonight will be clear and cold for the high school playoff games across Alabama. Temperatures will fall into the 30s.

IRON BOWL: The weather will be cold and dry Saturday in Tuscaloosa for this year’s Iron Bowl (Auburn at Alabama, 2:30 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be mostly sunny, and temperatures will drop from near 52 at kickoff to near 40 by the final whistle.

ON THIS DATE IN 2016: Eleven tornadoes touched down in Alabama, including an EF-2 that moved from near Arley to Helicon in Winston County; it would continue into a small part of western Cullman County. Four homes were destroyed on the northern part of Smith Lake.

ON THIS DATE IN 2022: A dozen tornadoes tore through Alabama. Two of them were just north of Montgomery and were rated EF-2. An EF-1 tornado moved through Eutaw in Greene County.

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