COLD: Some north Alabama communities are below freezing early this morning, with 30s all the way down to Mobile. The high will be in the 50s across most of the state this afternoon, but a secondary push of colder air will arrive later today, and temperatures could very well fall this afternoon over the northern third of the state with a brisk north wind. A tiny snowflake or two is possible over the northeast corner of the state as the new surge of cold air arrives, but the air is very dry, and most communities will see nothing.

The weekend will be cold and dry. Highs will be in the 40s over the northern half of the state Saturday, and a freeze is likely deep into south Alabama early Sunday morning. Sunday’s high will be in the low to mid 50s.

NEXT WEEK: Dry weather continues Monday and Tuesday with a warming trend; afternoon highs will be in the mid to upper 50s. Global models continue to suggest we will have a few periods of rain on Christmas Day with a high between 57 and 64 degrees across Alabama. Rain amounts should be light, and there is no risk of severe storms. We will hang on to some risk of spotty showers on Thursday and Friday with highs in the low to mid 60s.

ON THIS DATE IN 1836: A famous sudden freeze occurred in central Illinois. A cold front with 70 mph winds swept through around noon, dropping the temperature from 40 degrees to near zero in a matter of minutes. Many settlers froze to death. Folklore told of chickens frozen in their tracks and men frozen to saddles. Ice in streams reportedly froze to 6 inches in a few hours.

ON THIS DATE IN 2012: An EF-1 tornado developed and moved over the Mobile metro area before dawn. It formed around 4:49 a.m. near Davidson High School. The tornado lifted near Telegraph Road in Prichard; the path was approximately 7 miles in length and 50 to 75 yards in width. Another tornado five days later (Christmas Day 2012) would take a very similar path.

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