DRY, COOL DAY: Most of Alabama is enjoying sunshine in full supply this afternoon with temperatures in the 50s, but clouds are over the Tennessee Valley with 40s there. Tonight will be mostly fair and cold, with a low between 25 and 35 degrees.

A dynamic weather system will bring rain back into the Deep South beginning Sunday, continuing Sunday night. The Storm Prediction Center has defined a risk of severe thunderstorms west of Alabama Sunday (over parts of Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas), and we could very well have a few strong storms Sunday night. But forecast instability is very marginal, and the overall risk of severe storms looks low at this point.

NEXT WEEK: Rain ends early Monday, and it looks like temperatures will fall into the 30s during the day over the northern half of Alabama with a brisk north wind. Very cold air settles into the Deep South for the rest of the week. Highs will be in the 30s over the northern counties, with 40s for south Alabama. Morning lows will be mostly in the 20s, but teens are likely for some north Alabama communities.

Global models continue to hint at a potential surface low forming in the Gulf of Mexico over the latter half of the week. The American global model shows a big snow event for parts of Alabama Thursday night, but the reliable European global model shows very little precipitation, just some light rain for the Florida Panhandle. It remains too early to know whether any winter mischief will be involved with the cold air late next week.

A reinforcing shot of cold, arctic air will likely arrive by the following weekend; temperatures will likely remain well below average across the Deep South into mid-January.

ON THIS DATE IN 1964: Bear Bryant said later that the only thing that could have messed up his eighth-ranked Alabama team’s chances in the 1964 Sugar Bowl against sixth-ranked Ole Miss in New Orleans would have been if it were to snow.

Well, much to his chagrin, it did snow the night before the Jan. 1 game in the Crescent City. It snowed an amazing 4½ inches. Snow was covering the field at Tulane Stadium (site of the game before the Superdome was built) that New Year’s morning.

The “New Year’s Eve Snow” in the Deep South also dumped an incredible 19.2 inches at Muscle Shoals (still a record for Alabama) and 17.1 inches on Huntsville. Much of northwest Alabama was buried under 15-17 inches of snow. Roofs and awnings collapsed under the weight. The snow paralyzed much of the area for up to three days, closing schools and businesses.

To the south, 15 inches of snow fell at Meridian and more than 10 inches at Bay. St. Louis, Mississippi. Mobile picked up 2 inches. Birmingham picked up 8.4 inches, the fifth-biggest snowstorm in the city’s history.

Oh, and Alabama won the game by a 12-7 margin.

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