WARM AFTERNOON AHEAD: Temperatures are mostly in the 40s across Alabama early this morning; we expect a high between 75 and 80 degrees this afternoon, far above the average high of 62. The record high today at Birmingham is 80, set in 1962 and 1977; I doubt we break it, but we will be close. The air remains dry, and the sky will be mostly sunny.

A surface front will pass through Alabama Thursday, but with limited moisture and weak dynamics, any showers will be few and far between; most places won’t see a drop. Temperatures drop about 10 degrees with a mix of sun and clouds; the high will be in the 60s.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: The weather will be dry with mostly sunny, pleasant days and clear, cool nights. Highs will be in the upper 60s and low 70s Friday and Saturday, dropping into the 50s over north Alabama Sunday following a dry front Saturday night. Some of the colder spots could be close to freezing early Saturday and Sunday mornings over the northern third of the state.

NEXT WEEK: A dynamic system will bring rain and thunderstorms into Alabama by late Tuesday night and Wednesday. The Storm Prediction Center has defined a risk of severe storms west of Alabama Tuesday; for now, no formal risk is in place here Wednesday, but it could easily be added in coming days. With strong wind fields and a surge of unstable air, strong to severe storms are very possible.

Dry air returns Thursday and Friday.

ON THIS DATE IN 2008: A long-lived windstorm produced by severe thunderstorms, known as a derecho, caused a widespread swath of damage across central Alabama during the early morning. Although there were some sporadic reports of light tree damage and small hail west of Interstate 65, a more intense and widespread swath of damage started in southern Jefferson and northern Shelby counties between 3:30 and 4 a.m. From there, the damage swath moved eastward, roughly parallel to Interstate 20, reaching the Georgia border by 5 a.m. Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 60 to 70 mph were widespread in this damage swath, with occasional hurricane-force peak wind gusts, estimated just over 100 mph in some areas.

Three EF-1 tornadoes touched down at Leeds, Highland Lakes (Blount County) and Pell City. One person was killed in Leeds by a tree falling through a mobile home.

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