BLUE SKY: With a cloudless sky across Alabama this afternoon, temperatures are in the 60s and low 70s. The sky will be clear tonight with lows generally in the 40s.

Dry weather continues over the weekend, but Sunday will be cooler, with highs dropping into the 50s over north Alabama following a dry front. A number of communities across the northern half of the state will see a light freeze early Sunday morning.

NEXT WEEK: Most of Alabama will be dry Monday, although a few isolated showers could move into the northwest corner of the state late in the day. Tuesday will be generally dry with an increasing south wind ahead of a dynamic storm system that will bring a line of strong to severe thunderstorms into the state early Wednesday morning.

The Storm Prediction Center has defined a risk of severe storms along and north of I-59 in its outlook valid through 6 a.m. Wednesday.

The line of storms will likely pass through the state sometime between 3 and 10 a.m. Wednesday with potential for strong winds and a few isolated tornadoes. This will come at a time when the air tends to be more stable, but this system has very strong wind fields, and strong dynamics can often overcome weak thermodynamics. We will be much more specific about this event as it gets closer.

Dry air returns Thursday and Friday with a good supply of sunshine both days; highs will be in the upper 50s and 60s.

ON THIS DATE IN 2007: A severe storm named Xynthia blew into France, Portugal and Spain, smashing sea walls, destroying homes, polluting farmland with salt water and devastating the Atlantic coast’s oyster farms. Winds reached about 125 mph on the summits of the Pyrenees and up to nearly 100 mph along the Atlantic Coast. Wind speeds of 106 mph were measured atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

ON THIS DATE IN 2011: Four short-lived tornadoes touched down in Alabama, including an EF-1 in rural Lowndes County.

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