RADAR CHECK: We have scattered showers over the northern half of Alabama this afternoon as a deep upper trough moves through. Because the air aloft is so cold, some of the showers are producing pea-sized hail. Otherwise, we have a mix of sun and clouds with temperatures in the 60s over the northern counties and 70s to the south.

Scattered showers will end this evening; the sky becomes mostly fair tonight with a low in the 40s.

THE WEEKEND: For a change, we have no storms to deal with. Expect a sun-filled sky both days. The high will be in the mid to upper 60s Saturday, followed by 70s Sunday. Mornings will be cool, with lows between 38 and 44 degrees. It is possible some of the colder spots over north Alabama could see some light frost, but nothing widespread.

NEXT WEEK: The weather looks pretty quiet through the week. Temperatures reach the low 80s Monday; highs over the rest of the week will be mostly in the 70s. Surface fronts will bring a few isolated showers Tuesday morning and again Friday, but rain amounts should be light, and we see no risk of heavy rain or severe storms through the week.

ON THIS DATE IN 1965: Severe thunderstorms in the Upper Midwest spawned 51 tornadoes killing more than 250 people and causing more than $200 million damage. Indiana, Ohio and Michigan were hardest hit in the “Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak.” Although no F5s were officially reported, at least 22 were rated F3 or F4. This is the third-deadliest day for tornadoes on record, behind the Super Outbreak of April 3, 1974, and the outbreak that included the Tri-State Tornado of March 18, 1925.

Dr. Ted Fujita discovered suction vortices during the Palm Sunday tornado outbreak. It had been believed the reason why tornadoes could hit one house and leave another across the street completely unscathed was because the whole tornado would “jump” from one house to another. However, the actual reason is because most of the destruction is caused by suction vortices: small, intense mini-tornadoes within the main tornado.

ON THIS DATE IN 2007: Severe thunderstorms, some with large hail, moved across Alabama. Five tornadoes touched down, all rated EF-0 or EF-1, including one near Bagley in far northwest Jefferson County.

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