WARM SPRING WEATHER CONTINUES: Alabama’s weather won’t change much through the daytime Thursday — partly to mostly sunny days, only isolated showers and highs mostly in the 80s. We will bring in a much better chance of showers and thunderstorms late Thursday afternoon, Thursday night and Friday ahead of a cold front.

The Storm Prediction Center has defined a very low-end risk of severe thunderstorms for northwest Alabama Thursday evening, but with weak dynamic support the threat isn’t significant. A few storms could produce small hail and gusty winds; there’s no risk of a tornado. Rain amounts Thursday night and Friday will be one-half to 1 inch for most of the state.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: A cooler, drier air mass will dip into the Deep South over the weekend. Global models, however, are not in good agreement concerning the timing of the cooler air. The reliable European model is much slower and keeps some risk of showers in the forecast for the southern two-thirds of Alabama Saturday, while the American Global Forecast System has the front over the far southern part of the state. We will have much better clarity over the next day or two. Sunday looks very nice with ample sunshine statewide thanks to the continental air mass. Many north Alabama communities will dip into the 40s early Sunday morning; highs will be in the 70s over the weekend for the northern and central counties.

NEXT WEEK: For now, much of next week looks dry with lows in the 50s and highs in the 80s.

ON THIS DATE IN 1910: The temperature at Kansas City, Missouri, soared to 95 degrees to establish a record for April. Four days earlier the afternoon high in Kansas City was 44 degrees following a record cold morning low of 34 degrees.

ON THIS DATE IN 1987: A storm off the southeast coast of Massachusetts blanketed southern New England with heavy snow on April 28-29. Totals of 3 inches at Boston, 11 inches at Milton and 17 inches at Worcester, Massachusetts, were records for so late in the season. Princeton, Massachusetts, was buried under 25 inches of snow.

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