James Spann says Alabama stays dry until storms Friday night from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

PLEASANT DAY AHEAD: A dry air mass covers Alabama this morning, and we expect sunshine in full force today with a high between 66 and 76 degrees. Tonight will clear and chilly; colder spots will dip into the mid to upper 30s with some potential for a little light frost. Thursday will be another sunny day with a high in the 70s.

FRIDAY/SATURDAY: The day Friday will be dry, warm and breezy, with a high in the low 80s. Then, an organized batch of rain and storms will push into Alabama Friday night. The Storm Prediction Center has defined an enhanced risk (level 3 of 5) across the northwest corner of the state around the Shoals; there is a slight risk (level 2) as far south as Aliceville, Gardendale and Scottsboro. A marginal risk (level 1) is up as far south as Butler, Clanton and Heflin.

The core window for severe storms will come from around 9 p.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Saturday. All modes of severe weather will be possible, including hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes. The highest tornado threat will be in areas north and west of Birmingham.

This will be another overnight event, and, like last Friday night, everyone will need to have a reliable way of hearing severe weather warnings.

By early Saturday morning the rain will be over for north and central Alabama; the sky becomes partly sunny with a high around 80 degrees. A few showers and storms are possible across south Alabama Saturday afternoon; for now, severe storms are not expected there.

Sunday will be nice, with ample sunshine and a high between 75 and 82 degrees.

NEXT WEEK: Moist, unstable air surges northward, and we will have some risk of showers and storms daily during the first half of the week. Another vigorous storm system will bring the risk of severe thunderstorms to the Deep South sometime Tuesday or Wednesday; it’s way too early to be specific on this threat. The weather looks dry Thursday and Friday. ON THIS DATE IN 2007: A high school athlete was struck and killed by lightning at a track meet in Carbondale, Illinois. A bolt or two had been seen miles away, and a distant rumble of thunder was heard before the deadly strike. A reminder that when you hear thunder, you have to go indoors even if it is not raining.

BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.

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