BLUE SKY: The sky is sunny across Alabama this afternoon, with temperatures ranging from the upper 50s over the northern half of the state to the low 60s over the southern counties. Tonight will be clear with lows generally in the 30s, but colder spots will see a light freeze.

The warming trend continues through midweek, and afternoon temperatures will peak around 70 degrees Wednesday and Thursday. A cold front will bring some rain to the northern two-thirds of the state late Thursday and Thursday night, but with limited moisture rain amounts will be less than one-half inch. There will be no risk of severe storms and probably very little thunder.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: Dry air returns, and we expect mostly sunny, pleasant days and fair nights Friday through the weekend. Highs will be mostly in the 60s Friday and Saturday, followed by low 70s Sunday.

NEXT WEEK: It looks like the warmest week so far this year, with highs mostly in the 70s through Wednesday. A disturbance will bring some risk of rain to the state Tuesday and Tuesday night; the rest of the week looks mostly dry. Highs back down a bit into the 60s Thursday and Friday.

There’s still no sign of any high-impact weather (ice, snow, severe cold, heavy rain, severe storms, tornadoes) for the Deep South for the next 10 days.ON THIS DATE IN 1884: The true extent of the tornado outbreak of Feb. 19-20, 1884 — perhaps one of the “generational outbreaks” in United States history — is a mystery. Owing to sparse populations and damage reports across the South, the number of tornadoes and the final death toll are unknown. Thus, this event has been dubbed the “Enigma Outbreak.” Amid an outbreak spanning from Mississippi to North Carolina over several hours, at least seven significant tornadoes struck parts of central and north Alabama.

These tornadoes affected at least eight counties across Alabama from around midday until late evening, resulting in at least 39 fatalities and 116 injuries. One long-track, violent tornado devastated six communities in eastern Alabama. The tornado began about 2:30 p.m. north of Jacksonville, moving across Calhoun and Cherokee counties before ending in Floyd County, Georgia. The total path length was 35 miles, most of which was in Alabama. The path width was 400 yards. At least 30 people were killed, and more than 100 others were injured. After moving through the Germania tanning yard, the tornado passed just north of Cross Plains (present-day Piedmont), where 10 people were killed. An additional 14 people were killed in Goshen. Other areas that were struck included Grantville, Ladiga, Adelia, Amberson and Rock Run. A schoolhouse in Goshen was destroyed, causing the death of the schoolmaster and leaving all 25 students injured. Some homes in the area “literally vanished,” and bales of cotton were reportedly thrown a half mile.

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