A DRY MAY SHAPES UP: Once again Alabama dodged a marginal severe weather threat on Friday, with morning storms and convection to the south limiting our instability. That’s good news, but we need the rain. Part of West and North Central Alabama did pick up 1 to 3 inches of rain, with some isolated 4-inch amounts perhaps occurring across Lamar, southwestern Marion and northern Fayette counties. Only 0.22 inches at the Birmingham Airport and even less (0.13 inches) at my house in Vestavia. That’s not good news as we go into a dry week and what is shaping up to be a dry May. And dry begets heat, which begets more dry, and so on.

IMPROVING CONDITIONS: The rain and storms were in the I-85 Corridor at 5 a.m., with the heaviest storms around Smiths Station, about to move into Georgia. A few showers were moving through Clay, Coosa and Tallapoosa counties. Skies are mostly cloudy back across Mississippi, so we will be cloudy through the morning, but you will see increasing sunshine from the west during the late morning and afternoon. Highs today will be limited to the 70s with the increased cloudiness.

THE HEAT IS ON: That Glenn Frey song title gets a lot of play around here as we head into the summer months in Alabama. And we will use it early this year as summer heat will be in full swing this week. Mother’s Day highs will be in the middle 80s with near total sunshine, but by Monday upper 80s will reign and highs will be near 90 all week.

It will be dry through much of the week. There is a small chance of an isolated shower or storm on Thursday, but the next real rain chances won’t come until late in the weekend at the earliest. That’s good news for this week’s Regions Tradition tournament at Greystone.

IT’S HERE! The Regions Tradition is returning to Greystone Golf & Country Club May 17-21, and tickets are on sale. The early weather picture looks fantastic, with stubborn high pressure holding over the area. Come see some of the world’s greatest golfers, such as Bernhard Langer, John Daly and Freddie Couples, right in our own backyard. Tickets start at $20. Children 18 and younger are admitted free with a ticketed adult.

It will be a perfect week at the beach as well. Click here to see the Beach Forecast Center page.

WEATHER BRAINS: You can listen to our weekly 90-minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including meteorologists at ABC 33/40.

For more weather news and information from Bill Murray, James Spann and the rest of the James Spann team, visit AlabamaWX.