DRY AND COOL WEEKEND: After a cold start, with morning dips between the upper teens and lower 30s, a dip will keep us pretty cool. Any remaining clouds will move in and afternoon highs will be in the upper 30s to upper 40s. The trough will be forced a little easterly on Sunday, allowing the leading edge of a ridge to move southeast. This will bring sunny skies and slightly warmer temperatures, with highs in the upper 40s to lower 50s.

WINTER WALK BY THE END OF THE WEEK? A surface low will form towards our southwest on Monday and begin to track in our direction. We will likely have showers throughout the day Tuesday, especially along and south of the I-20 corridor. The highs will be between the mid 40s and mid 50s.

The trough really deepens on Wednesday, reinforcing the cooler air. We will have plenty of sunshine, but it will definitely feel like winter, as highs will only be in the upper 30s to lower 50s across the state from northwest to southeast. The trough is flattening Thursday but we will remain cool with lots of sunshine. The highs will be between the mid 40s and the lower 50s.

A weak frontal system will pass through on Friday, but at this point it appears to be lacking in moisture. I can’t rule out a stray shower or two, but for now it looks like we’ll be mostly dry. The European model shows a very different picture, as showers mixed with snow appear possible from the afternoon to the evening of Friday. The highs appear to be in the mid 40s to lower 50s.

TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK: The Global Forecast System shows that Birmingham could see just over an inch and a half of precipitation by Sunday February 6 at noon. The national pattern mix shows highs mostly in the 40s through the end of the month, with the exception of a few 50s from Sunday through Tuesday and a few days at the end of the run. Lows will be in the 20s and 30s.

ON THIS DATE IN 1943: Early morning Chinook winds lifted the temperature in Spearfish, South Dakota from 4 below zero to 45 above in just two minutes, the most dramatic temperature rise in world weather records. An hour and a half later, the mercury plunged from 54 above to 4 below zero in 27 minutes.

ON THIS DATE IN 2000: A severe ice storm hit northern Georgia and parts of northwestern South Carolina. More than half a million utility customers were without power during and after the storm, with the Atlanta area severely affected.

RANGE FORECAST: Get the latest weather and current forecasts for the beaches of Dauphin Island in Panama City Beach, Florida on our Beach Forecast Center page. There you can select forecasts for the region you are interested in.

For more weather news and information from James Spann, Scott Martin and other members of the James Spann team, visit AlabamaWx.