BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. First Alert AccuTrack Satellite and Radar is showing us dry and mostly clear. We are tracking a few showers off to our southeast in parts of south Georgia and into Florida this morning. All of the rain will stay far away from us as it continues to move to the southeast. Locally you might want to grab the jacket. Temperatures have dropped into the 40s with a few spots south of I-20 in the lower 50s. Northwest winds at 5-10 mph will help to bring in some dry air across the area keeping us cool and comfortable today. Plan for a mostly sunny sky this afternoon with high temperatures in the upper 60s and lower 70s. It should be a beautiful day to be outside.

Warmer Temperatures Tuesday: We’ll start tomorrow morning off dry and cool with temperatures in the upper 40s. A weak disturbance will likely move into our area tonight giving us some extra cloud cover, but we should stay dry. Clouds will help prevent our temperatures from dropping into the lower 40s. We should start tomorrow morning off with cloud cover. By Tuesday afternoon, we should see a mostly sunny sky. Cloud cover is forecast to increase tomorrow night as a cold front approaches the state. Winds will be out of the southwest at 5-10 mph. Southerly winds will help us warm up into the mid 70s tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow could end up being one of our warmest days for this upcoming week.

Next Big Thing: Our next big thing is the arrival of a strong cold front Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. I think we’ll stay dry during this time frame, but I can’t rule out a few isolated showers in far northwest Alabama early Wednesday morning. Once the cold front moves through, winds will likely pick up Wednesday as cooler and drier air filters into the area. Temperatures are forecast to start into the lower 40s Wednesday morning with highs only climbing into the lower 60s. Parts of north Alabama could stay in the upper 50s. You will need a jacket Wednesday as it’ll feel more like February than mid-to-late April.

Potential Frost Thursday Morning: Our coldest morning this week will likely occur Thursday morning. Temperatures are forecast to drop into the mid to upper 30s for areas along and north of I-20. Frost will be possible. Make sure you bring your pets inside and cover/protect your plants by Wednesday evening. I can’t rule out the small chance for freezing temperatures in far north Alabama. It’s a little rare to see cold temperatures occur this late in the season, but it has happened in the past. This will likely be our last frost/freeze threat of the season.

Warming Up by the End of the Week: Temperatures are forecast to warm into the mid 60s Thursday afternoon and into the lower 70s by Friday. Low temperatures will also warm up into the mid 40s Friday morning with lows in the 50s Saturday. Southerly flow will likely return by Friday and Saturday giving us higher humidity values, warmer temperatures, and eventually higher rain chances.

Rain Likely Saturday: Our next rain maker will likely move into our area Friday night into Saturday. Rain chances are looking likely across Central Alabama Saturday morning and into the afternoon hours. It remains too early to determine if we’ll see any strong storms over the weekend. If a strong storm develops, it will likely occur in the southern half of Alabama. Plan for showers and a few thunderstorms Saturday with highs in the low to mid 70s. Rain chance around 70%. Rain is forecast to move out of the area by Saturday night. Rainfall totals could add up around 1-2 inches.

Warmer Weather Expected Next Week: If you aren’t a fan of the cool temperatures this week, next week is looking warmer. High temperatures could end up in the mid to upper 70s next Monday and Tuesday with lows in the 50s. A few spots could see highs in the lower 80s next Tuesday. Rain chances could return by the middle of next week on Wednesday and Thursday. Make sure you download the WBRC First Alert Weather App for the latest weather information.

Have a safe and wonderful Monday-

WBRC First Alert Meteorologist Matt Daniel

Twitter: @mattdanielwx

Facebook.com/mattdanielwbrc

mdaniel@wbrc.com