RADAR CHECK: On this hot September afternoon we have a few showers and storms that have popped up. They are moving little and will dissipate once the sun goes down.

Away from the showers, temperatures are well up in the 90s; Birmingham reported 97 degrees at 3 p.m. That is 12 degrees above average for Sept. 15, and within five degrees of the record high today, 102, set way back in 1927.

TOMORROW AND THE WEEKEND: Not much change; the upper ridge will stay in place, but we will mention the chance of widely scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and storms, perhaps a little more numerous on Sunday. Partly sunny days, with highs generally in the low 90s.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: Mostly fair weather for the high school games across Alabama Friday night, with only a very small risk of a shower around kickoff. Temperatures will fall through the 80s.

Auburn will host Texas A&M Saturday evening at Jordan-Hare Stadium (6:30 CT kickoff). Looks like a great night for football; the sky will be mostly fair with only a small risk of a shower during the first half. Temperatures will fall from near 86 degrees at kickoff to near 80 by the final whistle.

Alabama travels to Oxford to play Ole Miss Saturday (2:30 p.m. CT kickoff). The sky will be partly sunny, and a passing shower or storm is possible during the game. Temperatures will hover in the 87- to 90-degree range.

NEXT WEEK: Prospects for widespread rain just don’t look good; the ridge holds, and the air will be fairly dry, so nothing more than widely scattered afternoon showers will be in the forecast. And no cool air yet, as highs will remain between 88 and 93 on most days. We do see evidence of the upper ridge breaking down later in the month, which is when we usually get the first good Canadian front of the season.

AT THE BEACH: About seven to nine hours of sunshine daily on the coast from Gulf Shores to Panama City Beach through early next week, with only widely scattered storms. Highs in the upper 80s on the immediate coast, with low 90s inland. See a detailed Gulf Coast forecast here.

TROPICS: Tropical Depression Julia will meander off the coast of South Carolina over the next five days as the steering currents are pretty much nonexistent.

Tropical Depression 12 in the eastern Atlantic could become Tropical Storm Karl in three to five days. It is moving westward, and it remains to be seen if this will affect the U.S. mainland.

A disturbance over the western Gulf of Mexico will move into the Texas coast tomorrow; development is not likely.

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