James Spann: Alabama can’t buy a decent shower for the next few days from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

SUMMER PREVIEW CONTINUES: The official high in Birmingham yesterday was 88 degrees, beating the old April 12 record of 86, set in 1981. Other highs included 87 at Anniston, Calera and Huntsville, 86 at Tuscaloosa, Muscle Shoals and Montgomery, and 85 at Decatur. The average high is in the mid 70s in mid-April in Alabama.

We will continue to flirt with record highs through the Easter weekend as an upper ridge holds across Alabama and the Deep South. We project partly to mostly sunny, warm days and fair, pleasant nights through Sunday. Highs 81-85, lows 58-62.

Here are the record highs for Birmingham through the weekend:

• April 14 (today) — 89 (1981)
• April 15 (Saturday) — 88 (1936)
• April 16 (Sunday) — 89 (1977)

NEXT WEEK: A surface front will sag southward through Tennessee Monday and bring a chance of showers to about the northern third of Alabama. The rain won’t be too heavy, but at least it might settle the dust. Any showers on Tuesday should be widely spaced, and mainly over the Tennessee Valley. Then, warm, dry weather is the story Wednesday through Friday, with highs holding in the 80s.

We are seeing signs in global modeling that the ridge will finally break down during the following weekend (April 22-23) with a chance of showers and thunderstorms on at least one day.

Click here to see the Beach Forecast Center page.

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