RADAR CHECK: So far it’s a very quiet afternoon across Alabama. The sky is partly to mostly sunny, and showers and storms are few and far between. There are a few isolated showers and storms over north Alabama, moving to the east. We also note a few storms over far south Alabama associated with the sea-breeze front. All of these will die off after sunset. Away from the showers, temperatures are mostly in the low to mid 90s.

We do expect an increase in the number of showers and thunderstorms Thursday afternoon as moisture levels rise; otherwise, the day will feature a mix of sun and clouds with a high in the low 90s.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: The weather becomes unsettled across Alabama on these three days with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms. The sky will be occasionally cloudy with a high in the mid to upper 80s. The best chance of rain over the weekend comes from 1 until 11 p.m., but in this setup a late-night or morning shower can’t be ruled out.

NEXT WEEK: We will maintain a pretty good chance of showers and storms Monday through Wednesday, but the latest Global Forecast System run suggests drier air will move into Alabama next Thursday and Friday, with lower humidity and cooler nights. Keep in mind fronts don’t make it this far south in August very often, so we will cautiously trend toward a drier forecast late in the week.

ERNESTO IS ON THE BOARD: Subtropical Storm Ernesto has formed in the North Atlantic; winds are only 40 mph. It will move northeast toward the open North Atlantic, far from land. The rest of the Atlantic basin is very quiet.

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For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit AlabamaWx.