HOT: Once again, temperatures are mostly in the 88- to 94-degree range across Alabama this afternoon with a good supply of sunshine. There is one lone shower on radar, east of Florence in the northwest part of the state. Tonight will be mostly fair with a low in the upper 60s and low 70s.

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND: A strong upper high will remain parked across the Southeast, and the weather won’t change much — mostly sunny, hot days and fair nights Saturday through Monday. Highs will be mostly in the mid 90s, but we could see a few spots in the upper 90s, right at record levels for late May in Alabama.

Here are the record highs for Birmingham in coming days:

• Today (May 24) — 96 (1996)
• Saturday (May 25) — 95 (1962)
• Sunday (May 26) — 97 (1962)
• Monday (May 27) — 98 (1962)

NEXT WEEK: The weather won’t change much. Hot, dry weather continues Monday through Wednesday with highs in the low to mid 90s. The ridge will be slightly weaker Thursday and Friday, and we will mention a chance of widely scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms — but we aren’t expecting widespread rain.

GETTING DRY: The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows parts of Alabama are abnormally dry, and we could slip into moderate drought conditions in coming weeks if we don’t see significant amounts of rain.

ON THIS DATE IN 1973: An F4 tornado tore through the small town of Union City, Oklahoma, killing two and injuring four others. This tornado was the first storm to be studied in detail by the National Severe Storms Laboratory Doppler Radar Unit at Norman, Oklahoma, and an armada of researchers in the field. Research of the radar data from the storm would lead to the discovery of a “TVS,” or Tornado Vortex Signature.

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