RADAR CHECK: We have a few small, isolated showers over east Alabama this afternoon. Otherwise the sky is partly to mostly sunny with temperatures between 90 and 94 degrees for most places. The isolated showers will end this evening, and the sky will be fair tonight with a low in the low 70s.

The weather will stay hot and dry Wednesday and Thursday with highs between 91 and 95 degrees, about 10 degrees above average. Then, a cold front will pass through the state in dry fashion late Thursday, followed by a cool change Friday. The high will be at or just over 80 degrees with a good supply of sunshine.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Saturday morning will be cool, with a low in the 50s in most spots as the “fall feel” returns to Alabama. Saturday will feature a sunny sky with a high in the mid 80s. On Sunday, clouds will increase ahead of a cold front, which will bring some risk of showers to the northern half of the state by afternoon and into Sunday night. This won’t be a big rain producer, but some spots could see one-quarter to one-half inch by early Monday morning.

NEXT WEEK: Showers on Monday will be confined to east and south Alabama; otherwise the sky will clear with a high only in the mid to upper 70s. The rest of the week looks mostly dry and pleasant at this point, with highs at or just over 80 degrees on most days.

TROPICS: Fiona remains a major, Category 3 hurricane with winds of 115 mph. It is just northeast of north Caicos Island this afternoon and could reach Category 4 strength tonight as it moves north. The hurricane could be very close to Bermuda by late Thursday night or early Friday morning.Elsewhere, a tropical wave a few hundred miles east of the Windward Islands continues to show signs of organization. Additional development is expected, and a tropical depression is likely to form within the next few days as the system moves westward to west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph across the eastern and central Caribbean Sea.

This tropical wave has a very real chance of entering the southern Gulf of Mexico in about eight to 10 days, potentially as a significant system. It is important to note there is zero skill in forecasting the placement and intensity of a tropical cyclone more than seven days in advance, but the pattern does suggest there could very well be a hurricane in the Gulf by the end of next week. If that happens, we don’t know the final destination. It’s simply something to watch for now, and we will continue to do just that.ON THIS DATE IN 1909: A large and deadly Category 3 hurricane made landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana, during the late evening. The states of Louisiana and Mississippi showed catastrophic damage resulting in 371 deaths.

BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.

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