BLUE SKY: With a cloudless sky, temperatures are between 68 and 74 degrees across Alabama this afternoon, right at seasonal levels — a picture-perfect autumn day. Tonight will be clear with a low between 45 and 55 degrees.

Friday will feature a partly to mostly sunny sky with a high in the mid 70s. Clouds increase late Friday night.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Rain will push into west Alabama Saturday, possibly reaching the I-65 corridor by mid to late afternoon. The Storm Prediction Center maintains a low-end marginal risk (level 1 out of 5) of severe thunderstorms for the southwest counties of the state Saturday; a few storms there could produce strong, gusty winds.

But for most of the state there will be hardly any surface-based instability available, and we expect nothing more than a few isolated rumbles of thunder. Rain will be widespread across the state Saturday night into Sunday morning. A slot of dry air will work into the state Sunday afternoon with rain ending from the southwest. The high will be in the low 70s Saturday, followed by mid to upper 60s Sunday.

HALLOWEEN: Monday will feature more clouds than sun, and a touch of scattered light rain or drizzle can’t be ruled out, but many neighborhoods will be dry for the trick-or-treaters during the evening. Monday’s high will be between 70 and 74 degrees.

REST OF NEXT WEEK: Tuesday will be dry with a high in the 70s; then a fast-moving disturbance will bring a chance of showers to the state Wednesday. Thursday and Friday look dry with highs in the 70s.FOOTBALL WEATHER: For Friday night’s high school games across Alabama, the sky will be mostly fair with temperatures falling from the low 70s at kickoff into the 60s by the second half.

Saturday Auburn hosts Arkansas (11 a.m. kickoff) at Jordan-Hare Stadium; the sky will become mostly cloudy during the game, but for now we expect the weather to stay dry. Temperatures will rise from near 68 at kickoff into the low 70s during the second half.

The Magic City Classic (Alabama A&M vs. Alabama State) is Saturday at Birmingham’s Legion Field (2:30 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be mostly cloudy with temperatures hovering around 70 degrees during the first half, falling into the upper 60s by the final whistle. Some light rain can’t be ruled out during the second half.

UAB is at Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton Saturday night (6 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be clear with temperatures falling from near 80 degrees at kickoff into the mid 70s by the final whistle.

TROPICS: Recent satellite-derived wind data indicates a trough of low pressure extends over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, and it continues to produce a broad area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms. A surface low-pressure system is forecast to emerge along the northern portion of the trough axis tonight, and a subtropical depression could form during the next day or so while the system moves northward over the western Atlantic. By late Saturday, upper-level winds are forecast to become less conducive for development, and the low is expected to begin interacting with an approaching frontal system. This system will remain well east of the U.S.

An area of low pressure is expected to form over the eastern Caribbean Sea this weekend, possibly related to the southern portion of an existing trough of low pressure over the area. Environmental conditions are forecast to be conducive for gradual development, and a tropical depression could form early next week while the disturbance moves generally westward or west-northwestward over the central Caribbean Sea. It’s too early to know whether this will affect any land mass.ON THIS DATE IN 1940: A late-season heat wave was in progress across the Deep South; Birmingham soared to 88 degrees, which still stands today as the daily record high for Oct. 27.

ON THIS DATE IN 2006: An F1 tornado (waterspout) came ashore and caused significant damage on the west side of Apalachicola, Florida.

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.