James Spann says Alabama stays dry as drought intensifies from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

CALM, DRY WEATHER: Alabama’s weather won’t change much through the weekend. Expect mostly sunny, warm days and fair, pleasant nights with afternoon temperatures above average. Highs will be between 78 and 83 degrees through Friday, and in the low to mid 80s Saturday and Sunday. Lows will be mostly in the 60s.

With the lack of rain, drought conditions will continue to intensify. Due to dry air in place as well as the dry soil, fires will be able to start easily today. Dispose of cigarettes properly, avoid leaving fires unattended, avoid dragging chains and don’t do any outdoor burning.

NEXT WEEK: A cold front will bring a chance of some light rain and colder air into the Deep South. Some rain is possible at times Tuesday through Thursday as the front stalls out near the coast, but it looks like amounts will be light (generally less than one-half inch). Highs drop into the 50s and 60s through midweek, with lows in the 40s.TROPICS: Tammy remains a hurricane this morning with 75 mph winds. It is about 600 miles south/southeast of Bermuda and is moving northeast at 9 mph. Tammy is expected to become post-tropical Thursday, and the latest National Hurricane Center track has the circulation center near Bermuda over the weekend.

Short-lived Tropical Depression 21 developed late Monday over the southwest Caribbean; it is now inland over Nicaragua. It will become a remnant low today and will continue to head westward toward the eastern Pacific.The rest of the Atlantic basin is quiet.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: The sky will be clear for the high school games across Alabama Friday night with temperatures falling from the mid 70s at kickoff into the upper 60s.

For Saturday’s Magic City Classic in Birmingham (Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M, 2:30 p.m. kickoff at Legion Field), the sky will be partly to mostly sunny with temperatures in the low to mid 80s. It will be a warm October afternoon.

Auburn hosts Mississippi State (2:30 p.m. kickoff) at Jordan Hare Stadium. Dry, warm weather is the story, with temperatures between 81 and 84 degrees for most of the game. The sky will be mostly sunny.

ON THIS DATE IN 2005: After passing northwest of the Florida Keys, Hurricane Wilma struck southwestern Florida near Cape Romano with winds of 120 mph. Wilma rapidly crossed the state and weakened, emerging into the Atlantic Ocean near Jupiter. Before the Florida landfall, at one point Wilma was a Category 5 hurricane with wind speeds of 185 mph. After Wilma, no major hurricane made landfall in the contiguous United States until Hurricane Harvey made landfall in southern Texas on Aug. 26, 2017, ending a record period of 11 years and 10 months.

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