HOT AFTERNOON: Temperatures are in the 90s across Alabama this afternoon with a partly to mostly sunny sky. There’s nothing on radar; tonight will be fair with a low in the 70s.

An upper ridge will keep Alabama hot, with highs in the 90s over the weekend and through next week. In addition to the sizzling afternoons, the weather will stay generally dry for the next seven days. We will mention the chance of just a few isolated showers Sunday, and daily next week, but for most of the state the chance of any one spot seeing rain is only 10-20%.

Showers will be a little more numerous over Mobile and Baldwin counties, but the deeper moisture will be west of there, along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas.

TROPICS: Satellite data and surface observations indicate that the low-pressure area off the southeastern U.S. coast is moving northeastward into the open Atlantic. This system is expected to merge with a front over the weekend, and the chances of tropical cyclone development are decreasing. Regardless of development, heavy rainfall is forecast to continue across portions of the Florida peninsula through Saturday.

A broad area of low pressure is forecast to form over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico late this weekend or early next week. Environmental conditions appear conducive for gradual development of this system, and a tropical depression could form during the early or middle part of next week while it moves slowly westward or west-northwestward. If anything forms, it will most likely move into Mexico; the chance of development is 40%.

No tropical systems are expected near the central Gulf Coast (Gulf Shores to Panama City Beach) for the next seven to 10 days.

ON THIS DATE IN 1903: Major flash flooding along Willow Creek destroyed a significant portion of Heppner, Oregon. With a death toll of 247 people, it remains the deadliest natural disaster in Oregon.

ON THIS DATE IN 2023: EF-1 tornadoes touched down near Abbeville and Eufaula. A number of tornadoes touched down the same day across southwest Georgia.

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