James Spann says strong storms are possible for some in Alabama through Sunday from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

HOT SUMMER DAY AHEAD: Most places will experience a high in the mid 90s today with a partly sunny sky. A few scattered showers and storms will form this afternoon and early tonight; the Storm Prediction Center maintains a marginal risk (level 1 out of 5) of severe thunderstorms for the northern third of the state.

It won’t rain everywhere, but where storms do form, they could produce strong, gusty winds.

The front will drift southward over the weekend, and scattered showers and storms remain possible Saturday and Sunday. Rain coverage will be spotty, but heavier thunderstorms both days could produce strong winds. A marginal risk is defined for the northern counties of Alabama Saturday and much of the state Sunday. Stronger storms will come during the afternoons and evenings, but a morning shower can’t be ruled out in a few places. Highs over the weekend will be mostly in the low 90s.

NEXT WEEK: A refreshing air mass for August will drop into the Deep South with lower humidity and cooler nights. Highs drop into the upper 80s over north Alabama for most of the week, with lows in the 60s. Cooler spots will likely dip into the 50s early Tuesday and Wednesday mornings for a very nice preview of fall. Most of the week will be rain-free, but global models suggest a few showers will be possible by Thursday and Friday as moisture levels begin to rise slowly.

TROPICS: This morning Hurricane Ernesto is packing sustained winds of 100 mph and is about 320 miles south/southwest of Bermuda. The hurricane will move near or over the island Saturday. From there, it will head for the cooler waters of the North Atlantic.

Ernesto is no threat to the U.S., and the rest of the Atlantic basin is remarkably quiet for mid-August.

ON THIS DATE IN 1969: Hurricane Hunters gathering data on Camille in the Gulf of Mexico found a strong Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale and recorded a very low pressure of 908 mg, with winds estimated at 175 mph. It would make landfall the following day at Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Camille is one of just four Category 5 hurricanes to make landfall in the U.S.

Camille caused tremendous damage in its wake and produced a peak official storm surge of 24 feet. It flattened nearly everything along the Mississippi coast and caused additional flooding and deaths inland while crossing the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. In the U.S., Camille killed more than 259 people.

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