FALL FEEL: Temperatures are mostly in the 40s over north Alabama early this morning, but Gadsden and Fort Payne are reporting 39 degrees just before daybreak. We are seeing 50s over the southern half of the state; Mobile remains the warmest spot, with low 60s. Today will be a picture-perfect fall day with sunshine in full supply and highs mostly in the 70s.

The weather stays dry through the weekend with chilly nights. Many communities over north Alabama will drop into the 30s both Wednesday and Thursday mornings with potential for some frost. By the weekend we project highs in the 70s and lows in the 40s — delightful autumn weather.

NEXT WEEK: The week will remain dry, and temperatures will be warmer, with highs around 80. There’s still no sign of any meaningful rain for Alabama and the Deep South for the next 10 days. For Birmingham and much of Alabama, today will be the 17th consecutive day with no measurable rain.

TROPICS: A well-defined area of low pressure over the central tropical Atlantic is producing occasional showers and thunderstorms. This system remains embedded in a dry-air environment, and development is unlikely over the next couple of days. However, it is forecast to move generally westward, and environmental conditions are expected to become more favorable for gradual development by the middle to latter part of this week. A tropical depression could form as the system begins moving west-northwestward and approaches or moves near the Leeward Islands late this week.

The National Hurricane Center gives this feature a 60% chance of development over the next seven days. It is still too early to know whether this moves into the Gulf of Mexico or affects any part of the U.S. coastline.

ON THIS DATE IN 1984: The Monday Night Football game in Denver was played in a raging blizzard. Fifteen inches of snow fell, with up to 34 inches reported in the nearby mountains. The Air Force Academy canceled classes for the first time in its recorded history.

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