WARM AFTERNOONS: Highs will be in the mid 80s across much of Alabama today, Friday and Saturday, about 10 degrees above average for mid to late October. The air stays dry, so expect sunny days and fair nights.

A surface front will pass through the state on Sunday, and while we can’t rule out a few isolated showers, most of Alabama will stay rain-free. Sunday’s high will be close to 80 degrees.

NEXT WEEK: The long dry spell continues with mostly sunny days and fair nights. Highs will be between 77 and 82 degrees, with lows in the 50s and low 60s.

Today will be the 26th consecutive day with no rain for Birmingham and a decent part of Alabama. If no rain falls Sunday, this will be the first totally dry October in Birmingham since 1924, 100 years ago. We will have to watch until early November to see a significant rain event.

TROPICS: The Atlantic basin is quiet, and tropical storm formation is not expected for at least the next seven days. We are seeing signals from global models that a system could potentially form in the Caribbean in early November, however.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: Expect a clear sky for the high school games across Alabama Friday night with temperatures falling through the 70s during the first half, reaching the 60s by the fourth quarter.

On Saturday, the annual Magic City Classic kicks off at 2:30 p.m. at Legion Field in Birmingham (Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M). The sky will be partly to mostly sunny; expect low to mid 80s through the first half, falling to near 80 degrees by the end of the game.

UAB will host Tulsa Saturday at Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham (1:30 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be partly to mostly sunny with temperatures in the low to mid 80s.

Alabama hosts Missouri at Saban Field in Bryant Denny Stadium (2:30 p.m. kickoff). The afternoon in Tuscaloosa will be dry and warm, about 85 degrees at kickoff. Temperatures fall into the 70s by the final whistle.

Auburn will travel to Lexington to take on Kentucky (6:45 p.m. CT kickoff). The sky will be mostly fair with temperatures falling from near 62 at kickoff into the mid 50s by the final whistle.

ON THIS DATE IN 1989: A storm in the western U.S. produced up to 3 feet of snow in the mountains around Lake Tahoe, with 21 inches reported at Donner Summit. Thunderstorms in northern California produced 3.36 inches of rain at Redding to establish a 24-hour record for October.

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