RADAR CHECK: We have scattered showers over much of northeast, central, west and southwest Alabama early this morning ahead of a stalled surface front just northwest of Alabama. We will maintain the chance of showers through the day, but amounts will be light, and some spots won’t see enough rain to measure. Expect more clouds than sun with a high between 76 and 81 degrees.

The weekend will feature partly sunny, warm days and fair, pleasant nights. Highs will be near or just over 80 degrees; lows will be in the 60s.

NEXT WEEK: Most of Alabama will stay dry Monday and Tuesday; we will mention some risk of showers over the latter half of the week as moisture levels rise. But, unfortunately, it looks like rain amounts will be fairly light.

TROPICS: A broad area of low pressure is likely to develop over the southwestern Caribbean Sea during the next day or so. Gradual development is possible thereafter, and a tropical depression could form late this weekend or early next week while the system drifts generally northward or northwestward over the central or western Caribbean Sea. Regardless of development, locally heavy rains are possible over portions of the adjacent land areas of the western Caribbean.

The National Hurricane Center gives this feature a 60% chance of becoming a depression or storm over the next seven days; global models continue to show just a broad, weak tropical low drifting through the southern Gulf of Mexico with no threat to the U.S. coast.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the high school games tonight, most stadiums across Alabama will be dry with temperatures falling through the 70s, reaching the 60s by the fourth quarter.

Saturday, Auburn hosts Vanderbilt at Jordan-Hare Stadium (11:45 a.m. kickoff). Expect a good supply of sunshine with temperatures rising from near 78 at kickoff into the low 80s by the second half.

UAB will host Tulsa at Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham (1:30 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be partly to mostly sunny with temperatures hovering around 80 degrees during the game.

Troy will host Coastal Carolina (3 p.m. kickoff); it will be mostly sunny with temperatures falling from near 82 at kickoff into the 70s by the fourth quarter.

TIME CHANGE: We go back on standard time this weekend; the sun will set Sunday in Birmingham at 4:52 p.m.

ON THIS DATE IN 2014: Up to 6 inches of snow fell in Gilbert, South Carolina.

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