James Spann forecasts more showers, storms for Alabama before drier air arrives from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

RADAR CHECK: We have a cluster of showers and storms over parts of northwest Alabama early this morning, along with some scattered rain near the Gulf Coast. Otherwise, it is a dry, muggy summer morning. Look for scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms to form in this ocean of humidity later today, mostly between noon and midnight. Like recent days, where storms form they will produce heavy rain, gusty winds and lots of lightning. The high will be between 85 and 89 degrees for most communities.

FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND: Dry air begins to move into the state Friday; the best chance of showers and thunderstorms will shift down into the southern counties. Most of the weekend will be dry with mostly sunny days, fair nights and slightly lower humidity values. Scattered showers Saturday and Sunday should be confined to the Gulf Coast, and highs will be between 87 and 90 degrees. Lows will drop into the 60s.

NEXT WEEK: Monday still looks dry, but moisture levels rise Tuesday and we will bring back the chance of scattered showers and storms. There is some evidence another shot of drier air could arrive later in the week.TROPICS: The tropical wave about 800 miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands (Invest 97L) continues to produce some disorganized shower
activity. Upper-level winds are expected to become increasingly unfavorable for development during the next couple of days while the system moves generally west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph across the tropical Atlantic.

The National Hurricane Center has dropped the chance of development to 10%, and the wave will likely dissipate far from land. The rest of the Atlantic basin remains remarkably quiet for mid-August.ON THIS DATE IN 1940: A Category 2 hurricane struck the Georgia and South Carolina coast. A 13-foot storm tide was measured along the South Carolina coast, while more than 15 inches of rain fell across northern North Carolina. Significant flooding and landslides struck Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia during the system’s slow trek as a weakening tropical storm, and then as an extratropical cyclone, through the Southeast. The landslides that struck North Carolina were considered a once-in-a-century event.

ON THIS DATE IN 1999: An F2 tornado touched down in the metropolitan area of Salt Lake City. The tornado lasted 10 minutes and killed one person, injured more than 80 and caused more than $170 million in damages. It was the most destructive tornado in Utah’s history and showed the population that the Beehive State does experience tornadoes.

BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.

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