RADAR CHECK: Showers continue to move over the northern half of Alabama this afternoon along with a few thunderstorms. The sky is mostly cloudy, with the exception of the southeast counties, where the sun is out. Temperatures range from the upper 60s over north Alabama to the mid 80s around Dothan. Showers will end tonight; the sky will stay mostly cloudy.

Thursday should be the warmest day of the week, with a high between 83 and 87 degrees. The day will feature a mix of sun and clouds, and a few showers could reach northwest Alabama by late afternoon. Showers and a few thunderstorms are possible Thursday night ahead of another front.

FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: We will mention a chance of widely scattered showers and possibly a thunderstorm Friday, but a decent part of the day should be dry with a high in the low 80s. The front will sag southward over the weekend, and moisture will ride up and over the cool air behind the front, meaning periods of rain both Saturday and Sunday. There could be a rumble of thunder, but no risk of severe storms, and rain amounts should be mostly one-half inch or less. It looks like the most widespread rain will be on Sunday.

There will be some breaks in the rain, and the weekend won’t be a total washout. Temperatures will trend cooler; the high Saturday will be in the 70s, and on Sunday many communities across north Alabama will have a hard time getting out of the 50s.

NEXT WEEK: At this point, most of next week looks dry with a warming trend; afternoon temperatures will be back in the low 80s over the latter half of the week.RACE WEEKEND: The weekend will be cloudy and wet at times at the Talladega Superspeedway. Off-and-on showers are likely Saturday, but certainly not raining all day; the high will be in the mid 70s. Rain should be a little more widespread Sunday, but it won’t rain all day, and there is still some hope they get the Geico 500 in. Sunday will be very cool, with a high close to 60 degrees and a cool north breeze. There’s no risk of severe storms, and the rain should be generally one-half inch or less over the weekend.

ON THIS DATE IN 2002: A heat wave continued across the eastern U.S. as high pressure off the Carolina coast blocked a frontal boundary across the Plains. New York City reached 96 degrees.

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