Anyone remember this one from Sly and the Family Stone?

“End of the spring and here she comes back
Hi, hi, hi, hi, there
Them summer days, those summer days

That’s when I had most of my fun back
High, high, high, high there
Them summer days, those summer days

I cloud nine when I want to
Out of school, yeah
County fair in the country sun
And everything, it’s true, ooh, yeah

Hot fun in the summertime”

And, you know when I start posting song lyrics about heat and summer, we are indeed in the dog days of summer. A time of the year when the weather just doesn’t change much. At least you can get a new song every day.

TODAY/TOMORROW: We project highs in the 95- to 99-degree range for most, with the heat index over 100. But, thankfully, the worst of the heat ridge will stay a little west and northwest of Alabama. Excessive heat warnings are up for much of the Midwest, but we have no advisories here in our state. Days will be partly sunny, and we will have scattered showers and storms around during the afternoon and evening hours. Stronger storms today will be over East and South Alabama, where the Storm Prediction Center has a “marginal risk” of severe weather defined.

THE WEEKEND: Not much change. Partly sunny, hot, humid days, the risk of “scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms,” and highs generally in the mid 90s. Most of the storms that form will come between 2 and 9 p.m., and the chance of any one spot getting wet will about one in three.

NEXT WEEK: A persistence forecast remains the best idea. The upper ridge will weaken a bit, so highs drop into the low 90s, and the coverage of scattered showers and storms should be a little higher each day.

TROPICS: All remains quiet across the Atlantic basin, and tropical storm formation is not expected through the weekend.

AT THE BEACH: Mostly sunny days, fair nights on the coast from Panama City Beach over to Gulf Shores through next week with just an occasional passing thunderstorm. Highs 87-90 on the immediate coast, with mid 90s inland. Sea water temperature early this morning at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab is 87 degrees. See a detailed Gulf Coast forecast here.

WEATHER BRAINS: You can listen to our weekly 90-minute netcast anytime on the web, or on iTunes. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including meteorologists at ABC 33/40. We recorded a new episode last night.

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