The strong upper-level ridge of high pressure remains parked across the Central Plains States. Alabama is on the southwest edge of it, so we will feel the impacts of intense heat the rest of the week. It will also be humid, so dangerous heat index values are expected too. This is why we have issued a Weather AWARE today through Friday.

Today, the upper-level ridge will be west of Alabama, so it will be very hot again. Easterly winds will continue to bring in slightly more humid air. We will be partly cloudy with a few pop-up storms this afternoon. A few could be strong with gusty winds, heavy rain and frequent lightning. High temperatures will be in the upper 90s to around 100°. The heat index will be around 105-110°.

An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect until 9 PM. Find ways to stay cool and hydrated. Take frequent breaks if you must work outdoors.

This evening it will be hot and humid for the high school football games. Many of them have been pushed back to 8 PM, so kickoff temperatures will be around 90°.

Tonight, we will be mostly clear, warm, and muggy with lows in the middle to upper 70s.

Weekend Forecast. The upper-level ridge will be slowly starting to break down on Saturday, but we will not see any impacts of that across Alabama. We will be mostly sunny, very hot and humid with highs in the upper 90s. The heat index will be around 105-110°. A trough of low pressure will build across the eastern U.S. on Sunday, and this will send a weak cold front across Alabama. This will help to give us a little break from the heat. It will be partly cloudy, and we could see a stray shower. High temperatures will be back down into the middle 90s.

Tracking the Tropics: A large area of low pressure is over the NW Caribbean near Honduras. It is disorganized. Some slow development is possible this weekend into early next week. A tropical depression could form late this weekend into early next week as it moves north into the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf Waters are very warm and wind shear is expected to increase. Right now, the models want to take this system into Florida thanks to a trough and cold front moving across the Southeast U.S. That front would deflect it away from the Alabama Coast. However, it is WAY TOO EARLY to make any call on what this system may or may not do. This will be something to watch.

Next Week’s Outlook: We will finally have a break in the heat! A cold front will sit along the coast, and bring in some “cooler” temperatures to start the week. We will be partly cloudy with spotty showers and storms on Monday and Tuesday. High temperatures will be around 90°. We will be watching the eastern Gulf of Mexico for a possible tropical threat too. A cold front is forecast to move across Alabama on Wednesday, and this will make it less humid and drier. It will also help to keep the possible tropical system away from Alabama and push it toward Florida. High temperatures will be in the middle to upper 80s. Thursday and Friday will be partly cloudy, less humid and dry. High temperatures will range from the middle to upper 80s.