Warm Monday, cooler weather arrives Tuesday

: Skies will be mostly clear with low temperatures in the lower to middle 60s as we stay dry.

: High temperatures will not be nearly as warm, generally in the lower 80s north of Birmingham to middle 80s along and south of I-20. This is due to a cold front approaching from the north throughout the afternoon, pushing the warmest temperatures further south. Skies will be partly cloudy, but no rain is expected along the front.

Next Week: A strong cold front moves through our region on Monday, pushing in much drier and more comfortable air by Tuesday morning. Temperatures will also take a tumble from the 80s to 70s for afternoon highs starting on Tuesday and morning lows will be hanging out in the 50s. Some locations north and east of Birmingham will dip into the upper 40s on Thursday and Friday nights. This cold front won't bring us any rain as it will be moisture-starved when pushing through.

A surface high pressure settles in over the Ohio Valley following the passage of this front, while the tropics brew up Milton in the Gulf of Mexico. This places us in between the high and low pressure centers, keeping winds out of the northeast for much of the week. This will create downsloping winds off the mountains in north Georgia, allowing for additional dry, sinking air to dominate central Alabama nearly all week. So expect skies to be full of sunshine with true Fall weather in the air from Tuesday onward.

Tracking the Tropics: Tropical Storm Milton has now formed in the far western Gulf of Mexico, forecast to continue strengthening into a Category 4 hurricane by Monday night. It will likely remain a major hurricane (Category 3 or stronger) as it makes landfall on the western Florida coast near or just south of Tampa on Wednesday evening. This will not affect our weather in central Alabama.

Be sure to follow the CBS 42 Storm Team:

: Chief Meteorologist Dave Nussbaum , Meteorologist Michael Haynes , Meteorologist Alex Puckett , and Meteorologist Jacob Woods .