Get ready for summer this weekend in Alabama: How hot will it get?

Alabama is in for a pleasant stretch of weather this week, but residents should prepare for a significant shift as summer heat makes an early appearance across the state.

While meteorological summer officially begins in 20 days on June 1, the National Weather Service indicates that a summer preview is arriving this weekend. Temperatures are expected to climb, potentially topping out in the 90s.

Mid-Week Forecast

For those enjoying the milder air, Tuesday offers a brief reprieve. Highs this afternoon are forecast to reach the upper 70s to low 80s for much of the state, which is relatively cool for mid-May. Southeast Alabama will be the exception to the warm-up today, with increased clouds and rain potentially keeping temperatures in the lower 70s.

Throughout the remainder of the week, Alabamians can expect temperatures to slowly climb under mostly dry conditions.

A Sizzling Weekend Ahead

The most intense heat of the week is timed for the weekend. On Saturday, high temperatures are forecast to hit the upper 80s to low 90s statewide. Sunday could turn the volume up even higher, with 90-degree readings becoming more widespread across the region.

Extended Outlook: Heat is Here to Stay

The heat wave does not appear to be a short-lived event. According to 205focus.com and the latest eight- to 14-day outlook from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, warmer-than-normal temperatures are likely to persist through the end of the month.

From May 19-25, most of Alabama faces a 50-60 percent probability of above-average temperatures. The odds are even higher for those in eastern and southeastern Alabama, where the probability of seeing above-average heat reaches 60-70 percent.