Fall is slowly creeping into the air in Covington County.

At Friday’s Andalusia homecoming parade, goers were seen sporting long sleeves and light jackets as the temperature inched toward 80 degrees.

Forec-asters expect the day’s trend to continue throughout the weekend with today’s high set at 84. A light wind out of the East may make it feel just a bit cooler, though.

On Sunday, it’s more of the same with a high of 85 degrees.

Nightly lows for both days will hover around 63 degrees.

Cooler days and even cooler nights should serve as a reminder for homeowners to ready their heating units for winter, said Kara Walker of Walker Electric.

“Especially those with a gas furnace, you have safety issues to address,” Walker said. “You want to make sure heat chambers are cleaned and there are no cracks because of the danger of carbon monoxide.

“Oftentimes with heat pump, that unit has run all summer during the 100 degree temperatures we’ve had, so it’s a good idea to have it checked before heating season to make sure coils are clean; that the refrigerant charge correct, and to also check the defrost cycle and heat stripes.

“It could be that when you turn it on the first time to heat, you might not have heat,” she said.

Walker said it’s recommended to have units checked twice a year.

“By doing that, it really does save the homeowner money,” she said. “Oftentimes, a unit might be low on Freon, and that can cost you money because the unit is still able to cool, but it runs a lot more. If the coils are dirty, it’s the same thing.

“It puts a strain on the unit because it has to run longer to reach the correct temperature,” she said.