SUNNY WEDNESDAY: August is ending with a sunny, warm day across Alabama thanks to dry air in place. Temperatures are around 90 degrees in most spots, and there is no rain on radar. Tonight will be clear and very pleasant, with a low in the 60s. Some of the cooler spots across north Alabama could reach the upper 50s early Thursday morning for a nice touch of fall.Thursday will be another mostly sunny day with a high in the low 90s. If any showers form, they will be over the far southern part of Alabama, and even there most places will remain dry.

FRIDAY AND THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND: Moisture begins to return Friday, and we will have some risk of scattered showers and storms by afternoon. Then a deep pool of moisture will settle into the state over the Labor Day weekend. The sky will be occasionally cloudy Saturday through Monday with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms each day. This doesn’t mean a washout; the sun will be out at times. Most (but not all) of the showers will come from about noon to midnight each day, and highs will be in the mid 80s.

NEXT WEEK: Showers should become fewer over the latter half of next week as the air becomes a little drier; highs will be mostly in the mid 80s.TROPICS: The National Hurricane Center is monitoring three tropical waves in the Atlantic; all three have a medium to high chance of becoming a tropical depression or storm over the next five days, but none of them will affect the U.S. There’s still no sign of any tropical storm or hurricane threat for the Gulf of Mexico or the U.S. for at least the next seven to 10 days.

Since 1950, only two Augusts have had no Atlantic named storm formations: 1961 and 1997. And 2022 will join that list after today. FYI, 1961 ended up a hyperactive hurricane season with an extremely busy September-November, while 1997 was a below-average season.FOOTBALL WEATHER: UAB kicks off its season Thursday, hosting Alabama A&M at Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham (7 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be clear with temperatures falling from near 83 at kickoff into the 70s by the second half.

Auburn begins its season Saturday, hosting Mercer at Jordan-Hare Stadium (6 p.m. kickoff). A shower or storm is very possible during the game; the sky will be mostly cloudy and the temperature about 81 at kickoff and upper 70s for most of the game.

Alabama also plays Saturday, hosting Utah State at Bryant Denny Stadium (6:30 p.m. kickoff). A passing shower or storm is a distinct possibility; otherwise it will be a warm, humid night with temperatures falling from the low 80s at kickoff into the 70s for most of the game.

For all the other games in the state Saturday, scattered to numerous showers and storms will be around, but the day won’t be a washout. Take the rain gear.

ON THIS DATE IN 1935: The most intense hurricane to make landfall was a modest tropical depression on this day. Called the Labor Day Hurricane, this storm went through phenomenal intensification to become a Category 5 hurricane by Sept. 2.

ON THIS DATE IN 1954: Hurricane Carol came ashore on the coast of Newport, Rhode Island, with a massive surge and winds of 115 mph. In one hour, Carol destroyed 3,800 homes, sank or damaged 2,000 boats and yachts, and leveled almost all of the island’s power and telephone lines.

BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.

For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit AlabamaWx.