James Spann forecasts higher rain chances for Alabama over the weekend from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

SCATTERED SHOWERS LATER TODAY: Moisture levels will rise statewide today and we will see random, scattered showers and thunderstorms later today and early tonight, generally between noon and 10 p.m. Odds of any one location seeing rain are 25-35%; otherwise, expect a partly sunny sky with a high between 87 and 90 degrees. Humidity levels will be higher today.

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 the weekend will be a washout; the sun will be out at times. But expect a passing shower or storm from time to time. While most of the showers will come from noon to midnight, we can’t rule out some late-night or morning rain as well. The chance of of any given spot seeing rain each day is 60-70%, and highs will be the low to mid 80s.

There’s no way of knowing in advance exactly when and where the showers will be; if you have something planned outdoors, be sure and watch radar trends. No severe storms are expected, but the showers will be efficient rain producers thanks to high precipitable water values.

NEXT WEEK: Showers should become a little fewer as an upper ridge tries to build, but there will be some risk of scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers or storms Tuesday through Friday with highs between 84 and 88 degrees most days.TROPICS: Tropical Storm Danielle in the North Atlantic will likely become the first hurricane of the season this morning. Thankfully it will remain far from land, about halfway between the U.S. and Europe.Elsewhere, a tropical wave in the eastern Atlantic will likely dissipate soon due to dry air. Another wave, Invest 91L, is several hundred miles east of the Leeward Islands. It has a 70% chance of becoming a tropical depression or storm over the next five days, but it will turn north and then northeast well east of the U.S. No tropical systems are expected to be close to the Gulf of Mexico or the U.S. over the next seven to 10 days.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: 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 Great 1935 Labor Day Hurricane made landfall near Long Key, Florida. It is the most intense Atlantic hurricane at the time of landfall on record in terms of pressure, and tied with Hurricane Dorian in 2019 for the strongest landfalling Atlantic hurricane by maximum sustained winds, with winds of 185 mph. It was also the most intense Atlantic hurricane on record until Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.

The compact and intense hurricane caused catastrophic damage in the upper Florida Keys, as a storm surge of approximately 18 to 20 feet swept over the low-lying islands. The hurricane’s strong winds and the surge destroyed nearly all the structures between Tavernier and Marathon. The town of Islamorada was obliterated. The hurricane washed an 11-car special train off the track soon after reaching the stricken area. The train was trying to rescue 683 World War I veterans in a rehabilitation camp, of whom around 250 died as a result of the hurricane. The veterans, a remnant of the Bonus Army that marched on Washington, were employed for highway construction in the federal work relief project.

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.