SUNNY AFTERNOON: Temperatures are mostly in the low to mid 90s over the western two-thirds of Alabama this afternoon, but some places across the eastern counties are holding in the upper 80s. The sky is mostly sunny.  Tonight will be fair with a low between 67 and 73 degrees.

Alabama’s weather will stay generally dry Tuesday and Wednesday with mostly sunny, hot afternoons and fair nights. Highs will be in the 90s; a few spots could approach 100 degrees Wednesday over north and west Alabama under a strong upper ridge.

Highs hold in the 90s Thursday and Friday. We will mention some risk of isolated afternoon showers or storms, but many places will stay dry.

LABOR DAY WEEKEND: We are projecting highs in the mid 90s Saturday and low 90s Sunday and Monday as heat levels slowly begin to come down. As the upper ridge weakens and a weak front stalls out just to the north, the door will be open for random, scattered showers and thunderstorms all three days. Most, but not all, of the showers and storms will come during the afternoons and evenings, generally between 2 and 10 p.m. Odds of any one spot seeing rain each day are 30-40%, a typical setup for early September in Alabama.

NEXT WEEK: The heat ridge will continue to shift to the west, and highs drop into the 80s over the northern half of Alabama Tuesday through Friday; south Alabama will see low 90s. The risk of scattered, mostly afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms will continue through the week.

TROPICS: It’s still remarkably quiet across the Atlantic basin; tropical storm formation is not expected for at least the next seven days.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: College football is back! UAB kicks off its season Thursday, taking on Alcorn State at Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham (7 p.m. kickoff). There’s just a small risk of a shower during the first quarter; otherwise, the sky will be mostly fair with temperatures falling through the 80s, reaching the 70s by the fourth quarter. Jacksonville State will host Coastal Carolina Thursday evening (7 p.m. kickoff). There’s a small risk of a shower early in the game; otherwise, it will be mostly fair with temperatures falling into the 70s by the fourth quarter.

Alabama hosts Western Kentucky Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium (6 p.m. kickoff). A brief shower or storm can’t be ruled out during the first half; otherwise, it will be mostly fair with temperatures falling from near 89 degrees at kickoff to the upper 70s by the final whistle. Auburn will host Alabama A&M at Jordan-Hare Stadium (6:30 p.m. kickoff). Again, a shower or storm is possible during the first half; otherwise, it will be mostly fair with upper 80s at kickoff and upper 70s by the fourth quarter.

ON THIS DATE IN 1992: Hurricane Andrew made a second landfall near Burns Point, Louisiana, as a Category 3 hurricane. Morgan City, Louisiana, recorded sustained winds of 92 mph with a peak gust of 108 mph. Hammond, Louisiana, was deluged with 11.92 inches of rain. As Andrew moved inland and weakened, it spawned 47 tornadoes from this date through Aug. 28 from the South to the Mid-Atlantic states.

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