CLASSIC LATE-SUMMER WEATHER: Humidity levels are creeping up across Alabama, and with the increased moisture we will deal with the usual case of random, scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoons and evenings daily through the Labor Day weekend. The key word is “random”; there’s no way of knowing in advance exactly when and where the showers pop up. Most of them will come from about 1 until 10 p.m., during the peak of the daytime heating process.

The chance of any given spot seeing a shower or thunderstorm is 25-35% today and Friday and 45-55% Saturday through Monday. Afternoon highs will be mostly in the mid 90s today and Friday and in the low 90s over the Labor Day weekend.

NEXT WEEK: The upper ridge breaks down and heat levels drop significantly. Highs will be mostly in the 80s Tuesday through Friday with scattered showers and storms each day.

TROPICS: A broad area of disorganized showers over the central Tropical Atlantic are associated with a tropical wave. Some slow development of this system is possible this weekend into the middle of next week while it moves westward to west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph. For now, the National Hurricane Center gives it a 20% chance of development over the next seven days.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: UAB kicks off its season tonight, taking on Alcorn State at Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham (kickoff at 7). There is some risk of a shower or thunderstorm during the first half; 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 tonight (kickoff at 7). A brief shower or storm is possible during the first half; otherwise, it will be mostly fair with temperatures falling through the 80s.

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, the sky will be mostly fair with temperatures falling through the 80s degrees at kickoff to near 80 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 temperatures falling through the 80s.

Troy will host Nevada Saturday (6 p.m. kickoff). There’s some risk of a shower or storm during the first half; otherwise, the weather will be fair with temperatures falling from around 90 degrees at kickoff to near 80 by the final whistle.

ON THIS DATE IN 2005: Hurricane Katrina made landfall as a Category 3 storm over southeast Louisiana and Mississippi. The majority of the loss of lives in Katrina was due to flooding caused by fatal engineering flaws in the flood protection system, specifically the levee, around the city of New Orleans.

Eventually, 80% of the city, as well as large areas in neighboring parishes, were flooded for weeks. The flooding also destroyed most of New Orleans’s transportation and communication facilities, leaving tens of thousands of people who did not evacuate the city prior to landfall with little access to food, shelter and other basic necessities.

The coast of Mississippi suffered severe damage from wind and storm surge but received little national attention due to the situation in New Orleans. The death toll was 1,836 as a direct result of Katrina.

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