RADAR CHECK: Showers and thunderstorms continue to move northward across Alabama this afternoon thanks to an upper low spinning away over Louisiana. Temperatures are mostly between 77 and 84 degrees with a mostly cloudy sky. Showers will fade after sunset.

LABOR DAY WEEKEND: Saturday will feature a mostly cloudy sky, and scattered showers remain possible over the southern two-thirds of the state (generally from I-20 south). Highs will be in the low to mid 80s, which is below average for early September in Alabama. Dry weather is the story for most of the state Sunday and Monday with a partly to mostly sunny sky and slowly rising heat levels. Highs will be between 88 and 92 degrees.

REST OF NEXT WEEK: Most of the week looks dry with mostly sunny days, fair nights and highs between 90 and 94 degrees. A few scattered showers could show up by Friday.

TROPICS: There is a cluster of tropical systems in the Atlantic, but none of them will affect the U.S. or the Gulf of Mexico for at least the next seven days.

• Idalia is now a post-tropical cyclone moving away from the United States. It is expected to become a tropical storm again over the weekend with some impact to Bermuda Saturday. From there it heads out to the North Atlantic.
• Franklin is still a hurricane with winds of 80 mph well northeast of Bermuda. It becomes post-tropical tonight as it heads to the North Atlantic.
• Jose is a junk tropical storm that will be absorbed by Franklin by Saturday morning.
• Gert has regenerated; it is a tropical depression over the open Atlantic and will be absorbed by Idalia by Sunday far from land.
• Tropical Depression 11 has formed in the eastern Atlantic, and it will likely become a tropical storm over the weekend. It will turn north and will remain far from land.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the high school games across Alabama tonight, a few scattered showers are possible, mainly during the first half of the games. Temperatures will fall through the 70s.

On Saturday, Jacksonville State hosts East Tennessee State (1 p.m. kickoff). Expect a mostly cloudy sky with temperatures around 80 degrees through the game. There is an outside risk of a passing shower.

Auburn will host UMass Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium (2:30 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be mostly cloudy; there is a small risk of a shower during the game. Expect a kickoff temperature near 82 degrees, falling to near 80 by the final whistle.

Alabama hosts Middle Tennessee State Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium (6:30 p.m. kickoff). Expect a mostly cloudy sky with temperatures falling from near 81 degrees at kickoff through the upper 70s during the game.

ON THIS DATE IN 1974: Lt. Judy Neuffer became the first woman to fly a Hurricane Hunter aircraft through the eye of a hurricane.

ON THIS DATE IN 2018: Hurricane Gustav made landfall over southeast Louisiana at Category 2 strength. Several parishes in the New Orleans area had announced plans for voluntary evacuations beginning Aug. 30. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin had ordered the mandatory evacuation of the whole of New Orleans commencing on the morning of Aug. 31.

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