Hit or Miss Rain and Storms Today
TODAY/FRIDAY: Gordon is gone, but scattered showers and storms will remain possible today. The upper ridge rebuilds Friday, and it looks hot and mostly dry with only isolated afternoon storms. The high today will be in the upper 80s, with lower 90s Friday.
SPRITES FROM TROPICAL STORM GORDON: Tropical Storm Gordon, which could make landfall as a hurricane later today, is producing more than just wind and rain. A photographer in Puerto Rico caught sprites leaping out of the storm as it was intensifying just a few nights ago.
IN THE TROPICS: At 500 AM AST, the center of Hurricane Florence was located near latitude 24.1 North, longitude 47.9 West. Florence is moving toward the northwest near 12 mph. A turn toward the west-northwest with a decrease in forward speed is expected later today, followed by a turn toward the west by the weekend. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 115 mph with higher gusts. Florence is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some additional weakening is forecast today, but Florence is expected to remain a strong hurricane for the next several days. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles. The estimated minimum central pressure is 964 mb (28.47 inches).
A broad area of low pressure is centered a few miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Shower and thunderstorm activity associated with this low has changed little in organization over the past few hours and recent satellite data indicate that a well-defined center has not yet formed. However, environmental conditions still appear to be conducive for development and a tropical depression is expected to form within the next few days while the system moves toward the west or west-northwest across the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Formation chance through 5 days…high…90 percent.
A tropical wave is forecast to move off the west coast of Africa on Friday. Some development of this system is anticipated after that time, and a tropical depression could form over the weekend or early next week while the wave moves westward over the far eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean. Formation chance through 5 days…medium…50 percent.
FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the high school games Friday night, just a small risk of a shower during the first half, otherwise mostly fair and very warm with temperatures falling though the 80s during the games.
Alabama hosts Arkansas State Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa at Bryant-Denny Stadium (2:30p CT kickoff); the sky will be partly to mostly sunny with just a small risk of a shower during the game. Kickoff temperature will be close to 90 degrees, falling back into the 80s by the fourth quarter.
Auburn will host Alabama State Saturday evening at Jordan-Hare Stadium (6:30p CT kickoff)… the sky will be mostly fair with only a slight risk of a shower during the first half. Temperatures will fall from near 86 at kickoff, into the upper 70s by the final whistle.
UAB travels to Conway, South Carolina to take on Coastal Carolina Saturday evening (6:00p CT kickoff)… a shower or storm is possible during the first half of the game, otherwise it will be warm and humid with temperatures falling through the 80s during the game.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Saturday looks hot and generally dry; only isolated afternoon showers with a highs in the lower 90s again. Then, on Sunday, scattered showers and storms should increase as surface front drifts down into Tennessee. Sunday’s high will be in the upper 80s.
NEXT WEEK: The front over Tennessee will become stationary, so scattered showers and storms remain possible at least for the first half of the week with highs mostly in the mid to upper 80s.
Have a great day!
Ryan
