James Spann: Alabama continues to see isolated showers, hot afternoons

HOT AFTERNOONS, PLEASANT NIGHTS: The weather pattern across Alabama won’t change much through the weekend. Hot afternoons with highs at or over 90 degrees in many places, but pleasant nights with morning lows in the 60s. Like recent days, a handful of showers and storms will form during the afternoon and evening hours, but they will be very isolated, and the chance of any one spot seeing rain is 10-20%.

Global models continue to suggest we will have deeper moisture, and an increase in the number of scattered showers and storms by the middle of next week. Still not a good, widespread rain like the state needs, but odds of any given spot seeing rain will be higher by then. Highs drop into the mid 80s over the latter half of the week.

TROPICS: This morning Tropical Storm Gabrielle is in the Atlantic about 845 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands. The satellite presentation shows a disorganized system; winds are estimated at 50 mph. The poor structure is due to westerly vertical wind shear and a significant amount of dry air that is continuously entraining into the circulation. The latest forecast track from NHC shows Gabrielle passing east of Bermuda early next week as a minimal hurricane; from there it turns east/northeast into the open Atlantic, no threat to land.

We also note a tropical wave located just west of the Cabo Verde Islands that continues to produce disorganized shower activity. Development of this system is not expected while it moves westward across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic during the next several days. No tropical storms or hurricanes are expected across the Gulf for at least the next 7-10 days.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: Auburn travels to Norman to take on Oklahoma Saturday (2:30 p.m. kickoff) … the sky will be partly sunny, and a passing shower or thunderstorm is possible during the game. Temperatures will be in the mid to upper 80s.

UAB will be in Knoxville to take on Tennessee Saturday (11:45 a.m. kickoff) … the sky will be mostly sunny with temperatures in the mid 80s.

Jacksonville State hosts Murray State Saturday evening (6 p.m. kickoff) … just a very small risk of a shower early in the game, otherwise mostly fair with temperatures falling from the mid 80s at kickoff, into the 70s during the second half.

South Alabama hosts Coastal Carolina Saturday evening (6 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be mostly clear with temperatures falling from the upper 80s at kickoff, into the 70s by the fourth quarter.

ON THIS DATE IN 1926: The great “Miami Hurricane” produced winds of 138 mph that drove ocean waters into the Biscayne Bay drowning 135 persons. The eye of the hurricane passed over Miami, at which time the barometric pressure reached 27.61 inches. Tides up to 12 feet high accompanied the storm, which claimed a total of 372 lives.

ON THIS DATE IN 2017: Hurricane Maria became a Category 5 storm as it approached Puerto Rico.

For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit the Alabama Weather Network.