TROPICAL AIR: A moist air mass will remain in Alabama through the weekend and the forecast continues to call for isolated showers and thunderstorms. Stronger storms could drop significant rainfall in this air mass in a very short period of time and the NWS has a flash flood warning in place for much of northern, central and eastern Alabama through tomorrow evening.

There will be some good breaks in the rain over the weekend, but be prepared for a passing shower or storm at any time. Expect more clouds than sun with highs in the 77-82 degree range on both days. No major storms are expected.

NEXT WEEK: A few more showers are possible on Monday, but the rest of the week looks mostly dry with highs in the 80s. A few isolated showers are possible in far southern Alabama on Tuesday and Wednesday, but even there, rain will be light and spotty. Watch the video briefing for maps, graphs, and more details.

TROPICS: Tropical Storm Gordon has formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean about 990 miles west-northwest of Cape Verde. Sustained winds are only 40 mph and the system is expected to remain well off land through early next week. Gordon has some chance to intensify today before moving deeper into the moisture-poor environment in the tropical Atlantic, and some weakening is expected this weekend. While shear is not expected to be too hostile, any re-intensification over the course of next week is expected to be slow and there is a chance that Gordon could degenerate into a remnant low.

Elsewhere, a non-tropical low could develop along a frontal boundary a few hundred miles off the southeastern U.S. coastline this weekend. After that, the low could develop subtropical or tropical characteristics, and a subtropical or tropical depression could develop early next week as the system moves generally northwestward toward the coast. NHC gives this a 40 percent chance of development.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: Showers are possible tonight during Alabama high school football games. Temperatures are expected to hover around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Alabama takes on Wisconsin tomorrow in Madison, WI (11:00 a.m. CT kickoff)… skies will be partly sunny with just a slight chance of a passing shower during the second half. Temperatures will climb from 77 degrees at kickoff to nearly 81 by the final whistle.

UAB plays Arkansas tomorrow (kickoff 3:15 p.m. CT)… skies will be sunny with temperatures in the 80s-85s at kickoff, dropping to the low 80s by the end of the game.

Auburn hosts New Mexico tomorrow night at Jordan Hare Stadium (kickoff 6:00 p.m. CT)… skies will be mostly cloudy with a chance of rain, though not likely, during the game. Temperatures will be in the low 60s.

ON THIS DATE IN 1988: Hurricane Gilbert slammed into the Cayman Islands and as it headed toward Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula it strengthened into a monster hurricane with 175 mph winds. The air pressure at Gilbert’s center reached 888 mb, a record for a hurricane in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, or Atlantic until Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Gilbert blanketed much of the Gulf of Mexico and dumped rain as far as the Florida Keys.

ON THIS DATE IN 2008: Hurricane Ike made landfall as a Category 2 storm near Galveston, Texas.

Watch my next video briefing here, due Monday morning at 6am… enjoy the weekend!

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Category: Alabama Weather, ALL NEWS, Weather Xtreme Videos