WET, WINDY NIGHT FOR EAST ALABAMA: Rain covers much of east and southeast Alabama this afternoon ahead of Hurricane Helene, which will make landfall tonight along the Big Bend coast of Florida south of Tallahassee. Rain will continue over the eastern half of Alabama tonight, possibly heavy at times. Winds will increase as well, and gusts to 35-40 mph are possible east of I-65. Gusts could reach 50 mph in spots around the southeast corner of the state. West Alabama will be mostly dry tonight.

We should mention there is no tornado threat for Alabama tonight; that risk is east of the state.

Rain will diminish by daybreak as Helene weakens and moves northward.

For the southern two-thirds of Alabama, Friday will be dry with a partly sunny sky. However, showers are possible Friday afternoon and night over north Alabama thanks to an upper low just to the north. High-resolution models suggest winds will ramp up over the northern counties as well Friday afternoon, with gusts to 30-35 mph possible.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: The weather looks dry for most of the state; the sky will be partly sunny Saturday and Sunday with highs between 77 and 82 degrees. We can’t rule out a shower or two near the Tennessee state line, but even there most places will be dry.

Next week looks rain-free with highs in the low 80s.

HELENE: Hurricane Helene is now a major, Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 mph. The circulation center is about 160 miles west/southwest of Tampa; it is moving to the north/northeast at 20 mph. Landfall comes tonight south of Tallahassee. A 15- to 20-foot storm surge is expected along and east of the landfall point from Carrabelle to the Suwannee River.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the high school games across Alabama Friday night, most stadiums will be dry. The exception is over the northern third of the state, where showers are possible. It also will be windy over north Alabama, with gusts to 30-35 mph possible. Temperatures will be in the 70s.

On Saturday, UAB hosts Navy (11 a.m. kickoff at Protective Stadium). The sky will be partly sunny; temperatures will rise from near 75 at kickoff to 79 by the final whistle.

Auburn hosts Oklahoma Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium (2:30 p.m. kickoff). Expect a partly sunny sky with temperatures between 77 and 81 degrees.

Alabama will host Georgia at Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday (6:30 p.m. kickoff). The sky will be mostly fair with temperatures falling through the 70s.

ON THIS DATE IN 1955: The Atlantic reconnaissance aircraft Snowcloud Five went down while investigating Hurricane Janet and was never heard from again. The commander with a crew of eight and two newspapermen reported that they were about to begin penetrating the central core of the hurricane. Hurricane Janet made landfall at peak intensity near Chetumal, Mexico, on Sept. 29. Janet’s landfall as a Category 5 hurricane on the Yucatán Peninsula was the first recorded instance that a storm of such intensity in the Atlantic made landfall on a continental mainland; prior to Janet, landfalls of Category 5 intensity were known to have taken place only on islands.

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