James Spann forecasts a wet start for the Alabama weekend from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

WET START TO THE WEEKEND: Showers are over the northern third of Alabama this morning, and we will maintain the chance of rain at times today, mostly along and north of I-20. Otherwise, the sky will be cloudy with a high in the mid 60s.

Rain becomes more widespread across the state tonight and Saturday as a cold front slowly approaches. Some thunder is possible, but the air will be stable, and no severe storms are expected. The rain will end from west to east Saturday during the midday and afternoon, and again temperatures will be in the 60s all day. Rain amounts of around 1 inch are expected for the northern half of the state over the next 36 hours, with lighter amounts for south Alabama.

Sunday will be dry and cooler; the sky becomes mostly sunny, and the high will be in the mid to upper 50s.

THANKSGIVING WEEK: Monday will be dry with ample sunshine and a high in the 60s. Clouds increase Tuesday, and showers are possible Tuesday night into Wednesday morning with a cold front approaching. The main dynamic support will be well to the north, and moisture will be limited, so for now it doesn’t look like a big rain event.

There are more questions than answers concerning weather for the latter half of the week because of a complex pattern and model inconsistency. For now the overall risk of rain looks low on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, but that could change.

TROPICS: Tropical Storm Sebastien is now expected to remain below hurricane strength; it will move east/northeast across the open Atlantic today and should become post-tropical Sunday. It is no threat to land. The rest of the Atlantic basin is quiet.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the high school playoff games tonight, periods of rain are likely with temperatures in the 60s.

Saturday, Alabama hosts Western Carolina (11 a.m. kickoff) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Rain during the morning in Tuscaloosa will end around kickoff, but it is possible some light rain could linger into the first quarter of the game. The sky will be cloudy with temperatures in the 60s.

Auburn will host Samford Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium (11 a.m. kickoff). Rain is likely at times during the game with temperatures in the 60s.

UAB hosts Louisiana Tech Saturday at Legion Field (2:30 p.m. kickoff). There’s a very good chance the rain will be over by kickoff; the sky will be cloudy with a kickoff temperature near 64 degrees, falling back into the low 60s by the fourth quarter.

Jacksonville State will host Eastern Kentucky Saturday (1 p.m. kickoff). Some rain will remain possible during the first quarter. The sky will be cloudy with temperatures in the 60s.

ON THIS DATE IN 1992: A total of 45 tornadoes touched down in the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys. Georgia was hard hit with two F4, one F3 and three F2 tornadoes that killed six people and injured 144. Indiana had a total of 15 tornadoes on this day to set two state records, the largest November tornado outbreak and the most tornadoes in November. One, an F4 multiple-vortex type, cut a 22-mile path through extreme southeastern Indiana and northern Kentucky. This devastating tornado debunked the myth that twisters don’t cross rivers, as it crossed the Ohio River twice. The tornado outbreak made a significant contribution to what was to become the biggest November ever for the U.S. concerning the number of tornadoes.

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