RADAR CHECK: The rain shield associated with Helene is over the northeast corner of Alabama early this morning; the rest of the state is dry. The circulation of Helene will be absorbed by a deep upper low near Memphis over the next 24 hours, and we expect another band of showers to wrap into the northern third of the state this afternoon and tonight. The best chance of rain will be north of I-20; the rest of the state will be dry.

A tight pressure gradient will make for strong, gusty winds over the northern half of the state this afternoon and tonight; gusts to 30-35 mph are possible. A wind advisory is in effect.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Clouds will linger across the northern half of Alabama Saturday, and we will mention some risk of isolated showers during the afternoon and evening on the south side of the upper low over Tennessee and Kentucky. The rain won’t be heavy or widespread, and south Alabama will be dry. Sunday looks generally dry statewide with only a few isolated showers over the far northern counties. The high will be in the mid 70s Saturday, followed by low 80s Sunday.

At this point most of next week looks warm and dry, with highs in the low to mid 80s.TROPICS: Helene has been downgraded to a tropical storm; it is just northeast of Macon around daybreak with winds of 70 mph. The system will weaken today and will dissipate over Kentucky during the weekend.

Hurricane Isaac is in the middle of the North Atlantic, moving east/northeast away from the U.S. It’s no threat to land.

An area of low pressure could form over the western Caribbean Sea by the middle of next week. Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for slow development thereafter while the system moves generally northwestward, potentially entering the Gulf of Mexico by the end of next week. Global models suggest this feature could be near the Gulf Coast in about 10 days, but there is no skill in forecasting the placement or intensity of a tropical cyclone 10 days in advance. We will watch it closely, as always.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: For tonight’s high school games, some rain is possible, if not likely, over the northern third of the state (north of I-20), but the central and southern counties will be dry. We should also note that it will be rather windy tonight over north Alabama, with potential for gusts to 30 mph. Temperatures will be in the low 70s.

On Saturday, UAB hosts Navy (11 a.m. kickoff at Protective Stadium). The sky will be mostly cloudy, and there is a small risk of a shower during the game. Temperatures will be in the low to mid 70s.

Auburn hosts Oklahoma Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium (2:30 p.m. kickoff). Expect a partly to mostly cloudy sky with temperatures in the mid to upper 70s.

Alabama will host Georgia at Bryant-Denny Stadium Saturday (6:30 p.m. kickoff). We will mention a small risk of a shower during the first half of the game; otherwise, the sky will be mostly cloudy with temperatures around 70 degrees.

ON THIS DATE IN 1985: Hurricane Gloria swept over the Outer Banks, then rushed across Long Island, New England and Canada. It was the first significant hurricane to hit New England in 25 years and brought heavy rains and high winds to the Mid-Atlantic states as well.

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

Alabama executed a man using nitrogen gas for the second time on Thursday.

Alan Eugene Miller, 59, was pronounced dead at 6:38 p.m. local time at a south Alabama prison, The Associated Press reported.

He was convicted of killing three men—Lee Holdbrooks, Christopher Scott Yancy and Terry Jarvis—in workplace shootings in 1999.

“I didn’t do anything to be in here,” Miller said in his final words, the AP reported. His words were at times muffled by the blue-rimmed gas mask that covered his face from forehead to chin.

Miller asked his family and friends to “take care” of someone, but it was not clear whose name he said.

Alabama had tried to execute Miller via lethal injection in 2022, but the state called it off after being unable to connect an IV line. He initially challenged the nitrogen gas protocol but dropped his lawsuit in August after reaching a settlement with the state. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

He was one of five inmates executed over the past week, including Emmanuel Littlejohn who was also put to death on Thursday in Oklahoma. Their deaths brings the U.S. to 1,600 executions since the death penalty was reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, despite support for the death penalty declining nationwide over the past two decades.

The nitrogen gas method used to put Miller to death involves placing a respirator gas mask over the inmate’s face so that they breathe pure nitrogen gas and are deprived of oxygen and die.

Alabama first used the method to put Kenneth Smith to death in January. The method has been described as inhumane by some human rights groups.

On Thursday, Miller shook and trembled on the gurney for about two minutes, with his body at times pulling against the restraints, the AP reported, followed by about six minutes of periodic gulping breaths before he became still.

In a news conference after the execution, Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm said the movements were anticipated.

“That was nothing we did not expect,” Hamm said, explaining the nitrogen gas flowed for 15 minutes. “Everything went according to plan and according to our protocol.”

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said the execution “went as expected.”

“Although the methods have changed over the years, it remains the judgment of the State of Alabama that some crimes are so horrific as to warrant the ultimate punishment. In Alabama, we will not deny justice to the victims of heinous murders,” Marshall said in a statement.

“Tonight, despite misinformation campaigns by political activists, out-of-state lawyers, and biased media, the State proved once again that nitrogen hypoxia is both humane and effective. Miller’s execution went as expected and without incident.”

But witnesses contradicted the state’s version of events.

“I was a witness for Alabama’s execution of Alan Miller by nitrogen gas tonight,” Lauren Gill, a writer for Bolts magazine, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Again, it did not go as state officials promised. Miller visibly struggled for roughly two minutes, shaking and pulling at his restraints. He then spent the next 5-6 min intermittently gasping for air.”

Marshall’s description of Smith’s execution in January as “textbook” also differed from witness accounts, with advocates saying he had exhibited clear signs of pain and suffering.

One witness described how Smith began “thrashing against the straps” as the gas flowed and his head and body violently jerked back and forth for several minutes.

Update 9/27/24, 3:30 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

Brian Kelly and the No. 14 ranked LSU Tigers return to Death Valley on Saturday night with the program preparing for a non-conference clash against South Alabama.

The Jaguars head to town led by a fiery offensive duo of Gio Lopez and Fluff Bothwell propelling the program to a hot start this season.

A scoring tandem that has elevated South Alabama to one of the top offenses in the country, they’ll put LSU to the test in a Week 5 battle.

Here’s how to watch, the betting lines and an expert score prediction via the SP+ Model:

Date: Saturday, September 28, 2024
Time: 6:45 p.m. CT
TV Channel: SEC Network
City: Baton Rouge, La.
Venue: Tiger Stadium

LSU: -21.5 (-110)
South Alabama: +21.5 (-110)

LSU to Win: – -1650
South Alabama to Win: +950

Over 65.5 Points: -110
Under 65.5 Points: -110

*All odds via DraftKings*

We turned to the SP+ Prediction Model to give a better understanding of where the Tigers stand heading into this weekend against South Alabama.

The simulation favors Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers to come out on top over South Alabama in Week 5, as expected.

SP+ logged a prediction that LSU will defeat the Jaguars by a projected score of 42-23 and win the game by an expected 18.7 points.

The expert model gives the Bayou Bengals an 88% chance to come out on top over the Jaguars in Death Valley.

What is SP+? It is a “tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency” that attempts to predict game outcomes by measuring “the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football.”

The SP+ model is 105-91-1 against the spread with a 53.6 win percentage on the year with the latest round of predictions coming out this week.

First-place votes in parentheses

1. Texas (44)
2. Georgia (13)
3. Ohio State (5)
4. Alabama
5. Tennessee
6. Ole Miss
7. Miami
8. Oregon
9. Penn State
10. Utah
11. Missouri
12. Michigan
13. USC
14. LSU
15. Louisville
16. Notre Dame
17. Clemson
18. Iowa State
19. Illinois
20. Oklahoma State
21. Oklahoma
22. BYU
23. Kansas State
24. Texas A&M
25. Boise State

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.