Well, TS Alberto defied all predictions and is on its way to becoming a Category One hurricane. Who'd thought? It survived the night wind sheers that threatened to weaken it, reorganized and now boasts winds of 70mph (only 4 mph shy of becoming a Cat One). Even Weather Underground meteorologist Jeff Masters admits he was off-mark: “I was calling for a 10% chance of Alberto becoming a hurricane, but Alberto certainly has other ideas!” With the new info, Masters says the highest winds we’ll see will be 80mph—which would cap it at a weak Cat One. This means Florida faces a low percentage chance of damage from winds, but still good chances of local flooding. However, that state—like Alabama—is in desperate need of rain, so this rain-maker is welcome in many circles. Still looking unlikely for any significant precipitation here in south-central Alabama (we have a 30% chance of isolated thunderstorms). We’ll continue to keep an eye on this one. (Why does this blog track tropical storms? Read this.) (Image: Weather Underground)