From the 5 am NHC discussion:

WITH A SLUG OF DRY AIR OVERTAKING THE CENTER OF CIRCULATION… ALBERTO’S CHANCES OF BECOMING A HURRICANE ARE EVAPORATING. THERE IS NO DEEP CONVECTION NEAR THE CENTER AND THE CYCLONE IS TAKING ON A LESS-THAN-TROPICAL APPEARANCE ON SATELLITE IMAGERY.

Maximum sustained winds are reported to be 65 mph based, with a pressure of 995 mb. The observed flight-level winds still don’t translate into 65 mph at the surface, and the NHC’s reported value is based on quikscat data. The NHC wind speed probability table reports only a 5% chance of intensification to hurricane strength during the next 36 hours, but hurricane warnings remain in effect between Longboat Key and the Ochlockonee River. The tropical storm warning area in the Gulf extends south to Englewood, west to Indian Pass. On the Atlantic coast, the tropical storm warning starts at Flagler Beach and has now been extended northward to South Santee River, SC. Alberto’s forecast track spends a substantial time overland near the coastline in Georgia into the Carolinas. For the Florida Gulf coast, the public advisory describes today’s storm surge threat:

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 7 TO 9 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED MAINLY TO THE EAST AND SOUTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.

Bust out the Brass Bonanza:

EDMONTON, Alberta — With one more Carolina victory, hockey’s most prized trophy will be headed to college basketball country, carried by the franchise that used to be the Whalers.

Mark Recchi and Cory Stillman scored for the Hurricanes and Cam Ward had another strong game in goal in a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers Monday night that gave Carolina a commanding lead in the Stanley Cup finals.

Carolina got the split it needed in Edmonton and now heads home with a 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series. Game 5 is Wednesday night in hoops-loving Raleigh, N.C., on the cusp of putting a different kind of championship on ice with their first Stanley Cup nine years after the team moved from Hartford.