Cooler, clear weekend on the way

Friday may be the last really warm day of the long North Carolina summer.

The forecast for the weekend and the week ahead sees temperatures that barely top 80 degrees, with much cooler mornings, according to WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner.

Friday will offer a mix of clouds and sun, with only the slightest chance for a rain shower. Fans at area high school football games may see some sprinkles, Gardner said, but any rain won't be widespread enough to delay games.

Skies will be mostly clear but much cooler through the weekend.

"Saturday just looks like a gorgeous day," Gardner said. "We'll have lots of sunshine and fall-like temperatures with low humidity." 

Saturday's forecast high is 75 degrees. 

The true chill will be apparent early Sunday, when temperatures could dip below 50 before warming back toward the 80-degree mark. 

The practically perfect forecast comes as three named storms churn far off the Atlantic coast.

What was Tropical Storm Gabrielle was downgraded to a tropical depression Friday morning. The weather system, with winds of only about 35 mph, continued a slow slog northward.

Even farther out to sea and further from an impact on North Carolina weather was Hurricane Humberto. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph Friday afternoon and was on a westerly track, with a turn to the north anticipated early next week.

Tropical Storm Ingrid was gaining strength Friday. That storm was on a track to cross the Yucatan Peninsula, with a landfall as early as Saturday evening.