FIRST ALERT: Periods of rain, with a few rumbles continuing into the morning hours; more scattered storms Saturday

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - An upper-level low is spinning along the Gulf Coast and slowly moving north. It continues to spread rain and storms north and westward across central Alabama. The heaviest rain tonight has impacted the western part of the state, but numerous showers have developed area wide. This activity will continue to spread north well past midnight, with off and on showers through the early morning. We’ll start Saturday morning off cloudy, with patchy drizzle and widely scattered showers. Temperatures are forecast to start out in the upper 60s and warm into the low to mid 80s tomorrow afternoon. Winds will be southeast at 5 to10 mph.

Saturday afternoon will feature another partly to mostly cloudy sky, with more scattered showers and storms developing. The main threat over the weekend will be heavy rainfall, lightning, and some gusty winds. Sunday will end up similar, but we could see more sunshine in the late morning and early afternoon. Highs Sunday afternoon are forecast to warm into the mid 80s, with a 50% chance for showers and storms. Just monitor the WBRC First Alert Weather app for important weather notifications over the weekend. If you hear thunder or see lightning, you’ll want to go inside until the storm passes.

Football Forecasts: If you are planning on heading out to Austin, Texas to cheer on the Crimson Tide Saturday, you’ll want to stay hydrated. The heat will be the big story as temperatures climb into the mid to upper 80s around kickoff. By the end of the game, it’ll likely be sunny and hot with temperatures in the low to mid 90s. Make sure you wear a hat, sunglasses, and apply the sunscreen. The Tigers will kick off Saturday evening in Auburn, and scattered showers and a few storms can’t be ruled out. Temperatures are forecast to start out in the lower 80s and cool into the 70s. It might not be a bad idea to grab a poncho. UAB travels to Lynchburg, Virginia, to take on Liberty Saturday at 5 PM. The forecast is looking mostly dry with temperatures in the 70s. An isolated shower can’t be ruled out.

Next Big Thing: A cold front on Monday will cause widely scattered areas of rain and storms to form. Temperatures will warm into the 80s. Drier and cooler air filters in by Tuesday and it will feel so much better outside. Morning lows both Tuesday and Wednesday will be in the upper 50s and lower 60s. We should see plenty of sunshine for the second half of next week with highs in the mid to upper 80s.

Tropical Update: We continue to monitor Hurricane Earl and a few tropical waves in the Atlantic. Hurricane Earl has wind speeds at 100 mph. It is forecast to remain a Category 2 hurricane over the next two days, so it is uncertain if it will become the first major hurricane of the 2022 season. It will move farther away from Bermuda and head into the northern Atlantic Ocean over the weekend. Earl will not directly impact the United States over the weekend. We are also watching three tropical waves in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, but all have a low chance of formation.

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