FIRST ALERT: Widespread rain returns by Sunday afternoon

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - All is quiet and dry across central Alabama tonight. With a clear sky and just a light breeze around overnight, temperatures will fall to at or near freezing again by sunrise tomorrow. Saturday will bring more sunshine though clouds will gradually move back in throughout the day. The first half of the weekend will be dry at least, so make sure to enjoy any time outdoors on Saturday. Highs will climb comfortably into the upper 50s and low 60s with southeast winds at 5-10 MPH. Tomorrow night will be mostly cloudy, but any rain should be minimal with the best chance of isolated showers across northwest Alabama.

NEXT BIG THING: In keeping with the recent weekend trends, another rainmaker will head our way on Sunday, bringing up to an additional inch of rain across central Alabama. Sunday morning will start off cloudy and cool in the 40s with rain moving into northwest Alabama around 10 AM CST. Rain will spread south and eastward into the afternoon with temperatures topping out in the mid to upper 50s. Widespread, soaking rainfall will stick around through the evening and overnight hours eventually tapering off into early Monday morning. Though the rain could be a nuisance if you have any Sunday plans, hopefully you can make the most of it and indulge in some premium #NappingWeather!

MORE WET WEATHER: The active weather pattern we have dealt with for much of January looks to continue as we head into February. A southwest flow pattern will bring a series of disturbances across the Southeast next week, keeping higher than average rain chances in the forecast. With a stalled front near the Gulf Coast and ample moisture in place, expect off-and-on periods of widespread rain through at least next Thursday. Fortunately -- at this time at least -- severe weather does not look likely, but we do have to keep an eye out for a flooding threat; an additional 2-4 inches of rainfall will be possible by the end of the work week with isolated higher amounts possible.

Though we are still fine-tuning the timing on the rounds of rain, Monday at least is trending drier after the early morning hours, so that may be one of our “good” weather days next week. Morning lows on will start off near 50 with highs mild near 60 under a partly sunny sky. Tuesday looks mostly cloudy, wet, and chilly with rain moving back into the state. Highs will top out near 50 with lows near 40. Wednesday and especially Thursday could end up being our two wettest days of the week with widespread rain possible at times. Highs will range from the mid to upper 50s with lows in the 40s under a cloudy sky. All in all, shaping up to be a dreary and gloomy end to January and start to February.

Finally, we see some hope on the horizon by next Friday. A cold front will sweep across the state, ushering in a dose of cooler and drier air. Clouds should fade away throughout the day with lows falling into the 30s and highs in the 50s.

Make sure you stay up to date with any tweaks and changes to the forecast on the WBRC First Alert Weather app!

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