First Alert Weather: Mostly sunny Sunday; Rain and thunderstorms for the start of the week

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Happy Saturday! It has shaped up to be a beautiful day after storms this morning. The Wind Advisory across central Alabama has been extended until 7 PM CDT with winds out of the west this evening from 10-20 mph. We could see gusts up to 45 mph in the advisory. This includes all central Alabama counties except Coosa, Chilton, and Perry counties. It’s best to keep outdoor furniture and loose outdoor objects secured.

Dropping temperatures tonight: Daytime highs today reached the upper 70s and low 80s. We’ll be in the upper 60s by 8 PM and low 60s by 10 PM. We’ll get to enjoy a mostly clear night sky, but temperatures will drop pretty quickly overnight. The overnight low will likely be in the mid 40s. However, counties in north central Alabama and east central Alabama can expect temperatures on Sunday around 7 AM dropping into the low 40s. It is best to bring in any outdoor pets tonight and cover those sensitive plants if you need to as well.

Cool and Mostly Dry Sunday: Sunday morning will end up chilly with temperatures starting into the low to mid 40s. Sunday is shaping up to be mostly dry and quiet. We are forecasting a sunny to partly cloudy sky with highs in the low 70s. We expect to stay dry for most of Sunday, but isolated showers will be possible by the evening around 11 PM as rain approaches from the west.

Rain and thunderstorms Monday morning: It looks like the first week of April is going to remain unsettled and stormy for the eastern half of the country. There will likely be a few rumbles of thunder and a non-severe threat of storms Monday morning. Models are hinting at rain and storms entering southwest Alabama at around 11PM Sunday and into Monday morning. Monday afternoon looks more like isolated thunderstorms. Highs on Monday are forecast to climb into the low to mid 70s.

Beyond Monday: The latest trends are showing widely scattered storm and rain chances for Central Alabama Monday through Saturday. The exact timing and coverage remain a big question mark. I do think we’ll see temperatures climb well above average for the first half of the week. We could end up in the lower 80s next Tuesday and Wednesday. Any storms that form Tuesday through Thursday could become strong or severe thanks to unstable air and some wind shear. The Storm Prediction Center is already highlighting a threat for severe storms Tuesday (April 4th) for northern Arkansas, most of Missouri, south and east Iowa, and most of Illinois. A slight risk has been issued for northern Mississippi, western Tennessee, and far northwest Alabama Tuesday. I think we will have a better handle on this setup once we get through the weekend. I would plan for storm chances each day next week with a cold front trying to move into Alabama next Wednesday and Thursday. Cooler temperatures are possible by the end of next week as a cold front tries to push into Alabama. If the system stalls out to our south, wet weather will stick around. For now, we have a 60% coverage for at least some scattered showers on Friday and Saturday.

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