James Spann: Dry in Alabama through Friday with rain/storms arriving late Saturday into Sunday

WARM AFTERNOONS: Expect highs in the 80s through Friday with mostly sunny days and fair pleasant nights. At this point most of the state looks dry during the day Saturday, although a few spotty showers are possible by afternoon over the southwest counties as moisture begins to return. The high Saturday will be in the mid 80s.

RAIN RETURNS: We will bring in a good chance of showers and thunderstorms late Saturday night into Sunday ahead of a cold front and upper trough. At this point it looks like the main window for rain will come from about midnight Saturday night to around 3 p.m. Sunday and amounts of 1/2 to 1 inch are likely statewide. A few spots could see a little over one inch.

The air will also be somewhat unstable, meaning some risk of strong thunderstorms. There is no formal risk defined at this point by SPC, but heavier storms Sunday could produce some hail and strong, gusty winds. The high Sunday will be in the 75–80-degree range.

NEXT WEEK: The first half of the week looks dry and pleasant with highs generally in the 70s and lows in the 50s. Many North Alabama communities will dip into the 40s early Monday and Tuesday morning. Models suggest moisture returns later in the week with some risk of showers and storms by Thursday and Friday.

TROPICS: Tropical Storm Lorenzo is in the middle of the Atlantic, about 1330 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands. Winds are 60 mph, and it is moving to the northwest at 15 mph. It will likely remain below hurricane strength and it will turn north into the open Atlantic. No threat to land.

The rest of the Atlantic basin remains quiet; no tropical storms or hurricanes are expected across the Gulf for at least the next 7-10 days.

RACE WEEKEND: The weather will be warm and dry in Talladega on Friday and Saturday with high in the 80s. Showers and thunderstorms are likely Sunday, however. Models suggest the highest risk of rain Sunday will be during the morning and early afternoon hours, so there is some hope they could get the big race in Sunday afternoon, but that is certainly no guarantee. A few strong storms are possible Sunday; the high will be in the mid 70s.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: Alabama hosts Tennessee Saturday night (6:30 p.m.) … the sky becomes mostly cloudy during the game, but for now it looks like the rain will hold off in Tuscaloosa until after midnight. Temperatures will fall through the 70s.

Auburn hosts Missouri (6:45 p.m.) … the sky becomes mostly cloudy, but we are not expecting any rain during the game. Temperatures fall through the 70s.

ON THIS DATE IN 1909: An F3 tornado struck Pittsburg Landing and Stantonville, Tennessee, killing 23 people and injuring 80 others.

ON THIS DATE IN 1984: Dense fog contributes to a 118-vehicle accident on I-94, just south of Milwaukee. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reportedly close to zero.

For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit the Alabama Weather Network.