James Spann forecasts rain and gusty winds for Alabama tonight from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

DYNAMIC WEATHER SYSTEM AHEAD: Alabama’s weather will stay dry today; the sky will be generally cloudy with highs between 67 and 73 degrees this afternoon. Gradient winds ahead of a storm system will ramp up today, averaging 15-25 mph with potential for higher gusts.

TONIGHT: A band of showers and thunderstorms will push into Alabama late tonight. There will be little to no surface-based instability over the northern two-thirds of the state, so the line of storms will be weakening, and the threat of severe storms is low in our state. The air will be somewhat unstable over southwest Alabama, but the main dynamic support will be lifting away from that area. Still, a few storms over southwest Alabama could produce strong, gusty winds. It is clear the main risk of severe storms will be west of Alabama late today and tonight over parts of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

GRADIENT WIND: The main concern tonight is gradient winds, not related to thunderstorms. Winds tonight will average 15-30 mph, with potential for gusts to 40-45 mph in spots. Secure any loose objects on your property. There could be a few scattered power outages tonight. Winds will diminish when the thunderstorm line passes after midnight.

RAIN: Rain amounts will average 1-2 inches for most of Alabama over the next 36 hours; parts of west Alabama could see more than 2 inches. A few isolated flooding issues are possible. Most of the rain will come from around 11 tonight through 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Some clearing is possible Tuesday afternoon as dry air works into the Deep South; the high will be in the low 70s in most places.

REST OF THE WEEK: While a lingering shower can’t be totally ruled out across the southeast corner of the state Tuesday night and Wednesday, the rest of the state will be dry with cool mornings and pleasant afternoons. Highs will be between 65 and 72 degrees; colder spots across north Alabama could see lows in the mid to upper 30s early Friday morning.

EASTER WEEKEND: The weather looks dry and warmer. The high will be well into the 70s Saturday, with potential for 80-degree warmth Sunday for much of Alabama. Expect partly to mostly sunny days and fair nights.

A few isolated showers could develop over the first half of next week, but for now we don’t see any high-impact system for Alabama.

ON THIS DATE IN 2021: Eleven tornadoes touched down across Alabama; some of them were long track. The most stunning tornado of the event was the EF-3 tornado that carved a path of damage spanning 80.38 miles over its 98-minute lifespan from Hale to Shelby counties. This was the seventh-longest single-tornado track in Alabama history.

Six people were killed by an EF-3 tornado that was down for 38 miles through parts of Calhoun and Cherokee counties. Another EF-3 tornado touched down near West Blocton, then moved through some highly populated neighborhoods in north Shelby County. Damage was severe in Eagle Point, Greystone Farms and Shoal Creek. This tornado was down for 50 miles, and there were five injuries.

For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit AlabamaWx.