Rain gear will get a lot of use this week as areas of rain will become more widespread.

Spotty areas of heavy rain will be around through tonight. The rain will be mostly before 10 PM with lingering stray showers through 6 AM.

Take the rain gear with you to work on Monday. Spotty showers through noon will gradually increase through the afternoon. Then from 6 PM through about midnight, widespread heavy rain will take over the Tennessee Valley. Up to 2-3 inches of rain will fall in the heaviest areas, but more widespread amounts will be between a half-inch and an inch.

The next five days will gradually see this rain add up. Through the end of the week, up to 3-4 inches of rain is possible across the Shoals with 2-3 inches along I-65 and I-565 around Huntsville, Athens, Decatur, and Madison, and 1-3 inches across Sand Mountain. The rainy pattern will continue through most of the next two weeks. Long range forecasts show an enhanced probability of above-normal rainfall through the next 8-14 days. The long range forecasts also indicate above-normal temperatures.