Confidence in the prospect of severe weather returning to Alabama this weekend has ticked upward.

A severe weather risk for Friday (shown above) has been expanded to include more of the state, and so has another risk area for severe storms on Saturday.

Here’s the severe weather outlook for Saturday:

The National Weather Service said damaging winds will be the main concern on both Friday and Saturday.

The most southern part of Alabama is not included in the severe weather risk area on either Friday or Saturday but could also see scattered rain and thunderstorms both days.

The unsettled weather pattern could last beyond Saturday, and there’s a chance more storms will affect the state on Sunday. However, confidence was not high enough in that happening yet to include a severe weather risk for Sunday.

FRIDAY

There will be a Level 2 out of 5 risk for severe weather on Friday from roughly the Birmingham area northward to the Tennessee state line.

A Level 2 (slight) risk means scattered severe storms will be possible.

Areas from south of Birmingham to just north of Montgomery will have a Level 1 (marginal) risk on Friday and could have to deal with isolated severe storms.

Storms on Friday will be most likely in the afternoon and evening hours.

The strongest ones could have damaging winds and heavy rain, according to the weather service.

The weather service will be watching to the northwest in case a complex of storms (a mesoscale convective system, or MCS) develops and heads toward the state.

Stronger storms could also develop in a more scattered nature during the afternoon and evening.

SATURDAY

On Saturday the Storm Prediction Center has a Level 2 out of 5 risk in place for more of Alabama, from just north of Troy and Greenville to the Tennessee state line.

Scattered severe storms will be possible in that area, with the most likely time for storms again being the afternoon and evening hours.

The weather service said damaging straight-line winds will again be the main concern with the strongest storms.

Storms could again affect the state in the form of an MCS or develop in a more scattered nature.

SUNDAY AND BEYOND

The weather service said periods of showers and thunderstorms continue into next week because of a surface front in the region and continued disturbances moving through that could set off storms.

So far there is no organized severe weather in the forecast past Saturday.