Heat Island!

Often on a clear, calm night, when radiational cooling is occurring, cities stay warmer than the surrounding rural areas. This is mainly due to the concrete in the cities holding in more heat, and also has to do with heat output from building heating systems, etc. It’s especially prevalent early this morning, as a light SW wind has stirred up at the BHM airport, bringing downtown warm air there.

At 12 am, it was 39 in BHM, but 30 in Tuscaloosa, Alex City, and Calera, and 26 in Gadsden! You can see other heat islands around the SE…Atlanta (33) is warmer than most of Georgia (including Savannah 25, Albany 27, Augusta 21, Valdosta 26).

Perhaps most interesting is that with the high center just off to our southeast, BHM is 39 while Panama City, FL has 31, Tallahassee has 24, Orlando has 35, Sarasota has 36, and Fort Myers has 36.

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