Colder Air Returns Tomorrow; Upper Teens Possible By Early Saturday
PLEASANT WINTER DAY: With a sunny sky, temperatures have warmed nicely across Alabama this afternoon… most communities are in the 55-60 degree range at mid-afternoon. Clouds return to the state tonight ahead of an approaching cold front and upper trough.
Tomorrow will be a mostly cloudy and colder day, temperatures won’t get out of the 40s over the northern half of the state with a brisk north wind. Despite the frontal passage are are keeping the forecast rain-free because the low levels will be very dry. The sky will clear tomorrow night, and Saturday morning will be very cold with a low in the 17-22 degree range. For some, this will be the coldest morning so far this season.
Saturday will be sunny and cold with a high between 35 and 40 degrees over North/Central Alabama. Then, on Sunday, we warm into the mid 50s with a good supply of sunshine.
NEXT WEEK: Monday and Tuesday will be dry and pleasant with a high not too far from 60 degrees. Rain returns Wednesday and Thursday; global models aren’t in good agreement about the details, but some thunder will certainly be possible. Too early to know if severe storms will be an issue. Colder air returns by Friday (February 4). See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.
ON THIS DATE IN 1940: On January 27, 1940 Alabama was locked in a severe cold wave. The snow came on the 23rd and 24th. There was more than a foot in parts of North Alabama. One inch fell as far south as Montgomery.Bitter, bitter cold followed the snow.
At Birmingham Airport, the temperature dropped to 8 below on the 27th. The city was covered with 7 inches of snow. There was ice skating on the Black Warrior River at Birmingport with ice on the river four inches thick. The ice was seven inches thick on creeks running into the river. The Cullman area was very hard hit by the unusually severe winter storm. Over a 13-inch blanket of snow the Cullman temperature plunged to a bitter 16 below zero. Anniston was buried under an 11-inch blanket of snow.
ON THIS DATE IN 1989: Bitter cold air gripped most of Alaska during January 1989. Tanana, near Fairbanks, saw a low temperature of 76 degrees below zero on this day. The high for the day was 60 degrees below zero. With an average temperature of 68 degrees below zero, Tanana saw an average temperature of nearly sixty degrees below normal. McGrath, Alaska, recorded a wind chill of -100°F. This is the lowest wind chill ever observed in the U.S. at a populated location.
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About the Author (Author Profile)
James Spann is one of the most recognized and trusted television meteorologists in the industry. He holds the AMS CCM designation and television seals from the AMS and NWA. He is a past winner of the Broadcast Meteorologist of the Year from both professional organizations.Subscribe
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