Well, we have a good news and bad news situation. The good news is that the wintry precipitation threat has now ended for the area, and NWS Birmingham has canceled the Winter Weather Advisory. The bad news is that most, if not all, locations north of the I-20 and I-20/59 corridors may not see above freezing temperatures again until later in the afternoon hours on Tuesday, with most of North Alabama locations having to wait until Wednesday afternoon.
NWS Birmingham has issued a Hard Freeze Warning that goes into effect at 12:00 a.m. Monday through 12:00 p.m. Tuesday for all of Central Alabama.
NWS Birmingham has issued a Hard Freeze Watch that goes into effect at 12:00 p.m. Tuesday to 12:00 p.m. Thursday for all of Central Alabama.
NWS Huntsville has issued a Wind Chill Advisory that goes into effect at 9:00 p.m. Sunday to 12:00 p.m. Monday and at 12:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Tuesday for all of the North Alabama counties.
NWS Birmingham has issued a Wind Chill Advisory that goes into effect from 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Monday morning and at 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Tuesday for Blount, Cherokee, Etowah, Fayette, Jefferson, Lamar, Marion, St. Clair, Walker, and Winston counties.
For the rest of tonight, skies will be clearing out as the much colder and drier air mass moves in from the north. The shower activity in the southern parts of Central Alabama should be out of the area by 5:00-6:00 p.m. As you head out to celebrate New Year’s festivities, remember that temperatures will be dropping fast throughout the early evening and overnight hours. At midnight, and the start of 2018, temperatures will be in the upper teens to the upper 20s with wind chill values in the upper single digits to the upper teens. Those temperatures will continue to drop and will finally bottom out in the mid-teens to the mid-20s, with wind chills ranging from 0 degrees to the mid-teens throughout the area.
Please be responsible if you are going to be out and about tonight for any parties and get-togethers. With wind chill values this low out there, and any unprotected skin exposed to the elements could suffer from frostbite within 30 minutes. Also, be sure to remember the “Four Ps:” People, Pets, Plants, and Pipes. This extreme cold is nothing to play with and could cause major problems to life and property.
New Year’s Day will be a beautiful day, but temperatures outside will make you want to stay inside by a fireplace or a heater vent. Skies will become mainly clear by the early morning hours, but temperatures will only make it into the mid-20s to the mid-30s, with locations along and north of the I-20 and I-20/59 corridor staying below freezing. Wind chills throughout the day will be in the lower teens to the mid-20s. With clear skies on Monday night, those low temperatures will drop even lower, reaching the upper single digits to near 20 degrees from north to south. Wind chills will be even lower, dropping into the negative single digits to the lower teens.
For more weather news and information from Scott Martin and the rest of the James Spann team, visit Alabama Wx.
