James Spann: Cold, dry Christmas Day for Alabama
James Spann forecasts an unusually cold Christmas for Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
MERRY CHRISTMAS! A very dry air mass has settled into Alabama this morning and we expect sunshine in full supply today, but cold air will remain. We project a high this afternoon between 36 and 42 degrees; the average high for Birmingham on Christmas Day is 54. Another big freeze is likely tonight; with a clear sky and calm wind, we expect temperatures to reach the 15- to 25-degree range early Saturday morning.
A warming trend begins Saturday afternoon. The sky will stay sunny over the weekend; the high will be close to 50 Saturday, followed by a high near 60 degrees Sunday.
NEXT WEEK: A weak front could bring a few sprinkles to north Alabama Monday, but significant rain is not expected. Tuesday will be a dry, pleasant day, but rain returns Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday night. Some thunder will be possible, but for now models are showing no surface-based instability over the northern three-quarters of the state, and severe storms are not expected. This feature will bring rain amounts of 1 to 2 inches. Colder, drier air will then roll into the state Thursday and Friday.
ON THIS DATE IN 2010: A surface low in the northern Gulf of Mexico along with an upper-level disturbance moving southeastward from the Great Plains contributed to an observation of heavy snowfall. The snow blanketed much of northern and central Alabama; amounts of 1 to 3 inches were common over the northern half of the state. However, only a trace of snow was recorded at the Birmingham International Airport, with no snow to measure on the snowboard. The city of Birmingham has therefore still never recorded a white Christmas since records have been kept, which is more than 100 years.
ON THIS DATE IN 2015: An EF-2 tornado moved through parts of Midfield and far southwest Birmingham, destroying three homes and a church with winds between 111 and 135 mph. Three people were trapped in those structures, and one was taken to a hospital for treatment.
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