James Spann: Brighter weather, warmer afternoons for Alabama this weekend
COLD WINTER DAY: Clouds cover most of Alabama this afternoon with temperatures in the 30s. Some spots across north Alabama are below freezing at mid-afternoon. Light rain is falling across parts of southeast Alabama, with a little sleet in the mix in spots. That rain will end this evening and the sky will clear from west to east tonight. Temperatures Saturday morning will be very cold; expect lows between 18 and 24 degrees.
Saturday and Sunday will be brighter, with sunshine in full supply both days. We also are forecasting a warming trend; the highs will be between 45 and 49 degrees Saturday and close to 50 Sunday afternoon.
NEXT WEEK: Monday will be dry with a high in the 50s; then the next wave brings rain into the state after midnight Monday night and Tuesday. Amounts should be around one-half inch, and no severe storms are expected. Temperatures Tuesday will be in the 40s as the rain falls.
Dry weather returns Wednesday and Thursday; new global data suggests some rain could return to the state one week from today, on Jan. 28, and thermal values will need to be monitored as it will be a close call for rain or snow over the northern third of the state.
ON THIS DATE IN 1985: It was one of the coldest mornings on record across Alabama and the entire eastern half of the U.S. At least 126 deaths were blamed on the cold snap. Some 90% of the citrus crop in Florida was destroyed in what the state called the “Freeze of the Century.” Florida’s citrus industry suffered $1.2 billion in losses as a result of the inclement weather. The public inauguration of President Ronald Reagan for his second term was held in the Capitol Rotunda instead of outside due to the cold weather, canceling the inaugural parade.
Some low temperatures across Alabama on Jan. 21, 1985:
- Huntsville — minus 11
- Muscle Shoals — minus 11
- Birmingham — minus 6
- Anniston — minus 5
- Tuscaloosa — minus 1
- Montgomery — 0
- Mobile — 3
ON THIS DATE IN 2017: A total of 12 tornadoes touched down across the southern half of Alabama, including an EF-2 in parts of Choctaw and Marengo counties that injured four people. Four of the 12 tornadoes were in Lee County.
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