James Spann: Colder air returns to Alabama Friday; upper teens possible by early Saturday
PLEASANT WINTER DAY: With a sunny sky, temperatures have warmed nicely across Alabama this afternoon; most communities are between 55 and 60 degrees at mid-afternoon. Clouds return to the state tonight ahead of an approaching cold front and upper trough.
Friday will be mostly cloudy and colder. Temperatures won’t get out of the 40s over the northern half of the state with a brisk north wind. Despite the frontal passage we are keeping the forecast rain-free because the low levels will be very dry. The sky will clear Friday night, and Saturday morning will be very cold, with a low between 17 and 22 degrees. 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 and central Alabama. 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. It’s too early to know whether severe storms will be an issue. Colder air returns by Friday, Feb. 4.
ON THIS DATE IN 1940: Alabama was locked in a severe cold wave. The snow had come on Jan. 23-24. 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 Jan. 27. 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 4 inches thick. The ice was 7 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. Tanana, near Fairbanks, saw a low temperature of 76 degrees below zero. The high for the day was 60 degrees below zero. Tanana saw an average temperature of 68 degrees below zero, nearly 60 degrees below normal. McGrath, Alaska, recorded a wind chill of minus 100 degrees, the lowest wind chill ever observed in the U.S. at a populated location.
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