Published On: 02.03.25 | 

By: James Spann

James Spann: Warmest week so far this year for Alabama; mostly dry

SPRING PREVIEW: With sunshine in full supply, temperatures are in the mid 70s across much of Alabama this afternoon. Tonight will be clear with a low in the 50s.

WARM DAYS AHEAD: Highs will be in the 70s again Tuesday, and over the latter half of the week south Alabama will have the potential to see low 80s. New record highs are likely along the way; here are the daily record highs for Birmingham this week:

  • Feb. 4 — 77 (1927)
  • Feb. 5 — 76 (1927)
  • Feb. 6 — 77 (2019)
  • Feb. 7 — 79 (2019)
  • Feb. 8 — 83 (1918)

Most of the week will be dry, but a few showers are possible over the Tennessee Valley Wednesday through Friday. Rain amounts, if any, will be light and very spotty.

THE WEEKEND: Eighty-degree warmth is possible as far north as Birmingham Saturday, and showers will be very hard to find. Temperatures begin to come down on Sunday as cooler air creeps into the state from the north; highs will be in the 60s over the northern counties, with 70s for south Alabama. Showers are possible over north Alabama as the surface front sags southward, but again rain amounts will be light.

NEXT WEEK: Highs drop into the 50s and 60s next week, and global models are suggesting we could see a decent rain at some point Tuesday through Thursday. Colder air will follow the rain late in the week, but models continue to suggest the coldest air will hold north of Alabama.

ON THIS DATE IN 1959: At 12:55 a.m., a plane took off from runway 17 at the Mason City, Iowa, airport, carrying the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. At the time of departure, the weather was reported as light snow, a ceiling of 3,000 feet with sky obscured, visibility 6 miles and winds from 20 to 30 mph. Around 9:35 a.m., Hubert Jerry Dwyer spotted the wreckage less than 6 miles northwest of the airport. The three musicians and the pilot died from this crash.

ON THIS DATE IN 2022: A slow-moving cold front moved through Alabama during the afternoon and evening. A supercell thunderstorm developed in far eastern Mississippi and then produced three EF-2 tornadoes across west Alabama. One person was killed near Sawyerville in Hale County.

Additional storms produced 2 E-F0 tornadoes in Elmore County. The line of storms stalled along and south of the Interstate 85 corridor. Radar estimated precipitation was around 7-plus inches and several areas of flash flooding were reported.

For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit AlabamaWx.