PLEASANT NEW YEAR’S DAY: Temperatures are in the 60s across Alabama this afternoon with a sunny sky; a very nice way to start 2026. Clouds will increase tonight; lows tomorrow morning will be mostly in the 40s.
We will bring in the chance of showers during the day tomorrow, otherwise the sky will be mostly cloudy with a high in the low 60s for most places.
Rain will be fairly widespread over the northern half of Alabama tomorrow night… then by Saturday afternoon the highest coverage of rain will shift into the southern counties. We note SPC defined a low end “marginal risk” (level 1/5) of severe thunderstorms for South Alabama Saturday.
The air will be somewhat unstable, but wind fields look relatively weak, and the overall threat looks low. But a few storms Saturday could produce gusty winds over South Alabama. Rain amounts with this feature will be 1/2 to 1 inch over the northern half of the state, with amounts under 1/2 inch to the south. Expect highs in the low 60s for most places Friday and Saturday.
Sunday will be a sunny day; temperatures will be a bit lower with highs in the mid 50s over North Alabama, close to 60 for the southern counties.
NEXT WEEK: The weather will be unseasonably mild with highs in the 60s and 70s through the week. New global model runs suggest showers and thunderstorms could return as early as Thursday… See the video briefing for maps, graphics, and more details.
ON THIS DATE IN 1964: After receiving 4 and a half inches of snow the night before, snow was covering the field at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, site of the Sugar Bowl on the morning of January 1, 1964. On that cold day Alabama beat Ole Miss 12-7.
The “New Year’s Eve Snow” in the Deep South also dumped an incredible 19.2 inches at Muscle Shoals (still a record for the state of Alabama), 17.1 inches of snow on Huntsville. Much of Northwest Alabama was buried under 15-17 inches of snow. Roofs and awnings collapsed under the weight of the snow. The snow paralyzed much of the area for up to three days, closing schools and businesses. Mobile picked up two inches. Birmingham picked up 8.40 inches of snow, the fifth biggest snowstorm in the city’s history.
Look for the next video briefing here by 6:00 a.m. tomorrow…
