The cold air keeps pouring in to Alabama. Temperatures at 2 am are below freezing over much of Alabama, with 27 at BHM. Temps will be 20-25 by sunrise.
I know how cold it was on Tuesday. Winds were gusting 20-30 mph, and temps were in the 40s. But, today will be colder. The high in BHM Tuesday was 46, but today it will only be 30!
This is not a shallow cold air mass that will warm up easily during the day. The core of the coldest air aloft will be over BHM during the day today. So, even with sunshine, much of the sun’s energy will be mixed upward, and temps will stay in the 20s most of the day.
It is already below freezing now in BHM, and it will likely stay below freezing until around mid-day on Thursday…meaning temperatures will be at or below freezing continuously for about 40 hours. And, with a high on Thursday only near 40, temperatures will drop back into the 20s Thursday evening. Below is a graph of forecast temperatures, based on the GFS model.
This is a dangerously cold air mass. If you haven’t already, drain or insulate any exposed pipes, and remember the dogs and cats! If at all possible, bring them in the house or the garage tonight, and if you can’t, give them extra blankets, warmed in the clothes dryer before you go to bed, and hang a piece of cloth over the dog house door (if they’ll go in there with it).
