BIG WARM-UP TODAY: Temperatures are in the 25-32 degree range across most of Alabama early this morning, but with a strong February sun we expect a high in the low 60s in most places this afternoon. The average high for Birmingham on February 9 is 58. Sunny weather continues tomorrow and Friday with highs in the 60s… a few spots could touch 70 degrees Friday afternoon for a nice preview of spring.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Look for a partly sunny sky Saturday with a high in the 61-65 degree range. Then, a cold front will pass through the state Saturday night… moisture will be very limited, but it might squeeze out a sprinkle or flurry in a few spots. Measurable precipitation is not expected… then much colder air returns to the state Sunday. Despite a clearing sky, temperatures won’t get past the mid 40s Sunday afternoon with a brisk north wind.
NEXT WEEK: Temperatures rebound quickly… the high Monday will be in the upper 50s, and then back in the 60s Tuesday and Wednesday. Rain returns Thursday afternoon and Thursday night… See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.
ON THIS DATE IN 1899: One of the most significant cold outbreaks to ever impact the United States occurred early to mid-February. From the 8th-11th, the statewide average temperature across Iowa was 14.6 degrees below zero, making it the coldest four-day stretch on record in the state. On the 8th, Sioux City experienced its coldest day on record, with a daily average temperature of 24 degrees below zero. Then on the 11th, they reached their second-coldest temperature on record with a low of minus 31. Overall the coldest readings were obtained on the morning of the 9th when reported low temperatures included -21 at Keokuk, -23 at Des Moines, -33 at New Hampton, -35 at Le Mars, -38 at Estherville, and -40 at Sibley. The cold across the middle of the country was so extreme and persistent that ice floes down the Mississippi River into the deep south, emerging into the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans on February 17th. This has happened only one other time: February 13, 1784.
The temperature at Birmingham would drop to -10F on February 13, 1899… still the coldest temperature on record for the city.
ON THIS DATE IN 1994: A devastating ice storm struck Mississippi, Louisiana, and extreme northwest Alabama. Freezing rain began falling over northern Mississippi during the early morning hours and continued until midday on the 10th. Ice accumulated 3 to 6 inches thick on exposed objects in the affected area. Due to the weight of the ice, power lines, trees, and tree limbs were down. Nearly one million people were without power after the storm, some for a month. In Alabama, seven counties over the northwest part of the state were devastated. Trees blocked roads, which were already impassable because of the ice glaze. Three to five inch rainfall amounts occurred, resulting in a heavy glaze over the Northwest and even causing flooding elsewhere.
ON THIS DATE IN 2011: Up to four inches of snow fell across parts of North and West Alabama; heavier snow was northwest of our state in Arkansas, where some places saw over one foot.
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Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:00 this afternoon… enjoy the day!
