BEAUTIFUL DAY: Temperatures are in the 58-65 degree range over the northern half of the state of Alabama this afternoon with a good supply of sunshine; the average high for Birmingham on January 30 is 55.
Clouds will increase tonight ahead of the next short wave to the west.
TOMORROW AND THE WEEKEND: Tomorrow will be a cloudy, cool day with a few periods of light rain possible. Rain amounts will be under one-tenth of an inch for much of North Alabama, with up to 1/2 inch for the southern part of the state. Then, on Saturday, an upper trough will pass through, meaning more clouds than sun and some potential for a few isolated showers. But, most of Saturday will be dry with a high in the mid 50s. Sunday promises to be a beautiful day with ample sunshine along with a high between 61 and 65 degrees.
NEXT WEEK: Monday will be mostly sunny and mild; a few spots could touch 70 degrees for a nice preview of spring. Clouds increase Monday night, and showers and thunderstorms are possible Tuesday and Tuesday night ahead of a cold front. A few strong storms can’t be ruled out, but for now instability values look to be fairly low with this event. Some lingering rain is possible Wednesday as colder air moves back into the state, and then we trend drier Thursday and Friday. See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.
ON THIS DATE IN 1966: Bitterly cold air covered Alabama, and the state had the coldest temperature in the lower 48 states that day. It was reported nationwide that Russellville, at -24F, was the coldest spot in the nation. A U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam remembers hearing the news that day that his hometown of Russellville earned the coldest-spot honors.
That distinction was not to last, however. Years later a Birmingham reporter was digging for a news story on Alabama’s coldest periods. This was back in the day when official reports were all on paper, often buried in dusty archives. He discovered a mistake, leading the National Climatic Data Center to correct its records to show Alabama’s lowest temperature was actually -27F set at New Market on Jan 30, 1966. The observation was recorded by Lucille Hereford, postmistress and town volunteer weather observer in New Market. To this day it is the coldest temperature on record in the state.
ALSO ON THIS DATE IN 1966: The Blizzard of 1966 temporarily isolated Buffalo, New York and paralyzed the region. Train service was disrupted. Numerous highways, the New York State Thruway from Albany to the Pennsylvania state line, and the Buffalo Airport as well as other airports throughout western and central New York were closed. Hardest hit was the Syracuse-Oswego area. 100 inches of snow was reported at Oswego, NY. Some schools in Orleans County were closed for the entire week following the blizzard. Economic loss from the storm was estimated at $35 million dollars.
STORM SPOTTER TRAINING: Our annual storm spotter training is Saturday, February 8 at the Hoover Met. It begins at 9:30; and there is no cost. We will offer both the basic and advanced training sessions… we expect to wrap up by 2:30. No need to register; just show up with a curious mind. We need more trained storm spotters! Help us make the warning process better!
BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.
WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute show anytime on your favorite podcast app. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.
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I enjoyed seeing all of the students this morning at Ashland Elementary… and the first graders at Eden Elementary this afternoon… look for them on the Pepsi KIDCAM today at 5:00 and 6:00 on ABC 33/40 News! The next Weather Xtreme video will be posted here by 7:00 a.m. tomorrow…
