Record low temperatures hit Alabama: Montana is warmer than Birmingham

Record low temperatures hit Alabama: Montana is warmer than Birmingham

It has been cold enough to break a few records in Alabama — both during the day on Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

The National Weather Service said at least two Alabama cities had record low temperatures on Wednesday morning, and freeze warnings continue for a large part of the state.

And multiple cities also had record low high temperatures on Tuesday, when it felt more like January than October.

How unusual are these kinds of temperatures? It was warmer — a lot warmer — in Montana than in Birmingham this morning:

More below-average temperatures are expected today, but it will be warmer than it was on Tuesday. Highs are expected to climb into the 50s and 60s again by this afternoon.

Here is the high temperature forecast for Wednesday:

Temperatures will be several degrees warmer on Wednesday compared with Tuesday.

Then more freezing temperatures are in the forecast for overnight, and more freeze warnings will be in effect for parts of the state. (The forecast for Wednesday night/Thursday morning is at the top of this post.)

Temperatures will begin to moderate some on Thursday and tick upward a few degrees through the rest of the week, and no freezing temperatures are in the forecast for most of Alabama in the Thursday night/Friday morning timeframe.

Here are some of the record lows as of Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service:

* Anniston: 28 degrees, breaking record of 30 set in 1948.

* Montgomery: 32 degrees, breaking the record of 34 set in 1948.

Birmingham’s official low was 32 degrees, which wasn’t cold enough to break the record of 29 set in 1948. Tuscaloosa hit 31 degrees this morning, a few degrees shy of the record of 28 set in 1948.

The National Weather Service in Huntsville said winds overnight kept temperatures from falling into record territory for its biggest climate observation sites across north Alabama, including Huntsville, Muscle Shoals and Decatur.

Several Alabama cities also had record low high temperatures on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Here are those:

* Anniston: 54 degrees, tying the record last set in 1955.

* Birmingham: 54 degrees, breaking the record of 55 in 1955.

* Montgomery: 58 degrees, breaking the record of 60 in 2009.

* Tuscaloosa: 56 degrees, breaking the record of 58 in 1966.

FREEZE WARNINGS TONIGHT

More freeze warnings will be in effect across Alabama starting tonight.

NORTH ALABAMA

* Freeze warning for all of north Alabama until 9 a.m. Wednesday and from 1 a.m. until 9 a.m. Thursday.

Temperatures as low as 27 degrees will be possible.

CENTRAL ALABAMA

* Freeze warning for central Alabama until 9 a.m. Wednesday and fro 10 p.m. until 9 a.m. Thursday.

Temperatures tonight will fall as low as 28 degrees in the warning area.

SOUTH ALABAMA

* Freeze warning from 1 a.m. until 8 a.m. Thursday for Escambia, inland Mobile and Baldwin, Covington, Choctaw, Washington, Clarke, Wilcox, Monroe, Conecuh, Butler and Crenshaw counties.

Temperatures could fall to 31 degrees in those areas overnight.

* A frost advisory is in effect from 1 a.m. until 8 a.m. Thursday for Covington, Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston and central Mobile and Baldwin counties.

Temperatures could fall as low as 33 degrees overnight in those areas, the weather service said.