Twenty three years ago today (January 11, 1982), the low temperature in Birmingham was one degree below zero as much of the deep south was truly in the deep freeze. At the time, I was the weeknight weather anchor at Channel 13, and I was growing concerned about the pattern that was setting up. A shallow layer of extremely cold air near the surface, the ground completely frozen, and a southwest flow aloft setting up which would bring warmer and moist air up and over that very cold air below. Everything was in place for a long period of freezing rain, which would pose a major threat of icing. The forecast was good, but the timing was bad. We figured the freezing rain would begin late in the day on Tuesday January 12, 1982. But, it started during the middle of the morning, catching just about everyone off guard. You could also sense some panic as roads turned to ice quickly by late morning. Schools dismissed and businesses closed, but it was basically too late. The interstate system resembled a parking lot, and emergency shelters had to be opened to accommodate stranded motorists with no way to get home.

The following two days featured a mix of ice and snow, and almost one third of the state had no power during the height of the storm. A total of twenty deaths were blamed on the storm, and timber damage was in the millions. Those of us up on Red Mountain had no hope of getting off the hill due to the ice; it was Friday morning before we got home. And, most of us only brought a change of clothes for one day!

Another remarkable event during the week was the collapse of the Channel 7 tower atop Mount Cheaha. The weight of the ice brought the entire tower crashing down atop the state’s highest point.

We have all heard about the huge snowfall piling up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains along the California-Nevada border...with as much as 19 feet in the high country above 7,000 feet elevation.

But lower down, there has been so much rainfall that flash-flooding has been a critical problem. The one big plus in all of this is that it brings some relief to water starved Southern California reservoirs. The snow melt in the spring will also help.

Here are some rainfall amounts just in the last FOUR DAYS!

SANTA BARBARA AND VENTURIA COUNTY
14.94 inches at Los Prietos
23.74 at San Marcos Pass
7.16 at the Los Angeles NWS Forecast Office at Oxnard
20.83 at Matilija Dam (in the western valley of Ventura County)
26.39 at Nordoff Ridge

LOS ANGELES COUNTY
6.32 inches in downtown Loa Angeles
6.12 at Santa Monica Airport
10.57 in Beverly Hills

MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
27.64 inches at Opids Camp
20.55 at Tanbark
18.04 at Mt. Baldy

That 27.64 inches is equal to one-half of Birmingham's normal rainfall for an entire year!

The afternoon video is on the server:

http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb

Just looked up at our thermometer at ABC 33/40's studio in Riverchase, and we are showing 69 degrees at 3:15. Not bad for a January day in Alabama. Enjoy the warmth while it is here...

The long awaited change to colder weather begins late Thursday. A fast moving squall line should zip across the state on Thursday, and will bring the risk of some damaging wind. The GFS suggests the line arrives Thursday morning; the ETA and Euro is a little slower.

The first phase of the cold air arrives on Friday, with even colder air ahead for Sunday and Monday of next week. I sure get the idea parts of the state will go into the 10 to 15 degree range by early next week.... about a week from now. Some places could stay below freezing Sunday and Monday, especially north of Birmingham. A whopper 1052 mb high shows up on the GFS up north as the real cold air slips into the U.S... amazing.

The "Alberta clipper" feature sure looks interesting in the January 21-23 time frame. Those rare produce any significant snow here, but maybe some flurries. And, it can set up a fresh shot of cold air.

Busy week ahead... with trips ahead to Samantha tomorrow, Clanton Wednesday, and Northport on Thursday.

The Monday morning video is posted and ready to go:

http://beta.abc3340.com/weather/video.hrb

Boy do I have some memories of that 1982 ice storm that Bill Murray was talking about in the post below this one. I might share some of those memories later... but on to pressing business.

Spring-like weather continues through Wednesday. A few isolated showers are not out of the question at some point tomorrow or Wednesday, but most places should remain dry. Temperatures will rise to near 70, and low 70s are likely if we see a decent amount of afternoon sun after the morning clouds and fog.

THURSDAY: Sure looks like a fast moving line of storms will race through the state with the potential for damaging wind along the line. Tornadoes do not look likely, but the wind damage potential could be significant.

THE BIG CHILL: The debate is this: will the cold air arrive all at once, or will it come in two phases. For now we will buy the "two phases" solution, and drop highs into the 40s on Friday and Saturday with the first chunk of cold air. We should be in the upper teens early Saturday. But, here comes phase two on Sunday and Monday. This will drop highs into the 30s, and lows into the teens. Parts of north Alabama could stay below freezing all day Sunday and Monday, and some of the colder valleys could wind up in the single digits Monday morning of next week. Many other places will be in the 10 to 15 degree range, colder than the temperatures we saw before Christmas.

Remember, that cold air at Christmas came down our way mostly over grass and dirt. This batch of Arctic air is coming down here over mostly snow and ice. A big difference.

SNOW FLURRIES? Not out of the question with the arrival of the second phase of cold air, but it should not be a big deal. Another clipper type system could bring a few flurries to north Alabama in about 8 to 9 days, but those rarely produce any big problems here.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR DETAILS.

AND, here is a look at the Storm Alert 2005 schedule:

February 3 Ashville
February 10 Tuscaloosa
February 17 Hanceville
February 24 Oxford
March 2 Vestavia

I will have the locations posted to the main part of the ABC 33/40 web site soon..... we are pumped about the show this year!