I will pretty much guarantee that spring fever will be breaking out all over Alabama today. After some morning fog, we should see a good deal of sunshine today with temperatures soaring into the mid 70s. Makes you want to put away the winter clothes and get ready for spring. I am mainly writing this to caution you that winter still has a long way to go. In fact, in the short term, we will be in the 20s by Friday morning, almost 50 degrees cooler than what we expect to see this afternoon. The ole thermometer roller coaster ride is very normal for late February in Alabama.
Will we break a record today? I would say it is very unlikely; Birmingham’s record high for February 15 is 80 degrees set in 1989. Birmingham’s warmest February temperature on record is 83, measured on February 23, 1996. It is interesting to note that the record warmth in February 1996 followed bitter cold, snow, and ice earlier in the month. Birmingham had dropped to 4 degrees above zero on February 4, 1996!
Looking at the month of March, we have seen temperatures here as cold as 2 degrees! That was measured in Birmingham on the Sunday morning following the Blizzard of 1993 when we had over one foot of snow on the ground. Prior to the blizzard event, the coldest March morning was on March 3, 1980 when we dropped to 11 degrees.
And, I also need to remind you some pretty good snow events have taken place here during the first week of April! On April 3, 1987, five inches fell at Birmingham in an event that was not forecast very well. I don’t think anyone has the guts to forecast that kind of snow in April. But, the bottom line here is that we still have a long way to go this winter.
Will we break a record today? I would say it is very unlikely; Birmingham’s record high for February 15 is 80 degrees set in 1989. Birmingham’s warmest February temperature on record is 83, measured on February 23, 1996. It is interesting to note that the record warmth in February 1996 followed bitter cold, snow, and ice earlier in the month. Birmingham had dropped to 4 degrees above zero on February 4, 1996!
Looking at the month of March, we have seen temperatures here as cold as 2 degrees! That was measured in Birmingham on the Sunday morning following the Blizzard of 1993 when we had over one foot of snow on the ground. Prior to the blizzard event, the coldest March morning was on March 3, 1980 when we dropped to 11 degrees.
And, I also need to remind you some pretty good snow events have taken place here during the first week of April! On April 3, 1987, five inches fell at Birmingham in an event that was not forecast very well. I don’t think anyone has the guts to forecast that kind of snow in April. But, the bottom line here is that we still have a long way to go this winter.