Understanding Alabama Winters

[Townhallsavoy]

TL;DR - We live in a warm climate as we are much closer to the equator than the North Pole.  It's usually warm in the winter and extremely hot in the summer. 

James Spann | 1:30 pm December 2, 2012

I hear this often.

When it is going to turn cold, and “stay cold”?

The answer in Alabama is “never”.

We are a low latitude state much closer to the equator than the pole, and our winter here should be relatively mild. The coldest part of the winter, based on data going back over 100 years, is between January 7 and January 18 when the average high is 52 and the average low is 32. Interesting to note the average high never goes below 50, and it never goes below freezing.

But, many say “I can remember winters when it stayed cold all the time and snowed a bunch.” No, not here.

We tend to have selective memories. Old folks (my age or older) like to talk about all the snow and cold in the 1950s and 1960s in Alabama. Yes, we had plenty of good snaps and snow events, but the truth is we had lots of warm weather too. On Christmas Eve in 1964, the high in Birmingham was 77 degrees. People were having backyard cookouts in shorts to celebrate the arrival of Santa.

Birmingham’s warmest December temperature, 80 degrees, was recorded on December 7, 1951. Generally speaking, our two warmest decades on record here are the 1930s and the 1950s.

Other monthly record highs during winter, and the years…

JANUARY: 81 degrees… recorded January 10, 1949
FEBRUARY: 83 degrees… recorded on February 8, 1918… February 13, 1962, and February 23, 1996

For the three months in meteorological winter… Alabama’s warmest (based on average highs) came in…

December 1984
January 1950
February 1976

So, yes, warm spells are not unusual, and to be expected around here.

And, it is interesting to note that we can (and usually do) warm up in a hurry, even after historical cold waves.

On January 11, 1982, we dropped to -1 (F) in Birmingham, with a crippling ice storm to follow. But, on January 19, just 8 days later, we soared to a record high of 76 degrees. Everybody remembers the cold, but few remember the warmth.

So… if you are looking for lost lasting cold, best best is to head north. Northway, Alaska dropped to -47 (F) this morning, and they won’t be warming up much anytime soon!

http://www.alabamawx.com/?p=66343

[dallaswareagle]

Hit 82 here in Dallas. I got no problem with that.

[oldautiger]

Hit 82 here in Dallas. I got no problem with that.

Hit 86 here in Houston, I think the last time we had any snow was Christmas Eve about 10 years ago.  Shit actually stuck (about an inch or so) big time snow for Houston.

[GH2001]

Leave it to the Texas fags to make the thread about Texas 

[oldautiger]

Leave it to the Texas fags to make the thread about Texas 

Smile when you say that, podnuh 

[Townhallsavoy]

Leave it to the Texas fags to make the thread about Texas 

No kidding.

This is a thread for those in beautiful Alabama understanding their incredible year-long weather except for late July/early August. 

It's not a thread for the those living in the cowlick of the Mexican desert. 

[oldautiger]

No kidding.

This is a thread for those in beautiful Alabama understanding their incredible year-long weather except for late July/early August.
It would be beautiful except for the toothless goat fucking Updykes 

It's not a thread for the those living in the cowlick of the Mexican desert.

Ain't no desert where I live, tall pines, green grass.  Texans are 11-1. Paradise plus they pay better wages here.  Another reason I left.

[GH2001]

Ain't no desert where I live, tall pines, green grass.  Texans are 11-1. Paradise plus they pay better wages here.  Another reason I left.

Good - stay there.

Plus you are in Houston which is still Part of a subtropic climate like here. Most of that state is not. For all the rhetoric I heard about the Texas hill country, I was sorely disappointed when I drove through it this past summer. What a fucking dump. Looked like Nagasaki after the bomb with cancer.

[Snaggletiger]

Good - stay there.

Plus you are in Houston which is still Part of a subtropic climate like here. Most of that state is not. For all the rhetoric I heard about the Texas hill country, I was sorely disappointed when I drove through it this past summer. What a fucking dump. Looked like Nagasaki after the bomb with cancer.

So, you're saying you really enjoyed your time in Texas?

[chinook]

50f and cloudy