OUR TOP NOTCH WEATHER TEAM CHIEF METEOROLOGIST JASON SIMPSON HAS AN UPDATED TIMELINE OF WINTER WEATHER THREATS COMING OUR WAY. RIGHT. WE’RE STILL A GOOD 36 HOURS AWAY FROM THE START OF ANY SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS. THE SPOT WHERE YOU’RE LOOKING RIGHT NOW AT TOP GOLF, DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM 28 FEELS LIKE 23. THE DEW POINT IS AT 16. THE LOWER THAT NUMBER GOES, THE LOWER THE TEMPERATURE CAN GO AT NIGHT. AND SOME OF US WILL END UP IN THE UPPER TEENS AND LOW 20S EARLY IN THE MORNING. AND THAT’S WHY THERE IS A COLD WEATHER ADVISORY WILL BE AT 27 IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS, AROUND 19 IN THE MORNING WITH THE FEELS LIKE AT 10 TO 15, AND THEN JUST FAIR AND COLD TOMORROW AFTERNOON WITH TEMPERATURES HOVERING IN THE LOW 40S, A FEW SPOTS, ESPECIALLY AROUND CLANTON CENTREVILLE GREENSBORO, WE COULD MAKE THE MID 40S BRIEFLY WITH SOME SUNSHINE, BUT THAT FEELS LIKE IS THE BIG IMPACT OVERALL FOR TOMORROW MORNING. 18 AT CENTRE AT 6 A.M. 19 BIRMINGHAM 23 AT TUSCALOOSA. IT WILL IMPROVE SOME, BUT IT’S SLOW. EVEN AT 11 A.M. WE’RE STILL FEELING LIKE 20S AND 30S AND THEN FINALLY STARTING TO FEEL MORE LIKE WHAT THE TEMPERATURE ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON ALERT DAYS, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THIS IS SOMETHING WE’VE BEEN WATCHING FOR WELL OVER A WEEK NOW, AND THIS WILL BE AN IMPACTFUL STORM FOR MOST OF NORTH ALABAMA. AND AT LEAST IN TEMPORARY SPOTS ACROSS THE CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE. TWO LOWS WILL BE IN THE UPPER 20S AND LOW 30S HIGHS ONLY IN THE MID 30S. AND EVEN BEYOND THAT, WE’RE GOING TO STAY RATHER COLD INTO THE FIRST PART AND MIDDLE PART OF NEXT WEEK. NOWHERE NEAR NORMAL ANY TIME SOON. SO LET’S GET INTO THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF FRIDAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY. THIS IS HEAVY SNOW, SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN FOR A SHORT TIME IN BIRMINGHAM FOR A MUCH LONGER TIME ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE. TRAVEL TO THE NORTH. DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO THE SOUTH. MORE OF AN INCONVENIENCE AND THIS ALL STARTS VERY, VERY LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. WELL, WE’RE GETTING CLOSE TO 2590 DAYS WITHOUT AN INCH OF SNOW IN BIRMINGHAM. CAN WE DO IT THIS TIME? I THINK WE’RE GOING TO BE VERY, VERY CLOSE. OFFICIALLY IN THE CITY, 2:00 FRIDAY MORNING. WE’VE ALREADY GOT A LITTLE MIX OF RAIN, SLEET AND SNOW OVER WEST ALABAMA. IT’S ALL RAIN DOWN AT JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI. PROBABLY SOME HEAVY SNOW UP AT OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI. AND THAT MOVES ALMOST DUE EAST SO THAT YOU’VE GOT HEAVY SNOW FALLING ALONG HIGHWAY 278 BY 6 A.M., MAYBE MIXED WITH SOME SLEET HERE IN MARION, WINSTON AND CULLMAN COUNTIES. ALL THE PINK SHADE HERE REPRESENTS WHERE IT’S A MIXED BAG. SOME OF IT’S RAIN, SOME OF IT’S SLEET, SOME OF IT’S SNOW. AND THAT REALLY REDUCES WHAT CAN ACCUMULATE. THEN BY 11 A.M., ENOUGH WARM AIR GETS INVOLVED AND I HESITATE TO USE THE WORD WARM BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT GOING TO FEEL WARM. IT’S JUST WARM ENOUGH TO DROP THAT POTENTIAL OF HEAVY, WINTRY PRECIPITATION AND BRING IT BACK DOWN TO SOMETHING THAT’S JUST A VERY SIMPLE, COLD RAIN. AND JEFFERSON AND SHELBY COUNTIES. I THINK THAT’S GOING TO HELP OUT THE ROADS IN THE METRO THROUGH THE EARLY AFTERNOON. BUT THERE’S GOING TO BE ONE MORE LITTLE SHOT OF SNOW SHOWERS AND SOME SLEET PELLETS FALLING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT, EARLY SATURDAY MORNING THAT COULD CAUSE ANOTHER COATING OF LIGHT SNOW OR ICE. TRACKING ALL THIS OUT, YOUR BEST CHANCE OF SNOW IS TO THE NORTH. THE MIX IS FARTHER SOUTH, AND SOME OF THAT COULD BE FREEZING RAIN VERY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING, BUT IT WILL NOT STAY THAT WAY THE WHOLE DAY. SO HERE’S HOW I THINK THE IMPACTS ARE GOING TO WORK OUT. THERE’S THE BIG PICTURE. WE’LL GO IN A LITTLE CLOSER HERE TO NORTH ALABAMA. 3 TO 6IN OF SNOW EXPECTED NORTH OF HIGHWAY 278. AND WHEN I SAY NORTH OF I MEAN NEAR AND NORTH OF CLOSER TO ONE INCH. IF WE GET THAT IN BIRMINGHAM, IT WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2017 THAT WE’VE HAD AT LEAST AN INCH OF SNOW. YOU GET INTO SHELBY COUNTY AND TUSCALOOSA COUNTY. I THINK THIS IS MORE OF A SLEET SNOW ISSUE IN THE MORNING. THEN IT’S MAINLY RAIN TO THE SOUTHWEST. THE ENTIRE TIME. SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT THE METRO AREA, TUSCALOOSA THROUGH SOUTHERN JEFFERSON AND SHELBY COUNTIES. IF WE GET MORE SLEEP THAN ANYTHING ELSE, THEN THAT WILL BE A PROBLEM FOR A FEW HOURS EARLY IN THE MORNING ON FRIDAY. BUT THE FARTHER NORTH YOU GO, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS UP THERE TOWARD WARRIOR AND PALMERDALE AND EVEN GARDENDALE THAT WE WILL SEE MORE SUBSTANTIAL IMPACTS OVERALL. SO THE GREATEST IMPACT FROM THE ENTIRE STORM NEAR NORTH OF HIGHWAY 278, IT BECOMES MUCH MORE OF AN INCONVENIENCE FOR AT LEAST A FEW HOURS ON FRIDAY, AROUND BIRMINGHAM AND INTO SHELBY COUNTY AND TUSCALOOSA COUNTY. BUT I DON’T THINK THAT THE BIRMINGHAM METRO IS GOING TO GET SHUT DOWN FOR DAYS OUT OF THIS. TO THE NORTH, HUNTSVILLE GADSDEN UP TO FORT PAYNE MAY BE A DIFFERENT STORY. THEY’RE CALLING IN THE LEFTY. YEAH, I’M ON SNO
Alert Days Friday and Saturday: Winter Storm Watch issued for Alabama
Updated: 10:27 PM CST Jan 8, 2025
SCHOOL CLOSURES | WARMING SHELTERS | SNOW IN ALABAMA | WVTM 13 LIVE DOPPLER RADAR | HOW TO GET WEATHER ALERTS | UPLOAD YOUR WEATHER PHOTOSWe now have high confidence that a significant winter storm will hit Alabama Friday and Saturday. Winter weather forecasts like these will need adjusting as small details that cause large local-scale impacts come into focus.Watch the latest forecast in the video above.ALERT DAYSThe WVTM 13 Weather Team has declared Friday and Saturday as Alert Days. Alert Days are issued when widespread severe weather or winter weather poses a life-threatening risk. Please prepare for the upcoming winter storm. It is important you stay up to date with the latest forecast details. WINTER STORM WATCHWHAT: A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for North-Central Alabama beginning late Thursday through Saturday morning. Heavy snow is possible across north Alabama, with periods of sleet and freezing rain across central and north Alabama. WHERE: Counties included in the watch are Cullman, Marion, Lamar, Fayette, Winston, Walker, Blount, Etowah, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Clay, Randolph, Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan, Marshall, Jackson and DeKalbThe watch includes the following cities: Hoover, Fayette, Pell City, Talladega, Vernon, Hamilton, Cullman, Double Springs, Sulligent, Heflin, Roanoke, Anniston, Sylacauga, Centre, Pelham, Moody, Oneonta, Birmingham, Alabaster, Columbiana, Jasper, Gadsden, and Ashland. WHEN: The winter storm watch begins Friday morning at midnight and continues through Saturday morning at 6 a.m. It’s likely the watch will be upgraded to either a winter storm warning or a winter weather advisory on Thursday. IMPACTS: Roads, bridges and overpasses are likely to become slick and hazardous, making travel very difficult or impossible. You should avoid all travel if possible.The farther north you live, the more likely this is to be a snow event for you. Over north Alabama most of the precipitation will fall as snow. Along the I-20 corridor there will be a mix of snow, freezing rain and sleet.For the latest Birmingham weather information and Central Alabama’s certified most accurate forecast, watch WVTM 13 News.Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram.
SCHOOL CLOSURES | WARMING SHELTERS | SNOW IN ALABAMA | WVTM 13 LIVE DOPPLER RADAR | HOW TO GET WEATHER ALERTS | UPLOAD YOUR WEATHER PHOTOS
We now have high confidence that a significant winter storm will hit Alabama Friday and Saturday. Winter weather forecasts like these will need adjusting as small details that cause large local-scale impacts come into focus.
Watch the latest forecast in the video above.
ALERT DAYS
The WVTM 13 Weather Team has declared Friday and Saturday as Alert Days. Alert Days are issued when widespread severe weather or winter weather poses a life-threatening risk. Please prepare for the upcoming winter storm. It is important you stay up to date with the latest forecast details.
WINTER STORM WATCH
WHAT: A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for North-Central Alabama beginning late Thursday through Saturday morning.
Heavy snow is possible across north Alabama, with periods of sleet and freezing rain across central and north Alabama.
WHERE: Counties included in the watch are Cullman, Marion, Lamar, Fayette, Winston, Walker, Blount, Etowah, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Clay, Randolph, Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan, Marshall, Jackson and DeKalb
The watch includes the following cities: Hoover, Fayette, Pell City, Talladega, Vernon, Hamilton, Cullman, Double Springs, Sulligent, Heflin, Roanoke, Anniston, Sylacauga, Centre, Pelham, Moody, Oneonta, Birmingham, Alabaster, Columbiana, Jasper, Gadsden, and Ashland.
WHEN: The winter storm watch begins Friday morning at midnight and continues through Saturday morning at 6 a.m. It’s likely the watch will be upgraded to either a winter storm warning or a winter weather advisory on Thursday.
IMPACTS: Roads, bridges and overpasses are likely to become slick and hazardous, making travel very difficult or impossible. You should avoid all travel if possible.
The farther north you live, the more likely this is to be a snow event for you. Over north Alabama most of the precipitation will fall as snow. Along the I-20 corridor there will be a mix of snow, freezing rain and sleet.
For the latest Birmingham weather information and Central Alabama’s certified most accurate forecast, watch WVTM 13 News.
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram.
