textproduct: NWS Birmingham

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 1200 PM CST FRI JAN 30 2026

- Dangerously cold temperatures are expected this weekend. The Extreme Cold Warning/Cold Weather Advisory is still in effect for tonight through Saturday morning. Wind chills are currently forecast between 4 below zero in the far northwest to the single digits in the far southeast.

- The Extreme Cold Watch has been upgraded to a Extreme Cold Warning for the entire area remains in effect for the entire area Saturday night into Sunday morning. Wind chills are currently forecast between 3 below zero across eastern counties to the single digits above zero elsewhere Sunday morning.

- There is a chance of snow showers across far eastern and northeastern portions of Central Alabama Saturday morning that could lead to 1/4 to 1/2 inch with localized totals up to 1 inch. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued. - A high chance exists for bands of snow flurries to develop as far south as Clanton and Alexander City through midday Saturday. However, no impacts or accumulations are expected.

DISCUSSION

(Through Sunday) Issued at 1200 PM CST FRI JAN 30 2026

We will see the cold front move south of the area by the afternoon and colder air begins to filter into the region. A very potent upper low will swing through the Southeast tonight and into Saturday morning causing a heap of issues for the our area. First the low will help usher in the extreme cold into the area as it taps into a fairly large Arctic airmass coming down through the Plains. At the same time a Mid-Atlatic coastal storm will begin to intensify and wrap moisture back around into the upper low. With the current track of the upper low primarily being through Georgia, we will the cold air with strong northwesterly flow interact with the moisture in place to create snow showers/ flurries for the northern and eastern portions of Central Alabama. Right now the highest confidence of seeing any impactful accumulations will be in the northeastern 6 counties. Here a Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for tonight through Midday Saturday. We still have some higher probabilities of see bands of snow flurries back to the west and as far south as I-85. For the most part there should not be any impacts with this activity but if a band is persistent enough over one area, there could potentially be a small area impacted.

Dangerously cold temperatures are expected this weekend. The Extreme Cold Warning/Cold Weather Advisory is still in effect for tonight through Saturday morning. Wind chills are currently forecast between 4 below zero in the far northwest to the single digits in the far southeast. The Extreme Cold Watch has been upgraded to a Extreme Cold Warning for the entire area remains in effect for the entire area Saturday night into Sunday morning. Wind chills are currently forecast between 3 below zero across eastern counties to the single digits above zero elsewhere Sunday morning. The large area of snow/ice pack close by to our north could also influence temperatures to be a little colder than guidance indicates.

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Previous discussion: (Monday through Thursday) Issued at 207 AM CST FRI JAN 30 2026

Monday through Thursday:

The active weather pattern is showing no signs of letting up as we go through next week. Temperatures are expected to warm up nicely by Monday and Tuesday ahead of the next system approaching the region by Wednesday. We may actually reach the lower 60s for highs across the southern tier of counties Tuesday afternoon. Guidance is in decent agreement with an arrival of our next cold front during the day on Wednesday, but differs in terms of the strength and orientation of the overall shortwave trough set to move across the eastern CONUS. For now, that will be our next good chance for rain with plenty of time to resolve the upper level pattern.

56/GDG

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1200 PM CST FRI JAN 30 2026

All sites are currently VFR. Light winds this morning will become NW and increase to ~6-11kts. Winds will become gusty tonight with tight surface pressure gradients with NW sustained winds of ~10-15kts and gusts of ~20-26kts. MVFR cigs will move into the area late this afternoon into this evening from WNW to ESE. A few flurries will be possible late tonight into Sat morning as a post frontal low digs SEWD from the Plains and swings across E Conus.

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FIRE WEATHER

MinRH values will increase through tonight, as moisture starts to work back into the region ahead of the upper low. Very cold and very dry air will then move back into the region over the weekend with gusty northwest transport winds as high as 35 to 40 mph on Saturday slowly decreasing through the day on Sunday. MinRH values are forecast to drop back down into the 30s on Saturday and Sunday afternoon with single digit dewpoint values.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Gadsden 17 27 12 37 / 20 20 0 0 Anniston 18 26 13 37 / 20 20 0 0 Birmingham 18 27 14 37 / 10 10 0 0 Tuscaloosa 18 29 16 40 / 10 0 0 0 Calera 18 28 14 39 / 10 10 0 0 Auburn 22 28 15 38 / 10 10 0 0 Montgomery 23 31 17 41 / 10 10 0 0 Troy 23 31 16 40 / 10 10 0 0

BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Extreme Cold Warning from midnight tonight to noon CST Sunday for the following counties: Autauga-Bibb-Blount-Chilton-Dallas- Etowah-Fayette-Greene-Hale-Jefferson-Lamar-Lowndes-Marengo- Marion-Perry-Pickens-Shelby-St. Clair-Sumter-Tuscaloosa-Walker- Winston.

Wind Advisory from 2 AM to 9 PM CST Saturday for the following counties: Autauga-Barbour-Bibb-Blount-Bullock-Calhoun-Chambers- Cherokee-Chilton-Clay-Cleburne-Coosa-Dallas-Elmore-Etowah- Fayette-Greene-Hale-Jefferson-Lamar-Lee-Lowndes-Macon-Marengo- Marion-Montgomery-Perry-Pickens-Pike-Randolph-Russell-Shelby-St. Clair-Sumter-Talladega-Tallapoosa-Tuscaloosa-Walker-Winston.

Winter Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to noon CST Saturday for the following counties: Calhoun-Cherokee-Clay- Cleburne-Etowah-Randolph.

Cold Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to noon CST Saturday for the following counties: Barbour-Bullock-Calhoun-Chambers- Cherokee-Clay-Cleburne-Coosa-Elmore-Lee-Macon-Montgomery-Pike- Randolph-Russell-Talladega-Tallapoosa.

Extreme Cold Warning from noon Saturday to noon CST Sunday for the following counties: Barbour-Bullock-Calhoun-Chambers- Cherokee-Clay-Cleburne-Coosa-Elmore-Lee-Macon-Montgomery-Pike- Randolph-Russell-Talladega-Tallapoosa.