textproduct: NWS Birmingham

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 525 PM CST THU JAN 29 2026

- Dangerously cold temperatures are expected this weekend. An Extreme Cold Watch has been upgraded to a Extreme Cold Warning in Lamar and Marion counties and a Cold Weather Advisory for the rest of the area through Saturday morning. Wind chills are currently forecast between 2 below zero in the far northwest to low teens in the far southwest.

- The Extreme Cold Watch remains in effect for the entire area Saturday night into Sunday morning. Wind chills are currently forecast between zero in the northeast to single digits above zero elsewhere Sunday morning.

- There is a low probability of snow flurries/showers across northeastern Alabama Saturday morning. The highest amounts would be possible mainly of Cherokee and Etowah counties, while flurries to a trace may be possible westward to I-65.

DISCUSSION

(This evening through Wednesday) Issued at 1208 PM CST THU JAN 29 2026

Forecast wise, the cold front will move through the area Friday. Latest guidance is coming in a touch drier with the rain so will only mention a slight chance of isolated pockets of rain along the front. At this time it looks like lows will be around Midnight to 3 AM tonight and then rise as the front moves closer to the area. Guidance agrees for the most part that the activity will move in after we go above freezing.

The rain exits and then the cold air moves in as the upper low approaches the area. There will be some moisture aloft as the upper low swings closer to the area. Our weather or lack of weather really depends on the exact path. A path that takes through over Chattanooga and then into northwestern Georgia, would provide support for some snow showers during the day Saturday across the northern half of the area. A path that takes the low further east across North Carolina into northeastern Georgia, should keep the area drier, with only snow showers possible in the far far northeast. With the latest runs, the trends are in-between to these two. Added in snow showers for the northeast Saturday and flurries westward to I-65, including Birmingham. At this time still expecting less than a quarter of inch in the far northeast to very little if any any all as you go west. As we enter the short range period and the CAMS get more involved then we could see some changes needed.

Either way, it will be windy and cold on Saturday and Sunday. Wind chills during the day Saturday will struggle to get above 20 degrees with highs in the 20s. Sunday will be a little warmer with highs in the middle to upper 30s. Wind chills on Saturday morning will be in the single digits for areas north of I-85 and area-wide on Sunday morning. A cold weather advisory and extreme cold warning has been issued for Saturday morning with a watch for Sunday morning.

The time to prepare for this dangerous cold wave will be over the next two days. Be sure to have preparations in place to protect people, pets, and pipes, as temperatures will stay below freezing for a prolonged period of time. We'll finally rise into the mid 30s to near 40 degrees Sunday afternoon before rapidly falling into the teens and lower 20s once again by daybreak on Monday.

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AVIATION

(00Z TAFS) Issued at 525 PM CST THU JAN 29 2026

We're about on the back side of a high-level cloud deck as of early Thursday evening, though renewed VFR cloudiness is forecast for Friday, trending to MVFR for some terminals during the evening. Calm/very light winds tonight will become northwest on Friday at 5-10 knots, becoming increasingly breezy/gusty beyond the current TAF period.

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FIRE WEATHER

MinRH values will climb by Friday through Friday night, as moisture starts to work back into the region ahead of the next front. 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 to near zero dewpoint values.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Gadsden 23 47 18 25 / 0 10 20 10 Anniston 26 50 20 24 / 0 10 10 10 Birmingham 28 47 18 25 / 0 10 10 0 Tuscaloosa 29 49 20 27 / 0 10 0 0 Calera 28 50 19 26 / 0 10 10 0 Auburn 33 52 23 26 / 0 20 10 10 Montgomery 31 54 23 29 / 0 20 0 0 Troy 32 56 25 28 / 0 20 10 10

BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Extreme Cold Warning from midnight Friday night to noon CST Saturday for the following counties: Lamar-Marion.

Extreme Cold Watch from Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning 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.

Cold Weather Advisory from midnight Friday night to noon 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-Lee-Lowndes- Macon-Marengo-Montgomery-Perry-Pickens-Pike-Randolph-Russell- Shelby-St. Clair-Sumter-Talladega-Tallapoosa-Tuscaloosa-Walker- Winston.