MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - It’s time dust off your true winter gear folks! A blast of frigid air has moved in behind a very strong storm system, and it will stick with us through Wednesday morning. Not only will cold air be pushing in from the northwest all day long, but it’ll be mostly cloudy and blustery with wind gusts of 20-30 mph. There could even be a few sprinkles or very light showers at times.
Temperatures struggled and stayed steady in the middle to upper 40s this afternoon, but now those numbers are falling quickly...
Temperatures will be down in the upper 30s just after dinnertime.
Those upper 30s are just the beginning of what will be a bitterly cold night.
A hard, killing freeze will occur both tonight and Tuesday night as lows head for the middle and upper 20s for everyone each night. There will be a breeze around 10-15 mph Tuesday morning that will lead to very cold wind chills in the lower 20s.
With temperatures as cold as what we’re expecting, it’ll be important to consider the following:
- Covering/insulating any pipes
- Letting cold water drip out of a faucet or two each night
- Open cabinets around any pipes in the kitchen or bathroom
- Park inside or as close to a building as possible
- Add air to all of your tires
- Bring plants and pets inside
After the frigid start, it’s all sunshine with light winds for Tuesday. It’ll still be well below normal with temperatures staying in the 40s. After another night below freezing Tuesday night, Wednesday will be slightly milder as we head for the middle 50s under sunny skies.
Heading into Wednesday night, the clouds will return ahead of our next system. That one will not be as potent as the one currently impacting the country. For Central Alabama, we’re just looking at a chance of a few showers Thursday into Friday. Not everyone will see rain, nor is heavy or widespread rain expected.
Highs will remain below normal in the 50s both days with skies remaining gray even if you aren’t seeing showers at your location. There won’t be a big shot of frigid air behind that system, but what will happen is a reinforcement of chilly highs in the 50s and cold overnights in the 30s.
The good news is the weekend does look dry with plenty of sunshine despite the below normal temperatures... average highs typically climb into the low and mid 60s, but even once we warm up bit it’s still cooler than what you might expect by December standards.
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