Alabama will trade yesterday's high winds and heavy rains for sub freezing temperatures this week. The South is cleaning up from rough weather, including a couple tornadoes, and storms that pelted parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee yesterday. The system downed trees and power lines, damaged homes, and prompted tornado warnings in parts of Alabama, including Tuscaloosa and Marion counties. At the height of the storm, Alabama Power reported close to seven thousand customers lost electricity.
Now, the concern is more cold with the weekend snow, ice and rain in the Midwest and eastern parts of the U.S. is just the opening act. The main event is close behind. Forecasters say the Red River Valley will be the first to feel the effects of Arctic temperatures due to spread over the next few days. The valley could see 20 below zero by Sunday morning. That will stretch to parts of the Midwest with single-digit lows in the East and cold as far south as New Orleans.
The Alabama forecast calls for lows in in the upper teens for Huntsville and Tuscaloosa, with Mobile and Pensacola in the mid twenties by Wednesday night.