Digital Media Center
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Gate 61
920 Paul Bryant Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0370
(800) 654-4262

© 2024 Alabama Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Wintry mix of weather possible across northern Alabama, State celebrating two holidays

Forecasters say a wintry mix of weather is possible in northern Alabama.

The National Weather Service says a mix of freezing rain or sleet could fall Wednesday morning in parts of northern Alabama. 

Forecasters say a light glaze of ice is possible, especially in northwest Alabama but any ice will turn to rain by late morning or early afternoon on Wednesday.

Later in the week, forecasters say moderate to heavy rain is expected across northern Alabama Thursday night through Friday. They say a mix of rain and snow or light snow is possible in the region early Saturday morning.

Today is Dr. Martin Luther King Day. The national holiday will include parades and service projects in memory of the slain civil rights leader.

That includes Alabama where the group “hands on Birmingham” will send out volunteers to help around the community. The Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery will host a birthday celebration for Dr. King. Pastor Cromwell Handy says his job is to deliver the same Christian message King did when he led the church…

“When you think about what Dr. Martin Luther King did and his philosophy. It was about love. And so, my focus is on love--one another, red, yellow, black, or white, we are all precious in his sight.”

Handy says one mission is to keep the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior alive among young people. The civil rights leader was Pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist church from 1954 to 1960.

Howver, today marks a dual holiday in Alabama. The U.S. as a whole will be celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. day, but Alabama will also recognize Robert E. Lee day.

This is one of several Confederate holidays in the state that have been the subject of recent discussions about symbols of slavery in America. 

Gary Carlyle is the Commander of the Alabama division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He says these holidays are important for Southern heritage and are not meant to condone racism.

“When we try to remember our forefathers. I don’t know… I really appreciate my mother and my daddy and my grandpas who fought in WW2. My great granddaddy fought in WW1. And we honor those people, so we honor people and we’re proud of our heritage. And that includes Confederate heritage.”

 The Sons of Confederate Veterans will hold their celebration of Robert E. Lee Day next Saturday at the Archives Building in Montgomery.

News from Alabama Public Radio is a public service in association with the University of Alabama. We depend on your help to keep our programming on the air and online. Please consider supporting the news you rely on with a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, propels our vital coverage. Thank you.