James Spann: Light rain Wednesday in Alabama; another shot of cold air arrives Thursday

SUNNY JANUARY DAY: With a mostly sunny sky, temperatures are generally in the upper 40s and low 50s across Alabama this afternoon. Tonight will be clear and cold with a low between 26 and 36 degrees.

Tomorrow will be warmer; South Alabama will likely reach the low 60s with a good supply of sunshine. Clouds increase tomorrow night, however, and we will introduce the chance of some light rain Wednesday ahead of a cold front. Moisture will be limited, and rain amounts will be light. Much of South Alabama will see no rain at all.

COLDER: Much colder air will roll into the Deep South Wednesday night and Thursday. A few flurries are possible over North Alabama Wednesday night, but we expect no impact or accumulation if that happens. Some communities across the Tennessee Valley will stay below freezing all day Thursday; highs will be in the 30s for the central counties with an icy north wind.

All of Alabama will see a freeze early Friday morning, with upper teens likely for the Tennessee Valley. Friday will be sunny with a high in the 40s and 50s.

THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Another cold front will blow through the state Saturday; most places will see no rain since the air will be relatively dry. Like the mid-week cold air shot, a few snow flurries are possible Saturday or Saturday night; we expect no accumulation or impact if it happens. Temperatures won’t get out of the 30s over the northern half of the state Sunday, and teens are likely across the Tennessee Valley by Monday and Tuesday morning.

Temperatures will be warmer by the end of next week, and global models suggest a chance of rain returning by Thursday or Friday (January 22-23) … See the video briefing for maps, graphics, and more details.

ON THIS DATE IN 1982: A catastrophic ice storm unfolded across much of Alabama. After a period of very cold weather with single digit temperatures, a winter storm brought some snow, but mostly freezing rain to the state on January 12, 1982. The precipitation arrived about 8 hours earlier than anticipated in the Birmingham area and quickly changed over to a mix of freezing rain and sleet that turned roads in skating rinks. Thousands of motorists had to abandon their vehicles on roads and hike home or spend the night in shelters. Brookwood Village mall became a huge shelter. So many wrecks occurred that the Birmingham Police Department could not answer the calls for accident investigation.

As temperatures hovered near the freezing mark through the night, freezing rain created a thick coating on all exposed objects. Trees snapped, pulling down power lines and putting as many as 750,000 Alabamians in the dark. A state of emergency was declared in Alabama and National Guard Armories were opened to serve as shelters. Some people had no power for weeks, timber damage in the state was extensive. Twenty Alabamians were dead and another 300 injured and damage totaled $78 million because of the 1982 winter storm.

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