Much Below Normal Temperatures To Impact the Tennessee Valley Through the Weekend
The latest forercast calls for temperatures to remain below freezing though midday Monday. Wind chill temperatures on Saturday morning will be the coldest of the season so far. The graphic below depicts lowest wind chill temperatures expected for Saturday morning…
A few safety tips for this prolonged cold snap follow, but first, some climatological history.
At Huntsville, the record for consecutive days below 40 degrees was set in January 1978, with 14 days in a row. In fact, snow was recorded on 12 out of 19 days in January 1978, and snow was on the ground most days between the 9th and the 28th of that month.
Of more recent memory were cold snaps in December 1989 and early February 1996. In both cases lows were near zero and highs only around ten above. However, it is worth noting that those cold snaps were of a shorter duration (although perhaps a greater strength) than the current one is expected to be.
The coldest morning lows since 2003 are likely over the upcoming weekend, and there is the potential to see the first back-to-back days below 25 degrees since the 1996 cold snap.
It does appear this will be among the top-five coldest first ten days of January since 1970.
Now on to some cold weather safety tips:
For people:
Stay inside a warm building as much as possible. Limit your time outside. If you must be outside, dress in multiple layers of warm clothing, and leave as little of your body exposed to the elements as possible. Don’t forget gloves and a hat. When inside, be aware of the fire danger from candles and space heaters, and keep those heating devices a safe distance away from anything else to reduce the risk of fire. Do not use fuel-burning devices, including generators, inside because they can produce dangerous carbon monoxide emissions. Check on the elderly and homebound. These persons are more susceptible to cold-related injuries like frostbite or hypothermia.
For pets:
Bring pets inside if at all possible. If that is absolutely not possible, ensure they have a fresh supply of non-frozen water at all times and shelter them from the elements as much as possible.
For pipes:
Research has shown that the likelihood of frozen water pipes increases when temperatures drop below 20 degrees in the southern United States. Insulate all pipes that are exposed to the elements, in attics, crawl spaces, or along outside walls. Leave cabinet doors open under the sink to allow warmer air to circulate. Let faucets drip slowly to keep water flowing.
Brad Huffines, Chief Meteorologist / Storm Force 31
