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    • La Nina changes the winter weather forecast for Alabama
    Massachusetts

    La Nina changes the winter weather forecast for Alabama

    Idris Bevan Posted on

    Conditions in the equatorial waters of the Pacific Ocean, thousands of miles from Alabama, are expected to have a significant impact on winter weather in the state.

    The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently released its winter outlook for the country. Forecasts call for a developing La Nina, which typically means warmer, drier winters than normal for Alabama and other Gulf Coast states. Spanish for “little girl,” La Nina, in meteorological terms, means a cooling of the Pacific waters off the coast of South America and the equator.

    How will La Nina affect Alabama?

    Regardless of what the long-range forecast says, there will still be cold days and periods of rain this winter, said Gary Goggins, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Birmingham office.

    “It will still be cold this winter,” he said. “There will be days and periods when it will be very cold. There will be systems coming through the state that will bring cold weather and the possibility of severe weather, just like it happens every winter.”

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    Winter lasts from December 21st to March 21st. The average high and low temperatures for Alabama in December are 55-60°C and 36-40°C. For January, those numbers are 60-64 and 40-44, compared to 64-67 and 45-50 in February. Ranges are a few ticks lower for northern Alabama and higher south.

    The prediction that it will be drier than normal could mean that the drought will worsen and the risk of wildfires will increase as the days go by. October is traditionally the driest month of the year. According to weather data, the state receives an average of about 3 inches of rainfall per month.

    “We expect this dry weather pattern to continue through the end of October before we see a significant change in the pattern,” Goggins said.

    For the month, Tuscaloosa reported 0.22 inches of precipitation and Montgomery reported 0.02 inches, which is not much more than a drizzle. Anniston, Birmingham, Gadsden and Troy reported no rain this month.

    The National Drought Monitor, a weekly report that uses data from multiple sources, shows that most of the state, including Montgomery and Elmore counties, is unusually dry and the drought is the least severe. The scale ranges from one to five, with five being the most severe drought category.

    About 36 percent of the state, including most of Autauga County, is experiencing moderate drought, the second most severe drought level. Approximately two percent of counties in western Dallas, southern Perry, northern Wilcox and eastern Marengo along the Perry County Panhandle area are experiencing severe or stage three drought.

    Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at [email protected].

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    Idris Bevan
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