Jan. 10—The Tennessee Valley region will remain icy and cold on Saturday and Sunday, with the National Weather Service in Huntsville forecasting temperatures near or below freezing and another frigid week ahead.
NWS meteorologist Jennifer Saari said on Thursday that snow and ice from Friday is expected to remain on the ground Saturday as temperatures barely rise above freezing during the day.
“Highs on Saturday will be about 33 degrees,” Saari said. “That’s going to be an issue … . It’s only 1 degree above freezing, so, we’ll have to monitor travel conditions throughout the day on Saturday as well. So wherever you are on Friday, you may be stuck there on Saturday.”
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday declared a state of emergency for 37 counties, including Morgan, Limestone, and Lawrence, due to the severe winter storm that was expected to north Alabama late Thursday night.
“Cold temperatures have persisted in Alabama this week, and we are anticipating the potential for winter weather to impact our state, particularly our driving conditions,” Ivey said in a written statement. “As we all know, winter weather is challenging in a state like Alabama due to forecast uncertainties. That being said, I encourage Alabamians to make any needed preparations today, and if you are in an impacted area and do not have to be on the road, try to avoid it. Keep an eye on your local forecasts and stay weather aware.”
The Alabama National Guard has also been activated to assist with severe weather impacts in affected communities over the next few days.
Decatur City Schools, Morgan County Schools, Hartselle City Schools, Lawrence County Schools, Limestone County Schools, and Athens City Schools announced school closures for Friday due to the winter storm warning issued on Thursday.
The annual Festival of the Cranes in Morgan County has been rescheduled for Jan. 18 and is being condensed into one day because of inclement weather. All the events at the festival will take place at the Alabama Center for the Arts in downtown Decatur.
The Muscle Shoals Meets the ’80s concert at the Princess Theatre on Friday has been rescheduled for March 8 and the play “Thank You, Rachel” scheduled for Friday at the Alabama Center for the Arts has been canceled. Other performances of “Thank You, Rachel” are currently scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at the Princess Theatre.
Saari said Saturday’s lows will dip into the teens, while Sunday will bring sunshine and a high near 40 degrees, which should help melt some of the ice and snow.
“It will start melting and make shoveling easier, but I would also like to highlight that the lows will be in the mid-20s on Sunday night,” Saari said. “So, not all of it is going to melt; it’s going to freeze again.”
She said Monday’s high is expected to reach 40 degrees, with overnight lows falling into the teens. On Tuesday, highs will reach 35 degrees, with lows again dropping into the teens. Wednesday’s high is forecast at 36 degrees, with overnight lows in the lower 20s.
— wesley.tomlinson@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442.