Polar weather arrives ahead of Santa Claus
04.03.2010, 17:18
Arctic air has invaded Alabama and will linger another day.
The low for Birmingham this morning was forecast to be 18 degrees; the forecast low for Saturday is 17, said Ken Lorek, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Calera.
Wellness hétvége
The Weather Service issued a hard-freeze warning for this morning - a step usually taken only when the low is forecast to be 15 or less - as different areas of the metropolitan region may have different lows.
"It's a regular arctic blast, bringing the lowest readings of the early winter season," Lorek said.
The Weather Service warned people to take special care with portable heaters because of the danger of fires or poisonous fumes. Generators should not be brought inside dwellings because they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
A low of 18 today would be the second-lowest for Dec. 8 in Birmingham in 111 years. The record low is 16 on Nov. 8, 1917. A low of 17 on Saturday would tie for the third-coldest temperature on that date in 111 years.