Record Warmth in Mid-December!

Well above average temperatures expected once again today. Hello, I'm Meteorologist, Lauren Whisenhunt.

Yes, it's still December, but it definitely doesn't feel like it across Central Alabama. Typically this time of year, daytime highs are near 57 with overnight lows around 36. We will continue to have temperatures WELL above normal for the next couple of days.

We started off this morning with patchy fog which will give way to partly cloudy skies and daytime highs topping out near 80 degrees! Interestingly for the Birmingham Metro Area, the ALL TIME record high temperature for the month of December is 80 degrees set back in 1951.
Overnight lows tonight will be warm with readings in the upper 50s. Notice that this forecast low is our NORMAL afternoon high temperature for this time of year! Also expect more areas of fog developing after midnight.

Wednesday will also be quite warm with highs in the upper 70s. Additionally, there will be a slight chance of showers.

By Thursday, a cold front will slowly slide our way giving us a better chance of rain. This cold front will also allow much colder air to build back into central Alabama by the weekend. By the end of the week into the weekend, temperatures will be more average for this time of year with daytime highs in the 50's.

An FYI: From the National Hurricane Center, a late season Subtropical Storm Olga has developed. Here is the latest information:

(A subtropical cyclone has both characteristics of a tropical cyclone and an extratopical cyclone.)

AT 500 AM AST...0900Z...THE CENTER OF SUBTROPICAL STORM OLGA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 67.0 WEST OR ABOUT 60MILES... 95 KM...WEST OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO AND ABOUT 190 MILES...305 KM...EAST OF SANTO DOMINGO IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

OLGA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 17 MPH...28 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION SHOULD CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT DAY OR SO. ON THIS TRACK THE CENTER OF OLGA WILL MOVE AWAY FROM PUERTO RICO LATER THIS MORNING...AND NEAR OR OVER HISPANIOLA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH...75 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED BEFORE OLGA REACHES THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC...BUT WEAKENING IS FORECAST THERE AFTER AS OLGA INTERACTS WITH THE TERRAIN OF HISPANIOLA.

WINDS OF 40 MPH EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES...325 KM...MAINLY TO THE NORTH FROM THE CENTER.