January 2025 was one for the record books in terms of snowfall. Alabama experienced two significant snow events, including a mid-month storm that shut down much of north and central Alabama for a day or two with accumulations exceeding 5 inches in some areas. However, the more historic event was the Gulf Coast snowstorm on the 21st, which shattered many longstanding records across southern Alabama. Snowfall totals generally ranged from 5 to 9 inches, with some isolated locations reporting 10 inches or more. An impressive 7.5 inches of snow was reported at the Mobile Regional Airport, setting new all-time daily and monthly snowfall records. This surpassed the previous daily record of 5 inches, which had stood since January 25th 1881, and the monthly snowfall record of 6 inches, which had remained unbroken since February 28th 1895. Table 1 highlights a few notable snowfall totals for January 2025. While the snowfall event was historic for the Gulf Coast, various stations in Alabama have recorded 10 or more inches of snow in January over the years. The most widespread event occurred in 1940, which included the state’s January record of 24 inches at the Valley Head station in North Alabama.

Statewide, January’s monthly average temperature was 5.1°F colder than the long-term average of 45.1°F. Known for having the coldest daily and monthly temperatures of winter, this January made a strong case for the 2024-2025 winter season. After the Gulf Coast snowstorm on the 21st, several stations sank into the single digits, with the Russellville 4 SSE station recording the state’s lowest temperature of the month at 3°F. While January was cold overall, periods of favorable atmospheric ridging brought unseasonably warm temperatures across much of the state, particularly around mid-month and during the final few days of the month. The warmest temperature of the month was 78°F, recorded at the Evergreen Middleton Field Airport station on January 18th.

For the third consecutive month, Alabama experienced drier than normal conditions, with statewide precipitation at 1.9 inches below the long-term average of 5.18 inches. Most the state received below-normal rainfall, except for a few isolated areas, as shown in Figure 1. The driest location of the month with no missing observations was the Talladega station, reporting only 2.06 inches of precipitation. In contrast, the Bevill Lock and Dam recorded 5.76 inches, making it the wettest location of the month.

While some areas saw minor drought improvements throughout January, other North Central counties saw worsening conditions. By the end of the month, 62% of the state was still experiencing some level of drought or abnormal dryness, with 6.5% in severe drought and 37% in moderate drought. Although agricultural impacts are usually minimal this time of year, the dry conditions did affect water recharge. Streamflows were below normal and producers reported poor livestock and pasture conditions, largely due to the very dry and hot fall.

With spring just around the corner, the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) forecasts a 40-50% chance of above-normal temperatures for most of the state, except for Mobile and Baldwin counties, which has a 50-60% chance of above-normal temperatures. For precipitation, most of the state is forecasted to have equal chances of below, near, and above-normal precipitation except for northwest Alabama, which has 33-40% chance of above-normal precipitation. The following tables provide the normals for the state and major metropolitan areas relative to the 1991-2020 reference period for each spring month. Spring also signifies the peak months of the severe weather season for Alabama. Right now, is a good time to take a few moments to review your own severe weather plans, identify your safest shelter, and put together an emergency kit with supplies to last at least three days. For more information on how to prepare for severe weather, visit ready.gov.

Monthly summaries are provided by Dr. Rob Junod, Lee Ellenburg and Dr. John Christy.