No white Christmas, but it's going to be bitterly cold in Gadsden

Nothing is certain about the weather until it actually happens. However, forecasters are sending two messages about the upcoming Christmas weekend: keep your sleds in storage, and pull your heavy coats out of the closet.

A massive burst of arctic air is set to sweep across the United States beginning Thursday, sending the eastern two-thirds of the country “into a deep freeze,” as Accuweather forecasters described it.

The impact in Northeast Alabama will be felt in the early hours of Friday. Thursday’s high temperature for Etowah County, according to the National Weather Service’s Birmingham office, will be 53. The Weather Underground website, which provides hourly forecasts, says it will be 34 at midnight.

By 7 a.m., however, the temperature will have plunged by more than 20 degrees and wind chills will be below zero, fueled by roughly 15 mph winds from the arctic front.

The high temperature Friday will be near 20, with a low of about 11, and conditions won’t be any better Saturday with a high near 26 and a low of about 13. Christmas Day will be a bit warmer, with a high near 32 and a low of about 16, but there won’t be any sustained temperatures above freezing in the area until Monday.

There’s a 50% chance of rain Thursday and an 80% chance Thursday night, the NWS’ weekly precipitation forecast says the area could get 0.10 to 0.25 inches of rain and the NWS forecast for Etowah County mentions a chance of snow after midnight.

However, Daniel Martin, a forecaster in the NWS’ Birmingham office, told the Montgomery Advertiser that the cold front’s dry air will likely prevent a white Christmas.

In fact, Alabama’s voice of weather, Birmingham meteorologist James Spann, said during his morning YouTube video discussion that “the chance of meaningful accumulation (of snow) for the state is basically nil.”

Spann said the focus should be on the chilling cold; according to NOAA, the average high temperature for Gadsden in December is 55 degrees.

Martin told the Advertiser that even though Alabama is in a La Niña, which generally means a warmer than usual winter, but noted that “these kinds of cold periods” can happen during those weather patterns.

Local officials already have opened warming stations through Friday; that time frame will be reviewed should conditions warrant it. Updates will be available at www.shelteretowah.com; information also can be obtained from the Gadsden-Etowah Emergency Management Agency by email at ema@cityofgadsden.com, by Facebook message at https://www.facebook.com/GECEMA or by phone during business hours at 256-549-4575.

The current locations:

• Family Success Center, 809 E. Broad St., Gadsden, during its regular hours of operation.

• Freedom Center, 1601 W. Meighan Blvd., Gadsden, during its regular hours of operation; it could convert to an overnight shelter if other options are full.

• Gadsden Public Library main branch, 254 College St.; East Gadsden branch, 802 E. Broad St.; and genealogy branch, 2700 W. Meighan Blvd., during normal hours of operation.

• Salvation Army, 1101 First Ave., warming station and overnight shelter.

According to The Tuscaloosa News, the NWS offers these tips for dealing with this level of cold weather:

• Protect people: Make sure to bundle up and wear layers outdoors. Have extra blankets ready in case power goes out. Check in with family and neighbors — especially those who are more at-risk, such as people who are elderly or disabled.

• Protect pipes: To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes, pipes should be wrapped, drained or allowed to drip slowly.

• Stay weather aware: Be sure to stay alert by checking the latest forecast.

• Protect your plants: Know the temperature thresholds of your plants. If possible, cover your plants before sunset to retain heat.

• Vehicle preparedness: Make sure your car has supplies, such as water and blankets in case you are traveling anywhere with icy roads and get stranded. Check to see if you need to fill up your gas tank before a cold weather event.

• Protect your pets: Bring your pets inside.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Bitter cold, but no snow in Northeast Alabama