Alabama has had a sustained spell of freezing temperatures. (The Bama Buzz)

While we’re used to making fun of the unpredictability of weather in Alabama, the month of January wrapped up with an unusually consistent cold stretch that impacted the whole state.

Below-freezing temperatures were recorded from Huntsville to Dothan for seven consecutive days to end the month, falling well-below the average lows for the area. But that cold spell still did not breaking any records for our state.

Keep reading to see how the week of freezing cold temperatures compared to historic lows according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Alabama weather

Several winter weather advisories were issued throughout the final week of January. From a state of emergency being issued to start the week to an extreme cold warning blanketing the state to end the month, the cold temperatures lived up to the hype (even if the snowfall predictions did not).

Tuesday, Jan. 27 was officially the coldest day of the stretch, according to the NWS. Here’s how some of those low temperatures compared to the average low and historic lows for areas around the state:

Anniston: 13 (2026 low) | 34 (average low) | 8 (record low – 1986)
Birmingham: 13 | 35 | 1 (1940)
Dothan: 21 | 40 | 20 (1986)
Florence: 14 | 34 | 8 (1986)
Huntsville: 13 | 33 | -7 (1940)
Mobile: 21 | 41 | 14 (1940)
Montgomery: 16 | 37 | 10 (1940)
Tuscaloosa: 16 | 36 | 14 (1986)

Some places got close to setting record lows again on Saturday, Jan. 31. Here’s how those numbers compared to past weather including a historically cold January 31, 1966:

Anniston: 21 (2026 low) | 34 (average low) | 8 (record low – 1966)
Birmingham: 20 | 35 | 6 (1966)
Dothan: 22 | 41 | 19 (1966)
Florence: 18 | 34 | -5 (1966)
Huntsville: 17 | 34 | -5 (1936)
Mobile: 22 | 40 | 20 (1966)
Montgomery: 22 | 37 | 13 (1966)
Tuscaloosa: 21 | 36 | 9 (1966)

While Saturday’s temperatures might not have reached record lows, the wind was not helping. Many places reached their lowest “feels like” temperatures of the month due to the breeze.

Monthly averages

While January ended with a rush of cold air, don’t forget that it started with several places reaching record highs. That difference nearly balanced out the state when it comes to average temperatures for the month of January.

Here are some of the numbers from a wide-ranging month in Alabama:

Anniston: High – 71 | Low – 13 | Average – 42.8 | Historic average for January – 44.4
Birmingham: High – 69 | Low – 13 | Average – 43.4 | Historic average for January – 44.7
Dothan: High – 82 | Low – 21 | Average – 51.3 | Historic average for January – 50.8
Florence: High – 73 | Low – 14 | Average – 41.1 | Historic average for January – 42.9
Huntsville: High – 68 | Low – 13 | Average – 40.1 | Historic average for January – 42.7
Mobile: High – 79 | Low – 21 | Average – 51.7 | Historic average for January – 51.1
Montgomery: High – 75 | Low – 16 | Average – 46.9 | Historic average for January – 48.1
Tuscaloosa: High – 73 | Low – 16 | Average – 44.4 | Historic average for January – 45.7