Residence bundling up as Arctic mass spreads southward
By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
On Monday and Tuesday, residents of Atmore and the surrounding area got a preview of what’s in store, weather-wise, for most of the next two weeks.
An Arctic Blast — actually two separate ones — that invaded the United States late last week has pushed frigid air southward, bringing an unfamiliar period of low temperatures and winds that will make those temperatures seem even lower to South Alabama, into the Florida Panhandle and beyond.
Data provided by the Weather Channel shows that the mercury dipped to 29 degrees before sunrise Tuesday, with blustering winds creating a chill factor in the low-20s. That same pattern is expected to repeat itself into Friday, when an almost-100-percent chance of rain exists.
Lines of construction workers, factory workers and others formed at coffee machines in nearly every outlet that offered the cold-weather commodity.
“We’ve sold a lot of coffee this morning,” said Kari Herrera, a clerk at the Express Mart at the junction of North Main and Howard streets, as she prepared a fresh pot of the brew. “It’s been a job just keeping some made and keeping up with the demand.”
A man in his mid-50s said he got used to such weather when he lived in Philadelphia for 39 years. He added, though, that “he has been in Alabama for the past 16 years, long enough to have forgotten just what a real cold snap feels like.”
The winter weather system could even bring snowflakes or a wintry mix to the northern and central portions of the state as winds continue to sweep out of the north to make thermometer readings almost moot.
According to long-range forecasts, overnight lows around Atmore are expected to remain below the 40-degree mark through Friday, January 17, and daytime highs are not expected to reach back into the 60s until this Sunday, January 12, or Monday, January 13. Wind chills will likely be near the freezing mark or lower even when daytime highs are in the 40s.
Escambia County Emergency Management Agency Director David Adams said a mix of freezing rain, sleet and even snow could occur here over the weekend. Such a wintry mix could wreak havoc on traffic, he pointed out.
“A light glaze is possible for the a.m. commute, on bridges,” Adams said. “High temperatures will warm above freezing into the middle to upper 30s in the afternoon, and this will change the precipitation over to a cold rain. The rain could change back to some snow flurries Friday night as the low moves northeast into Georgia.”
A Cold Weather Advisory was issued for the entire Atmore area overnight on Monday, and Adams said a new advisory would probably be issued for overnight Tuesday, since similar conditions are expected Tuesday night and into Wednesday.
Atmore Fire Chief Ron Peebles said he’s most concerned that the cold might trigger one of his department’s biggest fears.
“The cold weather creates a high risk of a fire,” Peebles said. “We spent Monday getting all our stuff ready to go, whether it’s fires, limbs on streets, medical calls or something else. I told my guys to get ready, it’s coming.”
He warned that extreme care should be taken when using a space heater and added that common sense should be used with fireplaces, candles, stoves or other heating sources. He also said homeowners should by now have had all chimneys cleaned and HVAC-system filters changed, just in case a cold snap like the current one occurs.
“Of course, if they haven’t done it by now, some folks could be in bad shape,” he said, adding that smoke detectors become even more important during periods of bitter cold. “Check your smoke alarms, make sure their batteries are up to date, and it won’t hurt to walk by and hit the ‘test’ button every now and then.”
He added one more thought regarding smoke detectors.
“If your smoke alarm goes off and there’s smoke in your house, call 911 then get out and stay out,” he said. “We don’t want any deaths.”
Calvin Grace, director of the city’s streets and sanitation department, said his crews are mainly concerned with making sure that city facilities aren’t adversely affected by the frigid weather and accompanying winds.
“We’re mainly securing pipes at all the city parks and places like that,” he explained. “We keep our vehicles winterized, so they’re ready to go. There shouldn’t be any interruptions in services, garbage, trash or anything.”