Temperatures in the 20s on the morning of New Year's Day resulted in a fatality in Walker County due to hypothermia.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS BMX wrote it up.
Temperatures in the 20s on the morning of New Year's Day resulted in a fatality in Walker County due to hypothermia.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 31, 11:35 PM CST, 25 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Birmingham AL 1135 PM CST Wed Dec 31 2025 ...New DISCUSSION, AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1134 PM CST WED DEC 31 2025 - Very high chance (80-100%) for rain Friday/Friday night with a 20-30% chance of thunderstorms. - Well above normal temperatures return next week. && .DISCUSSION... (Thursday through next Wednesday) Issued at 1134 PM CST WED DEC 31 2025 Our warming trend continues today after a cool start to the morning. Highs will reach into the low to mid 60s for most of the area. A shortwave trough will slide through the region Friday afternoon through Saturday morning, leading to widespread rain. Instability still looks minimal as the system moves through with better instability building in after the bulk of the rain is east of our area. The deeper trough axis swings through Saturday afternoon, pushing the system to our east, ending rain chances across Central AL. Broad ridging builds in Sunday through Wednesday, which will lead to rain-free conditions and a return of warmer conditions. High temps trend upward as we reach the middle of next week with highs on Wednesday in the upper 60s to low 70s. 25/Owen && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1134 PM CST WED DEC 31 2025 VFR conditions expected through the next 24 hours. Generally light and variable winds expected through 15-16z before increasing slightly out of the west through the afternoon and returning to light to calm tomorrow evening. 25/Owen && .FIRE WEATHER... Generally light southwesterly winds expected Thursday into Friday as moisture returns ahead of our next system. Widespread rain is expected Friday and Saturday. Min RHs should remain well above critical values through the next 7 days. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Gadsden 28 60 37 60 / 0 0 0 60 Anniston 29 60 40 61 / 0 0 0 50 Birmingham 32 60 42 60 / 0 0 0 70 Tuscaloosa 31 63 42 62 / 0 0 0 70 Calera 30 63 41 63 / 0 0 0 60 Auburn 32 60 42 62 / 0 0 0 30 Montgomery 31 63 41 66 / 0 0 0 30 Troy 32 63 41 66 / 0 0 0 20 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...25/Owen AVIATION...25/Owen
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Temperatures in the 20s overnight resulted in a fatality attributed to hypothermia.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold/Wind Chill, Walker | 2026-01-01 | 4 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, January 2026
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1300915.