Another blast of cold is coming our way; How cold could it get?

Another blast of cold air is coming to Alabama and tonight could be the coldest of the week.

Rain was expected to move out of the state by midday today, and the National Weather Service expects drier, colder air to move in with some gusty winds.

Areas of north-central Alabama may experience high temperatures this morning, with the mercury expected to drop throughout the day.

North Alabama will deal with cold daytime temperatures today – and some areas may not get above the 30s. The weather service expects southern Alabama to remain slightly warmer. Here are the expected high temperatures for Thursday:

Temperatures will drop sharply this evening and a cold weather warning has been issued for a portion of southern Alabama. It applies from midnight to Friday, 8 a.m.

The affected counties in Alabama are Choctaw, Washington, Clarke, Wilcox, Monroe, Conecuh, Butler, Crenshaw, Escambia, Covington and inland Mobile and Baldwin.

The National Weather Service in Mobile said temperatures could fall below freezing and wind chills could reach 15 degrees overnight.

The weather service noted that wind chills this cold were unusual in southern Alabama in early December. “While our winters can get significantly colder, wind chills below 20 degrees are not all that common in early December, which may lead to an increased risk…” the weather service said in its forecast briefing Thursday morning.

“Sensitive groups should take appropriate precautions to protect themselves from prolonged exposure and to protect plants and pets in cold temperatures.”

A “cold weather advisory”? What is that?

The weather service said it was a new product for this year, replacing previous severe frost and wind chill warnings.

The rest of the state will also be very cold overnight. The weather service expects wind chills in the teens to continue across north and central Alabama overnight. (See tonight’s low temperature forecast at the top of this post.)

Friday is expected to be sunny but cold, with highs expected to only reach the 40s and 50s (though some places in northern Alabama may stay in the 30s again).

Another widespread frost is expected Friday night into Saturday morning. Here are the forecast lows:

After a cold start, things will gradually warm up starting Saturday and into early next week.

By Monday, highs will be well above 60 across most of the state:

Will the warmth last? NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center’s six- to 10-day temperature outlook suggests Alabama will have near-average temperatures through December 14: