Uniquely Alabama: How's The Weather?

"Uniquely Alabama" is an occasional series where Patch tries to find the answers to questions about life in Alabama. Have a question about the Yellowhammer State that needs answering? Send it to michael.seale@patch.com.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — As I write this, I had to take my glasses off because I can't keep them from fogging up. The 105 degree heat index, combined with my air conditioner, has temporarily rendered my glasses useless. And that was also the case any time I went outside the month or so prior to this week, because chances were good it was raining so hard I pondered building an arc for the next Great Flood.

I have heard a lot about how this is the "wettest summer ever" in Alabama. Or that yesterday was "probably one of the hottest days in the state's history." And yes, some of that is hyperbole for the sake of emphasis, but for those seriously wondering how the weather this year compares to trends of the past in the state, I did some research for you.

Alabama, on average, is the 7th warmest state in the U.S., ranking behind Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Hawaii and the nation's hottest state, Florida.

And as hot as the last few years have been, the warmest year ever in Alabama was 1927, when the average temperature was just over 66 degrees. The coldest year by the way, was 1976 (average temperature of 60.7 degrees).

In fact, the average temperature in Alabama for June, July and August is 78.8 degrees. That's pretty darn hot. This summer, so far, Alabama has averaged 78.2 degrees, and has had fewer 90 degree days than last year or 2019.

How hat can Alabama get? Well, the hottest temperature ever recorded was in Centerville, which reported a high temperature of 112 degrees back in 1925.

So what about all this rain?

Yes, without a doubt, this year has been a soaker, and I don't recall a year in recent memory that has (at east appeared) to include so much rain. But my memory, like many folks my age, might not be the best indicator for where our current weather trends rank in the state's history.

June was the 5th wettest June on record with 4.31 inches of rainfall above normal. So when someone asked me recently, "You think this might be the wettest summer we've ever had here?" The answer is, "Yeah, one of them for sure."

But all that rain actually cooled off the state. June was 0.7 degrees cooler than average this year, and July, so far has been 0.5 degrees cooler than a typical Alabama July.

And folks who complain about the rain in Alabama obviously don't know their history or where Alabama ranks nationally compared to other states. Alabama is the 4th wettest state in the country, when it comes to annual rainfall. Averaging 55.3 inches of rainfall per year, Alabama ranks only behind Mississippi, Louisiana and Hawaii in average annual rainfall.

Of course, Alabama's ranking has a great deal to do with the fact that Mobile is the wettest city in the country. And I am not exaggerating. Mobile is the rainiest city in the United States, receiving an average annual rainfall of 67 inches and has about 59 rainy days per year.

So there are some weather tidbits about Alabama that you may or may not have known. But the bnext time you think, "Man, this is the hottest day ever," or "We've had more rain than any month on history," stop and consider where you are:

It's Alabama. It's hot and wet. And always has been.