NWS Forecast: Cold Snap Brought Mid-20s Lows, Gusty Winds to Autauga County

On the morning of Dec. 29, 2025, an NWS area forecast product for Autauga County, including Prattville, provided hourly projections for temperature, dewpoint, wind, gusts and cloud cover across Dec. 29–31. The forecast, issued at 5:01 a.m. CST, showed daytime highs near 50 degrees on Dec. 29, a sharper drop to the mid-20s during the overnight period into Dec. 30, and a rebound toward the low 50s by Dec. 31.

Hourly temperature grids contained in the product documented the timing of the coldest readings and the recovery that followed. Wind direction was predominantly from the northwest, with sustained speeds commonly in the single- to mid-teens of miles per hour and gusts reaching into the 20s and low 30s on the first day of the forecast period. Cloud cover varied through the three days, ranging from overcast to broken and generally diminishing toward fairer conditions as temperatures moderated.

For residents and local officials, the short-term pattern carried several practical implications. The overnight plunge into the mid-20s raised the risk of frozen or burst water pipes in uninsulated structures and heightened demand on home heating systems. Gusty northwest winds increased perceived chill and could complicate work for crews performing outdoor maintenance or emergency repairs. For motorists, the combination of lower overnight temperatures and variable cloud cover emphasized the need to monitor conditions when traveling early in the morning, especially on county roads that receive less frequent winter maintenance.

Local institutions that plan around weather impacts—municipal maintenance departments, social services and school administrators—could use the product’s hourly granularity to time services and outreach. The forecast also provided timing useful for agricultural operations and small businesses that staff outdoor work, enabling targeted adjustments rather than broad-day closures.

The product noted that the full area forecast discussion text and the highest-precision hourly grids were available through the NWS product link for those seeking minute-by-minute timings and model details for Autauga County. This item documents the official local forecast issued for the county on Dec. 29, 2025, and serves as a record of the short-lived but impactful cold snap that affected local planning and daily life at the close of the year.