Birmingham has a humid subtropical climate, characterized by hot summers, mild winters, and abundant rainfall. January sees average highs in the low to mid 50s �F (10�13 �C), with lows just above freezing, falling to that point on 55 nights per year. In July temperatures are in the low 90s �F (32�34 �C), with lows averaging around 70 �F (21.1 �C); highs exceed 90 �F (32.2 �C) on 58 days per year and 100 �F (37.8 �C) on 2 or 3. Precipitation is relatively well-distributed throughout the year, sometimes falling in the form of snow during winter; however, 10.3 inches (26.2 cm) fell on March 13, 1993, during the 1993 Storm of the Century, which left the highest one-storm and daily snowfall total.
The spring and fall months are pleasant but variable as cold fronts frequently bring strong to severe thunderstorms and occasional tornadoes to the region. The fall season features less rainfall and fewer storms, as well as lower humidity than the spring, but it is also a secondary severe weather season. Birmingham is located on the heart of a Tornado Alley known as the Dixie Alley due to the frequency of tornadoes in Central Alabama. The greater Birmingham area has been hit by two F5 tornadoes; one in Birmingham's northern suburbs in 1977, and second in the western suburbs in 1998. The area has been hit by an EF4 tornado in 2011. In late summer and fall months, Birmingham experiences occasional tropical storms and hurricanes due to its proximity to the Central Gulf Coast
