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In the South, we often chide Mother Nature. It may be 80 degrees one day, then 30 the next. In the fall and winter, you might wake up one day and need short sleeves. The next morning it might be so cold you’ve got to add 20 minutes to your commute to take care of all the ice on your windshield.

Of course, even with all that uncertainty, on any day of the year, it’s probably much more likely to be 80 degrees than below freezing. Alabama isn’t exactly Florida, but it is warm nine months of the year. 

That’s what makes extreme cold temperatures so difficult for us.

And that’s why we’re writing you to warn you that the cold is coming. During Christmas weekend, forecasts have temperatures below freezing for the entire weekend. We don’t write about wintry precipitation — especially the sn—word — unless we’re certain, and as of this writing, that appears unlikely. Bread and milk aisles are probably safe.

However, space heaters need to be dug out of the attic and placed in the ready position. This is not a drill.

It’s not often that we get sub-freezing temperatures, even in December, and even on those days it typically warms. It might not be “warm” but 40 degrees feels a lot better than 30. Or 20.

So get ready. Break out the big coats. Make sure your parents and grandparents have a warm place to stay during the holiday. 

If your kid is getting a trampoline, they may have to wait a few days to play with it. This is Nintendo-type weather, the type of holiday weather that a good board game or an Amazon Kindle love.

Merry Christmas everyone. Stay warm out there.