Where are Alabama’s hottest cities? The answer might surprise you

By Donna Cope

Sunday, June 21 marked the summer solstice: It’s the day with the most hours of sunlight and is the official, first day of summer.

With good old summertime starting to heat up Alabama, it’s a point of interest to Jim Stefkovich that, based on overall weather data, Fort Morgan is the state’s hottest city.

That honor is due to Fort Morgan’s average, overall temperatures throughout for the year, said Stefkovich, meteorologist-in-charge for the National Weather Service – Birmingham Weather Office, located in Calera.

“It makes sense because Fort Morgan is so close to the Gulf,” Stefkovich said. “Because of that, residents aren’t getting the extreme lows in the fall and winter. The temperatures stay moderate overall, so Fort Morgan technically has the highest overall temperature for the year.”

Since 1884, when Alabama started keeping weather records, several cities have posted temperatures well above 100 – but Fort Morgan’s not among them. In July, Stefkovich noted, Fort Morgan’s high should be about 92 degrees.

Residents and visitors can take a dip in the Gulf’s beautiful, blue waters to cool off.

For extremely hot temperatures, no place in Alabama can beat Centreville’s heat-breaking record. On Sept. 5, 1925, residents suffered through 112-degree heat.

The quiet, rural area 30 miles southeast of Tuscaloosa has hit peaks four other times:

Aug. 1, 1921, residents roasted when Centreville hit 105; June 2, 1937, it was a torrid 103; Aug. 26, 1943, it was an unbearable 109; Sept. 6, 2002, it was a sizzling 102.

Folks have all kinds of theories as to why Centreville – part of Alabama’s infamous “Tornado Alley” – tends to be a heat sink, of sorts. Longtime resident Mike Oakley surmises the Appalachian Mountains play a role.

“We’re located at the end of the Appalachian Trail,” said Oakley, president of the Bibb County Board of Education. “I’ve taken a few plane rides between Bessemer and Centreville, taking economic development photos.

There’s an area where, looking from above, you see swampy land and then the start of the Appalachian Trail. The wind and storms follow those natural geological formations.”

Some people have noticed strange temperature variations while driving the road to Centreville. Oakley observes that, on a 3-mile span, he’s seen the temperature drop from 96 to 86, then rise again to 96. Oakley, a Centreville resident for more than 40 years, has seen many hot summers.

Seeing the opportunity
Fortunately, the Cahaba River winds through Centreville, offering some respite from the sweltering heat.

“We’re kind of defined by the Cahaba River, because it goes through the town,” he said. Seven years ago, Forrest Murphy took advantage of the river and the heat to form a family business, Adventure Shoals. For kayaking, tubing, canoeing or just enjoying wildlife around the Cahaba, the Centreville resident says Adventure Shoals provides a safe and exciting trip for all ages.

“It’s a 2-and-a-half- to 3-hour tubing trip down the Cahaba River,” said Murphy, who grew up floating down the river.

“It’s all about the heat,” he said. “When it starts getting hot, people gravitate toward the water. The weather is a real big factor in this business.”

Group floating plans are available, and Murphy advises that river riders make reservations in advance of holidays.

“The river is going to be busy this Fourth of July.”