Winters in Alabama are generally mild, with average January low temperatures around 40 °F (4 °C) in Mobile and around 32 °F (0 °C) in Birmingham.

“Dixie Alley” refers to the area of Alabama and Mississippi that is most affected by tornadoes, as distinct from the Tornado Alley of the Southern Plains.

The northern part of Alabama, along the Tennessee River Valley, is most vulnerable to tornadoes.

Snowfall is less frequent along Alabama’s Gulf Coast, sometimes going several years without any snowfall.

Alabama’s highest recorded temperature is 112 °F (44 °C), recorded on September 5, 1925, in Centerville.

Alabama has a total area of 52,419 square miles (135,760 km²).

3.2% of Alabama’s area is water.

North Alabama is mostly mountainous, with the Tennessee River creating numerous creeks, streams, rivers, mountains, and lakes.

Alabama is 23rd in the amount of surface water in the United States.

Alabama has a coastline along the Gulf of Mexico on the extreme southern edge of the state.