The hottest day ever in Birmingham, occurred on July 29, 1930, when the mercury hit a sizzling 107F.  The temperature has reached 105F or higher on 16 occasions in Birmingham.  Eleven of those times were observed in the month of July.  The mercury reaches 90F or higher on 17.3 days on average in July.   The coolest reading ever observed in the Magic City in July was 51F back on July 15, 1967.

July is not one of our sunniest months with 59% of possible sunshine on average.  Six months are sunnier.  Rain is usually observed just over twelve days in the month and thunderstorms occur on nearly twelve days in the month, both tops for the year.

On average, 5.09 inches of rain falls during the month.  The most ever observed is 20.12 in July 1916.  That is also the wettest month ever in Birmingham history.   In 1983, 0.30 fell during the month, the driest July ever.

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The sixth month of the year in Birmingham features warm temperatures, increasing humidity and generally light precipitation.
It is the third driest month, averaging 3.78 inches of rain.  Only October and August are drier.  Afternoon and evening thunderstorms become a frequent occurrence, generally happening on eight days during the month.  In fact, much of the rain that falls in the month is associated with thunderstorms.

On average, rain falls on nine days during the month.  12.09 inches of rain fell in June 1900, which stands as the all-time record for the month.   Early season Gulf tropical cyclones sometimes produce heavy rounds of precipitation.

As you would expect, cloudy periods are rare.  The sky is cloudy 22% of the time on average.  Only August features less cloudy time.  The average PM relative humidity is on the rise, at 53%, rising from the 45% observed in April.  The average dewpoint reaches 65F, which is my definition of muggy.  This is up from the 58F in May.

On June 1, the average high and low is 85/62.  By June 30th, it will be 90/68.  The coolest it has ever been in June is 47F on June 16, 1917. It has been as warm as 106F on June 29, 1931.

Get the latest weather information for Shelby county from www.AlabamaWx.com.

The fifth month of the year is one of my favorites in Central Alabama.  We see some of the finest weather of the year, with runs of fine, warm and sunshine filled days.  It reminds me a lot of October, its closest cousin, but generally warmer and somewhat stormier.  The average percentage of possible sunshine is 66 percent, equal to October, which is the other sunniest month of the year.

The average high and low for the month in Birmingham is 81F and 59F respectively.  At the start of the month, the average high is 78F, but it rises to 84F by the end of the month.  Overnight lows really warm, rising from 53F on May 1^st to 62F on the 31^st.    The coldest may reading ever in the Magic City is 36F on May 4, 1971.  The warmest reading ever in May was 99F on May 28, 1962 and May 29, 1898.  It generally reaches 90F or warmer 1.7 days in the month.

Heating degree days are nearly zero in May, but cooling degree days are starting to really rise as we head toward the unrelenting heat of summer.

May used to be a drier month than April.  Until 2003 that is.  5.71 inches of rain fell on the 7^th that month, which skewed the average higher.  The average May rainfall at the Birmingham Airport jumped from 4.4 inches to 4.83 inches because of that single event.  A tremendous flash flooding event occurred across Central Alabama that day, with higher amounts reported just northeast of the Airport.  10.50 inches of rain fell on Edwards Lake Road and JB Elliott recorded 9.82 inches just northeast of Trussville.  Not surprisingly, May 2003 went on to become  the wettest fifth month with 17.22 inches of rain.

It usually rains on 10 days on average, and storms occur on 9 days.  The average dewpoint is starting to climb, rising from 49F in April to 58F in May.

Check out the latest on Central Alabama’s weather at www.AlabamaWX.com.

It wouldn’t be wise to make your home 5,000 square feet (s.f.)  if the typical home is 2,500 s.f. or build a taj mahal pool and pool house if these are not common in the area.  By looking around the area and knowing your neighborhood you can get a pretty good idea of what is typical.  This is not to say you cannot make the improvements you want to but you may not be able to get the money back when you sell the home.  Now some people will say that they are going to be in their home until they’re buried, and they want their home to be like they want it, which is fine but you should be aware that circumstances change.

A good way to see what typical improvements cost and their value is to check out a remodeling website like the one I have linked here.  It will give you the information you need before you begin a project and help you to be informed about what you can expect to get back.  For major renovations you may want to get an appraisal to see the value impact of the improvements on your homes market value.  Please call me if you have any questions at (205) 243-9304.

April is one of the most changeable months weatherwise in Central Alabama. It often features some of the finest weather of the year with spectacularly mild, sunny days and clear cool nights, but can often turn ugly with tornadoes, flooding rains and late season cold snaps.

The average high in Birmingham at the start of the month is 71F. By month’s end, the average daytime high is 78F. The average low at the start of the month is 45F. By April 30th, the average is 52F. The warmest it has ever been in April was 92F on April 21st, 1987.

The coldest April reading in Birmingham history was 26F on April 11th, 1973. The temperature generally drops to freezing or below on 1.2 days in the month. The average date of the last freeze is March 30th, but freezing temperatures have been recorded as late as April 23rd, which occurred back in 1986.

Six months of the year have more rainfall than April, and five have less. April’s average monthly rainfall of 4.67 inches is nearly one and a half inches less than the 6.10 inches recorded on average in March, the wettest month of the year. 13.75 inches of rain fell in April 1979, a month that saw some of the worst flooding in history across Central Alabama. It can snow in April, as evidenced by the 5 inches that fell on April 3, 1987. It rains on nine days on average.

Thunderstorms occur on 5.1 days on average. April is the prime severe weather season in Central Alabama. Some of the worst tornadoes in the state’s history have occurred in April, including the Superoutbreak on April 3-4, 1974, that left 82 dead across the northern half of the state, the April 4, 1977 F5 tornado that ripped across the northern part of Birmingham, killing 22, and the April 8, 1998 F5 that struck western parts of Jefferson County, leaving 36 people dead.

The percentage of possible sunshine is on the increase in the month as we move further away from winter, averaging 63% in the month, not far from the 66% we see in May and October. The sky is cloudy 32 percent of the time. It is clear 28.7 percent of the time. April is the windiest month of the year, tied with March.

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1. Electricity must be on for the appraiser to verify operation of the HVAC system, appliances, and the electrical system.
2. Plumbing must be operational so the appraiser can look for leaks, flush toilets, and check water pressure.
3. Attic access must be provided to check for insulation, attic ventilation, and any damage.
4. Access must be provided to the crawlspace (when present) to check for standing water, possible damage, and ventilation.
5. Windows must be able to be opened.  This is important for safety reasons as access to the outside is necessary.  In addition, if security bars are present, they must have a quick release mechanism or if that is not present they must be removed.

This is by no means a complete and comprehensive lists but it includes items which I have ran into lately that have created delays in the closing process.  If you have any questions regarding appraisal requirements for FHA financing please do not hesitate to contact me.

March marks the start of both meteorological and astronomical spring.

It is definitely a time of transition in Alabama.   As the days lengthen and the sun moves higher in the sky, average temperatures start to climb.  The average high in Birmingham at the start of the month is 62F.  By month’s end, the average daytime high is 70F.  The average low at the start of the month is 39F.

By March 31st, the average is 45F.  The warmest it has ever been in March was 90F on March 21st, 1907, as Birmingham was in the middle of an unusual heat wave.

The coldest March reading in Birmingham history was 2F on March 14, 1993.  That was the day after the 1993 blizzard, which is also remarkable for producing the city’s biggest snowfall ever, 13 inches at the Birmingham Airport.  The temperature generally drops to freezing or below on 6.1 days in the month.  The average date of the last freeze usually occurs in mid to late March.

March is the wettest month of the year in Birmingham.  On average, 6.10 inches of rain falls.  The 15.80 inches that fell in March 1980 is the most ever recorded in the third month of the year.  It occurred during a month of flooding.  It rains on 11.0 days on average, which ranks third behind July at 12.4 days and January at 11.2 days.

Thunderstorms occur on 4.5 days. The months of April through August are all stormier, but March does mark the beginning of the primary severe weather season, at least in North and Central Alabama.  Alabama’s deadliest tornado outbreak in history occurred on March 21, 1932.   Shelby County was hard hit that day with a devastating tornado at Columbiana.

The percentage of possible sunshine is on the increase, averaging 55% in the month, up from the 42 percent that is typical of January, but still less than the 66 percent we usually see in May and October.   The sky is cloudy 41 percent of the time.  It is clear 24.2 percent of the time.

March is tied with April as the windiest month of the year, with an average wind speed of 10.4 mph.

Follow my daily weather history tweets on Twitter @wxhistorian.   Listen to the best weather podcast in the world at www.WeatherBrains.com and get the latest weather information at www.AlabamaWX.com.

• Buying a home
• Selling a home (either a marketing appraisal or appraisal after contract is signed)
• Refinancing a home (either to get a lower rate or to get a home equity loan)
• Dropping PMI insurance
• Relocation appraisals (if you are being transferred in your job and your company will be buying your home)

By planning ahead it is possible to present your home in the best possible light in order to get the highest value possible.

While a little clutter here and there will not affect the appraised value it does not hurt to have the home in its best possible condition and presented nicely.  By spending a little time on cosmetic details and minor repairs a good impression can be made.

Appraisers are human and they respond to a clean and orderly home the same as buyers do.

During the inspection we look at materials of construction and condition of the improvements and develop an effective age estimate of the home.

Items observed include the following:

Exterior

• Exterior condition of the home (including deferred maintenance-loose gutters, missing shingles, bad paint, broken windows)
• Landscaping (healthy plants and fresh mulched flower beds as opposed to dead plants and over grown grass)

Interior

• Type of floor covering and condition (stains, rips, etc.)
• Wall surfaces (wallpaper, paint, panel, etc.)
• Kitchen appliances (are they working)
• HVAC (is it working)
• Small things that, while not affecting value significantly, can give a bad impression of the home, such as missing electrical covers, doorknobs, etc.

Features or amenities of the home are noted as well as their condition and can include the following:

• Fireplaces
• Patios
• Decks
• Porches
• Fences
• Pools (once saw a pool that had been turned into a koi pond)
• Security system, intercom etc.

Because a minimum of three sales are used in an appraisal a range of value is developed.

This is where the good condition and upkeep of the home can pay off.

Within the range of value the appraiser can reconcile a final value estimate based on the subject’s condition and appeal as well as the marketability of the area.

If the home is in good condition and shows well, it is possible that the upper end of the range could be justified.  On the other hand, if the home has not been well kept, has necessary repairs, and does not show well, the lower end of the range may be chosen.

By spending a little money, and putting in some sweat equity, you can increase the chances your home will appraise for top dollar.  Here are some ideas of things that can be done:

Exterior

• Mow grass and edge
• Add mulch to flower beds
• Buy some inexpensive plants and plant in beds for color
• If necessary touch up or paint home
• Repair any deferred maintenance such as broken windows, loose gutters, or missing shingles.
• Repair damaged decking if necessary
• Repair fencing if damaged

Interior

• Clean your floor, weather it be carpet, hardwoods, or tile
• Touch up paint or clean walls if dirty or if you have holes repair them
• If you have peeling wallpaper, either repair it or take it down and paint
• Make sure all appliances are in working order
• Make sure the HVAC is in good working condition
• Make sure small things such as loose door knobs or missing electrical cover plates are repaired or replaced
• Clean the home so there is no clutter

Because appraising is not an exact science, and a range of value is given from the sales used, a home which is clean and well taken care of can make a positive impression on the appraiser so that they emphasize the upper end of the range provided.

Ali Baba, in the Centre at Riverchase in Hoover, is a good case in point. On the outside, the big red neon lights advertising Persian cuisine in a strip mall don’t suggest much. But step inside, and you are positioning yourself for a fabulous dining experience.

After being convinced by a business associate to give this place a try, my wife and I have seen the light. Ali Baba has rapidly climbed the hit list to being one of our favorite places to eat.

Frankly, the thought of Persian food wasn’t very appealing to me to begin with. The friend’s insistence finally convinced us to try it.

After sampling Ali Baba’s menu offerings, we emerged from our first visit about ready to kick ourselves for not having visited here sooner.

It’s not for any single reason that we think so much of Ali Baba. Rather, it’s the consistent combination of factors that make for a great dining experience.

First, we’ve never had a meal that even slightly disappointed. Ali Baba’s management must have a pretty simple philosophy about the ingredients used in their offerings: If it isn’t fresh, it doesn’t get served. You really notice and taste this commitment, whether it’s the spices, the greens in the salad, or the main entree. Everything is nicely served, waiting for you to dive into. That’s true whether it’s the grilled chicken kabobs or the beef kabobs or lamb. Haven’t tried the tilapia yet, but from one table away, it looked very good.

Entree offerings include beef tenderloin, lamb, chicken, and even quail and Cornish game hen, along with salmon and shrimp and vegetarian options, as well. Dessert options mention chocolate suicide cake, white chocolate macademia nut cheesecake, baklava and a Persian homemade ice cream called Akbar Mashti.

But even before the entree shows up, you’ll be impressed with the hot, freshly baked bread served with nuts, cheese, greenery, onions and butter. I have to admit I considered this a pretty strange combination the first time I saw it. But that was before trying it, and now we’re hooked.

Speaking of hooked, the Mixed Grill does it for me. Touted on the menu as a “symphony of lamb chops, beef kabob, boneless breast of chicken and large shrimp, broiled over an open fire,” served with basmati rice and grilled tomato and green pepper, it’s so delicious you’ll want to clean the plate. At $22.99, it’s a huge, filling meal, and one I quickly judged worth every dime.

Second is the service. We’ve consistently had top-notch service—as good as we could expect anywhere. Our servers have always been friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, happy to answer questions or make recommendations, and check on us frequently to make sure all’s well. It may be a small point, but it’s really nice for a server to notice that your water glass is getting low and refills it without your even having to ask. I say that only because we have to ask at a number of restaurants, but not here.

Third would be the atmosphere. This is a small restaurant providing intimate settings where your dining experience is enhanced by the surroundings. If you’d like a change of pace from busy chains with so much noise and mayhem that you almost have to yell for your dining partner to hear you, Ali Baba is definitely the ticket. It can be very popular at times, though — on one recent Saturday night, the wait was more than an hour. Fortunately, reservations are accepted and recommended (823-2222).

Unlike many restaurants, Ali Baba is open Sundays, both for an afternoon buffet and evenings for full dinner.

For me, Ali Baba was taking a chance, given that Persian cuisine was just not something I was initially interested in trying. For some reason, I suspected it meant a foray into bizarre foods with heavy spices. I emerged from my first meal at Ali Baba realizing that I had basically been missing out on meals that were not only delicious, but pretty healthy, as well.

I felt foolish for having judged Ali Baba in advance, without ever having given it a try. Here’s hoping you don’t make the same mistake, because if you do, it’s your loss.