Jasper Alabama Webcam – Watch the Courthouse Square

The Jasper Alabama Webcam looks roughly south across the lawn of the Walker County Courthouse, in the middle of downtown Jasper. Big shade trees fill most of the frame, with brick-paved walks and a wide flight of steps at the lower left and cars parked along the street beyond them. A Pinnacle Bank building and its flagpole stand at the left edge, red brick storefront blocks line the right, and low wooded ridges close off the horizon. ABC 33/40, the Birmingham ABC station whose weather team is led by chief meteorologist James Spann, runs the camera as one of its Sky Cams, so the open sky above the trees matters as much as the square. Clear blue mornings, tall summer storm clouds and flat grey winter overcast can all play out over the courthouse grounds in a single week.

About Jasper, Alabama

Jasper is the county seat of Walker County, about 56 kilometers (35 miles) northwest of downtown Birmingham in a straight line. The town sits at about 120 meters (390 feet) above sea level and counted 14,572 residents in the 2020 census. It was first settled around 1815 and takes its name from Sergeant William Jasper, a Revolutionary War hero from South Carolina. Walker County itself was created on December 26, 1823.

Growth came with the railroads. The Kansas City-Memphis line reached Jasper in 1886, the year the town was incorporated, and the Sheffield and Birmingham line followed in 1888. The population jumped from about 200 in 1886 to more than 3,000 by 1890, fed by coal mines, coke ovens and sawmills. Those early years were hard on county government too: Jasper lost courthouses to fire in 1877, 1878, 1884 and 1886.

The square on screen now anchors the Jasper Downtown Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 31, 2004. The district covers about 160 hectares (400 acres) between 17th Street, Corona Avenue, 20th Street and 8th Avenue. Most of its buildings went up between the 1920s and the 1940s, in styles running from Queen Anne and Classical Revival to Beaux-Arts and Art Deco, and the brick commercial blocks on the right of the frame belong to that same downtown core.

Weather and Climate in Jasper, Alabama

Summers here are long, hot and humid. July highs average about 32 C (90 F), and nights rarely bring much relief, with lows around 21 C (70 F). Afternoon heat can build tall thunderheads over the ridges on the horizon, which is exactly the kind of sky ABC 33/40 asks its audience to keep an eye on. Jasper gets about 1,571 millimeters (61.8 inches) of precipitation a year, so wet pavement and dripping trees are a regular sight on the walks below the camera.

Spring and autumn are the mild seasons, with average highs of about 22 C (72 F) in April and 24 C (75 F) in October. Winter is short and cool. January averages a high of 11 C (52 F) and a low just below freezing at -1 C (31 F), so frosty mornings on the courthouse lawn are common, and low winter sun throws long shadows across the brick walkways by mid-afternoon. Jasper runs on Central Time, which is worth remembering when checking the light from another time zone.

Things to Do Near Jasper, Alabama

The Bankhead House and Heritage Center was home to William B. Bankhead, the longtime congressman and two-term Speaker of the House, and to the actress Tallulah Bankhead, and it is open for tours. President Franklin Roosevelt came to Jasper in 1940 for William Bankhead’s memorial service. The town is also home to the Carl Elliott House Museum, and the First Methodist Church, one of the named buildings in the historic district, stands on Third Avenue just off the courthouse square.

Out of town, Walker County Public Lake covers 66 hectares (163 acres) and is stocked with bluegill and catfish. Lewis Smith Lake, completed by Alabama Power in 1961, spreads across Walker, Winston and Cullman counties, with 85 square kilometers (21,000 acres) of water and 1,033 kilometers (642 miles) of shoreline. At 80 meters (264 feet) deep it is the deepest lake in Alabama, and its rock formations and cliff jumps are well known around the state. In Bankhead National Forest, the Clear Creek Recreation Area has hiking and biking trails, and the Sipsey Wilderness inside the same forest is known for its many waterfalls.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more small-town squares and Alabama views, try these cameras next.

• Toomer’s Corner Webcam
• Jackson Hole Town Square Webcam
• Stevenson Railcam Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Jasper, Alabama located?

Jasper is in Walker County in north-central Alabama, about 56 kilometers (35 miles) northwest of downtown Birmingham in a straight line. The camera looks over the courthouse lawn in the center of town.

What can you see on the Jasper Alabama Webcam?

The camera faces roughly south across the Walker County Courthouse lawn: large shade trees, brick walkways and a broad set of steps, a Pinnacle Bank building on the left, brick storefronts on the right and wooded ridges in the distance. The sky fills the top third of the picture.

What is the weather like in Jasper, Alabama?

Expect hot, humid summers with July highs near 32 C (90 F), mild springs and autumns, and short cool winters with January highs of 11 C (52 F) and lows around -1 C (31 F). The town gets about 1,571 millimeters (61.8 inches) of precipitation a year.

Why does the Jasper Alabama Webcam stop playing?

The player pauses itself after about five minutes of viewing and switches to a still image. Click or tap the player to start the live stream again.

Who operates the Jasper SkyCam?

ABC 33/40 runs it as one of its Sky Cams, alongside the forecasts from chief meteorologist James Spann and the station’s Weather Authority team.

Is downtown Jasper a historic district?

Yes. The Jasper Downtown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 31, 2004, and covers about 160 hectares (400 acres) around the courthouse square.

What is Jasper, Alabama known for?

Coal mining and the railroads built the town after 1886, and it is closely tied to the Bankhead political family. Their house, once home to Speaker William B. Bankhead and actress Tallulah Bankhead, is now a heritage center.

Source: ABC 33/40