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(Cheaha State Park January 2011-Courtesy Tammy Powers)
The last winter season was a wild one here in Alabama and I’ll never forget the snow falling on Christmas Day. While amounts were on the light side, there were some heavier totals over northeast sections of the area. After Christmas it was time for another round of winter weather! The most severe winter weather event happened on January 9th and 10th as freezing rain and sleet caused some big time icing issues. There were numerous traffic accidents, along with travel nightmares for Tiger fans trying to depart Birmingham for a Championship football game.
This is Winter Weather Awareness week in Alabama, a time to prepare for the wintry threats that can impact our state. While snow, ice, and extreme cold may happen more frequently in the northern states, we are sometimes exposed to some of the harshest winter weather. In Alabama, some of the coldest temperatures can be in the single digit range, with wind chills below zero. These types of temperatures occur when pattern shifts across the high latitudes allow Arctic air to invade the southeast. In December 1989, temperatures plummeted into the single digit range, with wind chill values in the 0 to 15 below range; five people lost their lives in Alabama. One of the most tragic cold blasts was in January 1982. There were 20 fatalities linked to the weather, a total of 16,000 residents had to find emergency shelter
When it comes to snow, there are several noteworthy events. The one system that’s always remarkably fresh on everybody’s mind was the 1993 “Storm of The Century”. During this winter storm, blizzard warnings were issued for parts of Alabama. At one point thunder and blowing snow was being reported, with wind gusts topping 30 mph across Central Alabama. Snow totals reached a foot in many spots and Alabama was crippled for several days as power companies worked furiously to restore service across our area.
Snow is not the only winter precipitation threat. The air temperature between the base of clouds and the earth’s surface is critical in determining the form of precipitation. In some cases a warm layer of air above the ground can cause frozen precipitation to melt or partially melt. This can result in sleet that can lead to very icy situations. If liquid precipitation falls into a thin layer of air below freezing at the earth’s surface, major icing can occur. Freezing rain is the most dangerous of all forms of winter precipitation. If enough accumulation occurs, this glaze can easily bring down large tree limbs and power lines. The last of these types of events in Alabama happened back in 2005, when significant icing developed over Randolph and Chambers Counties. It only took a quarter inch of ice to cause widespread power outages.
Over the coming weeks you may want to think about storing some items in a safe place, perhaps in the back of the carport. When a winter storm threatens at-least you will be ahead of the game. Keep some extra batteries on-hand. I like to keep an extra propane tank for the grill. Other items to think about are extra blankets, gas for generators, fresh water, and non-perishable food items. For much more on winter weather awareness week click here to visit the National Weather Service site.
Wes Wyatt
Fox 6 Meteorologist
wwyatt@wbrc.com
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