Archive for January 17th, 2013
Shelter Open in Cullman for Stranded Motorists
UPDATE 10:25
Reports from WHNT in Hunstville indicate that traffic is finally flowing again. That is great news.
ORIGINAL POST
We have a major situation continuing tonight on I-65 in Cullman County where multiple accidents from earlier today shut down the interstate and have stranded motorists tonight. There are reports that people are running out of gas and don’t have access to food.
The Cullman Civic Center has been opened as a shelter for those stranded on the interstate.
While this situation still has to be resolved, with both lanes of the interstate still closed, there is also a threat of black ice through the overnight and into the early morning anywhere water has refrozen on roads or where slush and snow didn’t have time to melt and evaporate completely.
Please check road conditions and take care if driving late tonight through early Friday morning. Drive as if your life depends on it. It does!
Bye Bye Snow
It has certainly been an interesting weather day across North and Central Alabama as a powerful upper level low pressure system crossed the state.
As it did, strong dynamic cooling caused by the decreasing pressure in the atmosphere allowed temperatures aloft to become very cold. Meanwhile, a surface low advancing ahead of the upper low, was able to throw lots of moisture back into the upper lows circulation, where it cooled into snowflakes and fell over Mississippi and Alabama.
Strong mesoscale forcing allowed the system to overcome a 40+ degree ground and produced accumulating snows over much of West Central and Northwest Alabama. The cold air aloft meant temperatures dropped rapidly with height, with makes for unstable conditions. The instability led to convection. Several lightning strikes were observed and many people from Cullman County down through Walker and into Jefferson and St. Clair Counties heard thunder with the heaviest snow.
The result was a widespread 1 to 2 inch snowfall, with some 3 inch amounts reported. There will undoubtedly be a few higher amounts as well when all the reports come in.
Some folks were pleasantly surprised. Some were thoroughly disappointed. Sorry about that snow fans. You’ll get ‘em next time.
All the snow is gone now. Clearing skies actually made it into eastern Alabama before dark and the stage is set for a cold night. Temperatures will drop to between 25-28F overnight. The falling mercury should reach freezing by 9-10 p.m. in most locations. This will allow slush and any standing water on roadways to freeze and become hazardous.
Some roads will be closed this evening. Check travel conditions if you must travel tonight. Roads in Cordova are closing at 7 p.m. and will remain closed until tomorrow morning.
Checking travel conditions will be imperative in the morning as well with the remaining ice around until mid-morning in spots that did not dry before the freezing conditions arrived.
Several school systems are delaying starts tomorrow morning, including Blount (3 hour delay), Oneonta (2 hour delay), Chilton (2 hour delay) and Trussville City (2 hour delay). Cullman Schools are reportedly closed for the day. All prudent moves.
Beware Dangerous Black Ice Tonight / In the Morning
We have a report that Adamsville Police have shut down their roads because of hazardous conditions.
Hoover Schools were holding buses and high school students until road conditions could be determined.
It is a slow go this afternoon for people traveling through areas where the heavy snow band dumped 1-2 inches quickly this afternoon. Be very careful if you are driving in these areas. Hills are slippery. Bridges are overpasses as well. There are numerous traffic accidents and backups.
Expect more problems late tonight when the temperature drops below freezing and freezes any slush or melted ice that remains on roadways. Dangerous patches of black ice will form tonight before midnight and remain until tomorrow morning.
Some East Alabama roads may remain slushy since the clearing won’t reach there until after sunset. This slush could freeze and make things very slippery as well.
Some schools will delay their starts in the morning. Trussville City Schools have announced a two hour delay tomorrow morning.
CORRECTION Corridor X was still having problems in some areas at late afternoon, as reported by Corridor X, which was snowcovered earlier, is already clear thanks to the sun.
Terry Sasser reports two inches of snow in Gardendale.
2.5 inches has been reported in Bluff Park.
Snow Band Will Push Into East Alabama
Our band of heavy snow is pushing into eastern Alabama after dumping some heavy snowfall amounts from the Hunsville area down through Walker, Winston, Cullman, Fayette, Tuscaloosa, Jefferson, Shelby and back into Mississippi.
Many roads are snow covered and slushy where heavier snow has fallen .
We have a report that the Hueytown FD is shutting down roads in that area. There are many reports of traffic at a standstill.
A report from our Skywatcher Terry Sasser: Hwy 31 between Finley Blvd and Fultondale is impassible. The steep ridges with the bridges won’t let vehicles gain traction. My daugher said they are sanding them now.
Marshall County is asking people to curtail travel there:
ONGOING SNOW AND SLEET HAS CAUSED MANY ROADS TO BECOME VERY
DANGEROUS…IF NOT IMPASSIBLE. THIS IS PARTICULARLY THE CASE ON
BRINDLEE MOUNTAIN…SAND MOUNTAIN AND IN THE BOAZ COMMUNITY.
This is I-65 near Exit 310 from @nvyoung on Twitter:
It started to snow a short time ago in Talladega.
Snow will spread across eastern Cullman, Blount, eastern Jefferson, Shelby, Talladega, St. Clair, Etowah Cherokee, Calhoun, CLay, Randoplh and Cleburne Counties over the next hour.
The sky is brightening already over western Alabama when clearing is following the back edge of the snow closely.
Here is the Skycam from Tuscaloosa:
Here is the visible satellite:
Conditions will improve quickly warming temps for areas that see some sunshine this afternoon. Clearing should reach the Birmingham area by 4 p.m., which will help a little with the melting.
Hopefully, things can dry out before the mercury goes below freezing later this evening. Any leftover moisture on roads will freeze tonight, setting up dangerous patches of black ice that can be deadly when encountered by unsuspecting motorists.
Anyone driving late tonight or early Friday morning needs to check road conditions before setting out and needs to exercise extreme caution where ice or slush is on roadways.
Heavy Snow in Birmingham Area
Two reports from the NWS Birmingham from the Metro:
…Adamsville [Jefferson Co, AL] law enforcement reports HEAVY RAIN of U0.00 INCH at 01:30 PM CST — snow is quickly accumulating on roadways in Adamsville. roads are becoming impassible with multiple wrecks reported.
…Vestavia Hills [Jefferson Co, AL] law enforcement reports SNOW of E1.5 INCH at 01:30 PM CST — one and a half to two inches of accumulations reported at the Vestavia PD. Roads are becoming slick due to the snow.
Jim Westland at the NWS reports 1/2 mile visibility at their office in heaviest snow of day, but traffic flying by on I-65. Folks need to slow down.
Terry Sasser reported silver dollar sized flakes between Fultondale and Gardendale a short while ago. Here is an image from his live stream about that time.
You can view his stream at: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/TerrySasserLiveStream
