Not Too Late for Snow

This is not a story about the Blizzard of ’93. Instead, it is to mention just three snow events that happened at this time of year. Just goes to show that it is still not absolutely impossible to have snow before the season is over.

MARCH 21, 1915
In the pre-dawn hours, nearly 3 inches of snow fell on Birmingham one day before the official arrival of spring. The high later that day was 48 and all of the snow was gone by nightfall.

MARCH 13, 1924
Yes, today is the anniversary of that heavy, wet snow. It occurred 83 years ago today. Heavy wet snow covered a large part of North and Central Alabama. It clung to everything and caused lots of damage. There were major interruptions in communications. It was probably the most damaging snow ever in the month of March until the Blizzard of ’93. In that 1924 storm, Birmingham got 6.5 inches of snow–all of it falling in less than 12 hours. At that time, Birmingham had 50 long distance telephone circuits and 45 of them were crippled. Western Union reported that all telegraph lines out of Birmingham failed, except one to New Orleans. The Birmingham Weather Office was cut off from everybody. By late afternoon and early evening, at least 4 inches of snow covered Chilton County in the heart of Central Alabama, as well as the Tuscaloosa area. Even Montgomery was a mantle of white. At Greensboro in Hale County, there was the unusual site of robins hopping about on the heavy blanket of snow. Some official totals from that big March 13, 1924 storm:

6 inches in Greensboro and Talladega
5 inches in Anniston
6.5 inches in Birmingham
4 inches in Clanton
1.4 inches in Montgomery

In Eastern Mississippi, the Meridian Weather Office reported big snowball parties all over the city during that evening.

MARCH 24, 1983
2 inches of snow fell at Birmingham, which is the latest in the season that measureable snow had ever been recorded. However, a few snow flurries occurred on April 25, 1910 and they lasted for three hours. It was followed by a heavy frost the next morning on April 26, 1910.

BLIZZARD OF ’93
A little later today we will post an extensive article on that great event, including a complete list of snow depths. Several days ago, Bill Murray also posted a nice story. Check back for that. It is ironic that we are talking so much about snow, when the temperature could reach 80 again this afternoon.

Category: Uncategorized