Dangerous Icing Situation…Some Late Reports

| December 15, 2010 @ 9:36 am | Reply

Icing continues across a wide area of Alabama this morning, generally northeast of a line from Tuscaloosa to Selma to Troy.

Take a close look to see official temperatures at 9 a.m. on the graphic above.

There have been numerous wrecks this morning over a wide area from West Alabama all the way to near Troy in South central Alabama, where unfortunately there were two fatalities in an accident on US-231 around 8 a.m.

At this hour, a mix of sleet and freezing rain continues from Franklin and Winston Counties southeastward through Cullman… Walker… Blount… Jefferson… Shelby… St. Clair… Talladega… Coosa… Tallapoosa… Elmore and Bullock Counties.

This precipitation area is lifting slowly northeastward ahead of a warm front, so the precipitation will be affecting the rest of Northeast and East Alabama through the morning hours.

Precipitation will begin soon in southern Marshall, Etowah, Calhoun, Randolph and Chambers Counties spreading eastward into Cherokee and Cleburne Counties before 11 a.m.

Temperatures are starting to go above freezing over south and western parts of the area. The temperature at Tuscaloosa is now 34F. It is 33F at Montgomery and 35F at Greenville. This warmer air will continue to work northeastward through the day.

But for now, temperatures are around 30F in the Birmingham area and in the upper 20s to near 30F over East Alabama. When the precipitation first arrives in eastern sections, readings may actually fall a degree or two thanks to evaporational cooling.

Vic Bell has 26F up on Lookout Mountain. Some of those higher elevations spots in Northeast Alabama might stay below freezing until well after noon…so that is a concern.

Try to delay your travel until temperatures edge above freezing in your location. Remember that bridges and overpasses are colder since they are elevated, so they ice first and stay icy longer. If you must travel, go slow and leave plenty of distance between you and the driver in front of you. Be alert on steps, sidewalks, porches and decks as they also ice easily. We have already had reports of slip and fall injuries including one person who fell in front of Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscloosa.

Dress warmly and be sensible today!

LATE REPORTS
…Dan Thigpen reports several streets in Hueytown closed due to ice.
…Reports of a 4 vehicle accident on I-65 at Warrior Exit…caused by icing
…Sleet reported in Smoke Rise…beginning to accumulate…
…Freezing rain now reported in Rockford in Coosa county and at Auburn University.
…Jefferson County deputies reports some roads in and around Forestdale are “sheets of ice”.
…In Irondale…icing reported on bridges at Kilgore Memorial Drive.

Category: Alabama's Weather

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Bill Murray is the President of The Weather Factory. He is the site's official weather historian and a weekend forecaster. He also anchors the site's severe weather coverage. Bill Murray is the proud holder of National Weather Association Digital Seal #0001 @wxhistorian

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