National Weather Service offices in Alabama, including
NWS Huntsville, are conducting Winter Weather Awareness Week
from Monday, December 3, through Friday, December
7, 2007. The purpose of this week is to call attention
to the winter weather that we experience in northern Alabama
and southern middle Tennessee--yes, we do get winter weather!
The winter of 2006-2007 was relatively
mild and dry, but there was a notable snowfall on February
1st that brought around an inch of snow to the region. Another
minor icing event occurred about a week later. These types
of events can cause travel headaches, but the Tennessee Valley
has experienced more significant winter storms in the past,
such as:
- 1993 "Storm of the Century":
Huntsville received 7.3 inches of snow, 17.7 inches of snow
fell on Valley Head, and a foot of snow was reported in
Scottsboro.
- 1963-1964 New Year's Storm: An all-time
record snow event for the city of Huntsville that resulted
in 17.1 inches of snow over a 24-hour period.
(For more information on both events, visit our significant
weather event posters page.)
The Tennessee Valley does experience winter weather--and
now is the perfect time of the year to check your
winter preparedness plans. Make sure your NOAA Weather
Radio has fresh batteries in it. Make sure you have a means
of receiving winter weather information, and be prepared in
case you have no way to travel.
Note: Some of the snowfall and ice accumulation criteria
that prompt the issuance of winter weather advisories and
warnings will be changing this fall across north Alabama.
More information can be found
here. |