NWS Birmingham, Alabama

Weather Forecast Office

Ice Storm of February 1-2, 1996

Ice Storm of February 1-2, 1996

Overview

Surface/Upper Air

Videos

Photos

Radar Loop

Other Links

Overview

On Thursday, February 1st, a cold air mass was already in place across much of the Southeast. Highs that afternoon were only in the 30s for most locations in north and central Alabama. By late afternoon and early evening, moisture from the Gulf of Mexico began to flow northward across the region ahead of a developing low pressure system off the Louisiana coast. The warm, moist air was lifted up and over the shallow layer of cold air in place near the surface. The result was a mix of freezing and frozen precipitation that fell across the northern half of Alabama from Thursday evening into Friday. The wintry precipitation ended across the state by Saturday morning.

A period of freezing rain followed by light snow brought traffic to a complete standstill across north Alabama. Ice accumulations up to 1 inch downed numerous trees and caused power outages. A number of chicken houses in the northern part of the state collapsed under the weight of the ice and snow. Ice and snow accumulations varied widely with some of the highest amounts reported in the 1 to 3 inch range. Effects of the storm lingered into Monday and Tuesday when a number of school systems remained closed, primarily because of problems associated with travel. Temperatures also plummeted in the days that followed. High temperatures only rose into the teens for many locations from February 3rd-5th, with lows dropping into the single digits.

Surface/Upper Air

Surface Charts

Feb 1st

Feb 2nd

KBMX Upper Air Soundings

6 AM Feb 1st	6 PM Feb 1st	6 AM Feb 2nd
6 PM Feb 2nd

Upper Air Charts

250 mb Chart at 6 AM Feb 1st	500 mb Chart at 6 AM Feb 1st	850 mb Chart at 6 AM Feb 1st
250 mb Chart at 6 PM Feb 1st	500 mb Chart at 6 PM Feb 1st	850 mb Chart at 6 PM Feb 1st
250 mb Chart at 6 AM Feb 2nd	500 mb Chart at 6 AM Feb 2nd	850 mb Chart at 6 AM Feb 2nd
250 mb Chart at 6 PM Feb 2nd	500 mb Chart at 6 PM Feb 2nd	850 mb Chart at 6 PM Feb 2nd

Radar Loop

Photos

Baileyton, AL Courtesy of Tara Goggins	Baileyton, AL Courtesy of Tara Goggins	Cottondale, AL Courtesy of Eric T. Lewis	McCalla, AL Courtesy of Renee Cayton
McCalla, AL Courtesy of Renee Cayton	Huntsville, AL Alabama Department of Archives and History Donated by Alabama Media Group. Photo by Dave Dieter, Huntsville Times.	Huntsville, AL Alabama Department of Archives and History Donated by Alabama Media Group. Photo by Michael A. Mercier, Huntsville Times.	Huntsville, AL Alabama Department of Archives and History Donated by Alabama Media Group. Photo by Alan Warren, Huntsville Times.

Videos

WHNT 19 Coverage of North Alabama Ice Storm - 2/2/96: Courtesy of Bamawxcom
Ice Storm - Morgan County, Alabama - 2/2/96: Courtesy of Bamawxcom
February 2nd 1996 Winter Storm Coverage: Courtesy of Kevin Osgood

Other Links

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