Alabama, 1996

Winter Storm in Alabama, December 18, 1996

December 18, 1996 · NWS BMX · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

A snow storm that began in the early afternoon hours across the central sections of the state dumped 1 to 3 inches of snow on parts of the state. It was over by early evening.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 16 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$240,000
Crop damage
$320,000
Events
16

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BMX wrote it up.

A snow storm that began in the early afternoon hours across the central sections of the state dumped 1 to 3 inches of snow on parts of the state. It was over by early evening. Schools and businesses let out early on the 18th across much of the area affected. A few roads became slick but there were no major travel problems reported. The snow remained on the ground in some areas for about two days. Here is a list of snowfall totals by county: Autauga 2-3" Bullock 1" Chambers 2" Chilton 1" Clay 2" Coosa 2.5" Dallas < 1" Elmore 2" Lee 2" Lowndes 2" Macon 1-2" Montgomery 2-3" Pike < 1" Randolph 2-3" Russell 1-2" Tallapoosa 2"

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Clay

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Clay forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
33.269, -85.861 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Randolph

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Randolph forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
33.294, -85.459 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Chilton

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Chilton forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
32.848, -86.719 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Coosa

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Coosa forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
32.936, -86.248 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Tallapoosa

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Tallapoosa forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
32.862, -85.797 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Chambers

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Chambers forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
32.914, -85.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Dallas

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Dallas forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
32.326, -87.106 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Autauga

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Autauga forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
32.535, -86.643 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lowndes

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Lowndes forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
32.155, -86.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Elmore

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Elmore forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
32.597, -86.149 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Montgomery

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
32.220, -86.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Macon

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Macon forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
32.386, -85.693 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Bullock

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Bullock forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
32.100, -85.716 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lee

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Lee forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
32.601, -85.356 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Russell

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Russell forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
32.288, -85.185 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pike

When
December 18, 2:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Pike forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Coordinates
31.803, -85.941 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Alabama in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, December 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5581423, 5581424, 5581425, 5581426, 5581427, 5581428, 5581429, 5581430, 5581431, 5581432, 5581433, 5581434, 5581435, 5581436, 5581437, 5581438.