Ice Storm in Alabama, January 28 to 29, 2005

Name: Ice Storm in Alabama, January 28 to 29, 2005
Start: 2005-01-28T19:45
End: 2005-01-29T09:00
Location: Alabama

January 28 to 29, 2005 · NWS BMX · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $425,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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.

Strong Cold Air Damming along the Southern Appalachians provided a continuous source of surface cold and dry air from the east. This colder air, in combination with an approaching storm system with abundant gulf moisture, changed the rain to freezing rain across a large part of eastern Alabama. One man was slightly injured when the vehicle he was driving slid off the road near Mt. Cheaha in Cleburne County. At least 15 additional vehicles slid off the roadways under the icy conditions. Exposed surfaces had ice accumulation to at least one half of an inch with a few locations reporting ice accumulations of around one inch. Numerous trees, tree limbs, and power lines were knocked down and many of the fallen trees temporarily blocked roadways. Several homes and vehicles were damaged by the fallen trees. Several area bridges became totally iced over and were very hazardous for travel. Many roads were temporarily closed due to icing. Power outages were widespread during the early morning hours with up to 30,000 homes and businesses without power. The rain changed over to freezing rain just after sunset on January 28. Icing conditions started in the early evening hours and tampered off to no additional significant accumulations early on January 29.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Clay

When: January 28, 7:45 PM CST to January 29, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Property damage: $65,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 33.269, -85.861 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Tallapoosa

When: January 28, 7:45 PM CST to January 29, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Tallapoosa forecast zone
Property damage: $70,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 32.862, -85.797 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Chambers

When: January 28, 8:45 PM CST to January 29, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Chambers forecast zone
Property damage: $75,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 32.914, -85.392 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Cherokee

When: January 28, 8:45 PM CST to January 29, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Cherokee forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 34.176, -85.604 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Cleburne

When: January 28, 8:45 PM CST to January 29, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Cleburne forecast zone
Property damage: $40,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 33.675, -85.519 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Randolph

When: January 28, 8:45 PM CST to January 29, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Randolph forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 33.294, -85.459 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Lee

When: January 29, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Lee forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 32.601, -85.356 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Ice Storm: Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alabama in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Alabama, January 2005

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5434959, 5434962, 5434826, 5434958, 5434960, 5434961, 5434963.