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: 2005-01-29T08:00
Location: Alabama

January 28 to 29, 2005 · NWS BMX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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: $90,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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. Exposed surfaces had ice accumulation to at least one quarter of an inch with a few locations reporting ice accumulations of around one half inch. Several trees, tree limbs, and power lines were knocked down and many of the fallen trees temporarily blocked roadways. 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. Light freezing rain accumulated in trees across Jefferson, Shelby, Chilton, Elmore, Autauga, Coosa, Macon, and Russell counties but was not a hazardous situation.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, St. Clair

When: January 28, 7:45 PM CST to January 29, 7:00 AM CST
Where: St. Clair forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.716, -86.315 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Talladega

When: January 28, 7:45 PM CST to January 29, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Talladega forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.380, -86.166 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Blount

When: January 28, 7:45 PM CST to January 29, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Blount forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.981, -86.567 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Etowah

When: January 28, 8:45 PM CST to January 29, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Etowah forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.045, -86.035 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Calhoun

When: January 28, 8:45 PM CST to January 29, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Calhoun forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.771, -85.826 (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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5434964, 5434965, 5434967, 5434966, 5434968.