Alabama, 2008

Heavy Snow in Alabama, January 19, 2008

January 19, 2008 · NWS MOB · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A low pressure system moved northeast across the northern Gulf of Mexico and into northern Florida during the morning. This produced a large shield of moderate to heavy rain that changed to snow during the morning across portions of southwest Alabama.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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 MOB wrote it up.

A low pressure system moved northeast across the northern Gulf of Mexico and into northern Florida during the morning. This produced a large shield of moderate to heavy rain that changed to snow during the morning across portions of southwest Alabama. The heaviest snow fell across Choctaw County where amounts near 4 inches were observed over the west central part of the county. Snowfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches fell across the remainder of Choctaw...northern Washington...northern Clarke and northwestern Wilcox counties.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Mobile, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 19, 9:22 AM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 9:22 AM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 19, 7:40 AM CST, 2 hours 50 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Choctaw

When
January 19, 10:30 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Choctaw forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
32.020, -88.263 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Washington

When
January 19, 10:30 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
31.408, -88.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Clarke

When
January 19, 10:30 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Clarke forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
31.677, -87.831 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wilcox

When
January 19, 10:30 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Wilcox forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
31.989, -87.308 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Alabama in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, January 2008

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: 77214, 77215, 77216, 77217.