A surface low in the northern Gulf of Mexico along with an upper level disturbance moving southeastward from the Great Plains contributed to heavy snowfall on Christmas Day in Alabama, resulting in the first White Christmas for much of the area. Precipitation began during the early morning hours in northwest Central Alabama and spread eastward through the day.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS BMX wrote it up.
A surface low in the northern Gulf of Mexico along with an upper level disturbance moving southeastward from the Great Plains contributed to heavy snowfall on Christmas Day in Alabama, resulting in the first White Christmas for much of the area. Precipitation began during the early morning hours in northwest Central Alabama and spread eastward through the day. Many locations saw precipitation begin as rain and change over to snow. In some places, this change over was brief. In others, warm ground conditions caused snowfall to melt on contact, preventing significant accumulation. Snowfall totals ranged from a trace as far south as Troy to 4.00 inches in several locations across north Central Alabama. In many locations, snowfall up to 1.5 inches accumulated on grassy surfaces, not causing any inconvenience to travel or threat to life or property.
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 Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 24, 11:49 PM CST, 4 hours 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1149 PM CST FRI DEC 24 2010 .UPDATE...06Z AVIATION. && .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES EXPECTED THIS EVENING AS DRIER AIR REMAINS ENTRENCHED ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. CLOUDS AND RAIN ARE NOT FAR AWAY AS PRECIPITATION IS SHOWING UP OVER WESTERN TENNESSEE. WITH CLEAR SKIES EXPECTED THIS EVENING...TEMPERATURES WILL FALL QUICKLY AND COULD RESULT IN SOME NEAR FREEZING TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE EXTREME NORTHERN COUNTIES. DUE TO DRY LAYER OF AIR BELOW 850MB...ANY PRECIPITATION THAT FALLS BEFORE SUNRISE WILL BE LIGHT. DO NOT PLAN ON ISSUING ANY ADVISORIES AT THIS TIME...BUT THE SITUATION WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED...IN CASE OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN DEVELOPS. THE PRECIPITATION TYPE WILL CHANGE OVER TO A RAIN/SNOW MIX AS SURFACE TEMPERATURES WARM AND MID LEVELS COOL BELOW THE ZERO ISOTHERM. IT STILL LOOKS LIKE THE BEST FORCING WILL STAY JUST TO THE SOUTH OF RAIN/SNOW LINE. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT EVEN THROUGH TEMPERATURES COOL BELOW FREEZING THROUGH MUCH OF THE COLUMN... TEMPERATURES IN THE BOUNDARY LAYER WILL STAY JUST WARM ENOUGH TO CAUSE SNOW TO PARTIALLY MELT...AND RESULT IN MAINLY A RAIN/SNOW MIXTURE. MAY SEE SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATION IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NORTHEAST ALABAMA SATURDAY MORNING. THE RAIN/SNOW LINE WILL PUSH SOUTHWARD DURING THE DAY SATURDAY...POSSIBLY REACHING THE MONTGOMERY-AUBURN AREAS BY SUNSET. LIGHT SNOW WILL FALL SATURDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY ACROSS ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. THERE MAY BE TRAVEL ISSUES SATURDAY EVENING AS TEMPERATURES FALL TO FREEZING...BUT NORTH WINDS 10-15 MPH WILL HELP DRY OUT ROAD CONDITIONS QUICKLY. VERY COLD AIR ADVECTION ON SUNDAY AND ENOUGH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE FOR A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW...BUT PROBABLY NOT OF ENOUGH DURATION TO ACCUMULATE. 58/ROSE .LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. COLD ADVECTION WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY WITH NORTHERLY WINDS ALOFT AND AT THE SURFACE. WIND CHILLS WILL BE NEAR FREEZING AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN COUNTIES. HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES NEAR THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING OFF INTO THE TEENS AND LOWER 20S. THE AIR MASS BEGINS TO MODIFY BY TUESDAY WITH AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S AND NOT QUITE AS COLD TUESDAY NIGHT AS UPPER LEVEL WINDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST BEGIN TO BRING IN HIGH LEVEL CLOUD COVER AND ALSO A LITTLE MORE MIXING IN THE BOUNDARY LAYER AS HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO SHIFT EAST. HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT OFF THE EAST COAST BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH SOUTHERLY FLOW AND WARMER AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES. THIS TREND CONTINUES THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WITH ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AS RETURN FLOW REALLY BEGINS TO PICK UP BY THE END OF THE WEEK. DEEP SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL SEND SEVERAL SHORTWAVES THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST BEGINNING THURSDAY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS DEVELOPING. SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY SURGE POSSIBLE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY AS LARGE UPPER LOW SHIFTS ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND STRONG LOW LEVEL JET BEGINS TO SET UP. THIS SHOULD LEAD TO SOME DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS PERHAPS AS EARLY AS FRIDAY BUT ESPECIALLY INTO SATURDAY AS A COLD FRONT ADVANCES TOWARDS THE DEEP SOUTH. 88 && .AVIATION...06Z TAF DISCUSSION. NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED WITH THIS FORECAST PACKAGE...STILL A RATHER COMPLEX SITUATION SET TO UNFOLD ON CHRISTMAS DAY. MID CLOUD DECK WILL CONTINUE TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA TONIGHT. CIGS WILL LOWER THRU THE PERIOD. MVFR CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED TOMORROW AFTN /EVNG. PRECIP WILL BEGIN AS ALL RAIN IN THE FAR NORTH AFTER 09Z. THIS RAIN WILL SLOWLY TRANSITION TO A RAIN/SNOW MIX THEN TO ALL SNOW FROM NORTH TO SOUTH TOMORROW AS COLDER AIR FILTERS INTO THE FORECAST AREA. THE ONLY REAL CHANGE HAS BEEN TO SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS...BUT CONFIDENCE IN THESE SNOW AMOUNTS REMAINS RATHER LOW. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THAT AROUND AN INCH OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHEAST...INCLUDING ANB. A DUSTING TO ONE QUARTER INCH IS POSSIBLE FOR AREAS IN AND AROUND TCL/BHM/EET. NO ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED AT THE SOUTHERN TERMINALS. WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT OVERNIGHT...WITH NW WINDS INCREASING THRU THE DAY TOMORROW. NOTICE...KEET TAF WILL HAVE (AMD LTD TO VIS WIND AND WX) AMENDED TO THE END OF THE FORECAST THROUGH THE END OF THE 2010/2011 WINTER SEASON. THE CEILOMETER DATA WILL BE GOING THROUGH NUMEROUS TESTS AND MONITORED FOR ACCURACY. 19 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 942 PM CST FRI DEC 24 2010 ALZ011>015-017>050-260342- AUTAUGA-BARBOUR-BIBB-BLOUNT-BULLOCK-CALHOUN-CHAMBERS-CHEROKEE- CHILTON-CLAY-CLEBURNE-COOSA-DALLAS-ELMORE-ETOWAH-FAYETTE-GREENE-HALE- JEFFERSON-LAMAR-LEE-LOWNDES-MACON-MARENGO-MARION-MONTGOMERY-PERRY- PICKENS-PIKE-RANDOLPH-RUSSELL-SHELBY-ST CLAIR-SUMTER-TALLADEGA- TALLAPOOSA-TUSCALOOSA-WALKER-WINSTON- 942 PM CST FRI DEC 24 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. A COMPLEX SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES AND A WEAK GULF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL RESULT IN A CHANCE OF SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA ON CHRISTMAS DAY. IT APPEARS THAT SOME LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST ALABAMA. THE PRECIPITATION WILL START AS SOME LIGHT RAIN OR SLEET AND QUICKLY TRANSITION TO SNOW. THERE IS A WINDOW OF 4 OR 5 HOURS BETWEEN 8 AM AND 4 PM WHERE SOME MEASURABLE SNOW WILL FALL. AT THIS TIME...AROUND ONE INCH OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE IN THE ADVISORY AREA...ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. MUCH OF THE ACCUMULATION WILL BE ON GRASSY AND EXPOSED SURFACES. AS THE SNOW FALLS...SURFACE TEMPERATURES WILL BE VERY CLOSE TO FREEZING BUT MAY HOVER A DEGREE OR TWO ABOVE FREEZING. THIS WILL ALLOW MUCH OF THE SNOW TO MELT ON THE ROAD SURFACES...BUT A FEW SLICK SPOTS MAY DEVELOP. EXERCISE EXTRA CAUTION IF TRAVELING ON CHRISTMAS. ON SUNDAY...SNOW FLURRIES WILL LIKELY CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE TO AROUND 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1004 PM CST FRI DEC 24 2010 ALZ011>015-017>050-251200- AUTAUGA-BARBOUR-BIBB-BLOUNT-BULLOCK-CALHOUN-CHAMBERS-CHEROKEE- CHILTON-CLAY-CLEBURNE-COOSA-DALLAS-ELMORE-ETOWAH-FAYETTE-GREENE-HALE- JEFFERSON-LAMAR-LEE-LOWNDES-MACON-MARENGO-MARION-MONTGOMERY-PERRY- PICKENS-PIKE-RANDOLPH-RUSSELL-SHELBY-ST CLAIR-SUMTER-TALLADEGA- TALLAPOOSA-TUSCALOOSA-WALKER-WINSTON- 1004 PM CST FRI DEC 24 2010 ...SNOW POSSIBLE ON CHRISTMAS DAY... ...SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE ON GRASSY AND ELEVATED SURFACES... A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL TRACK ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO ON CHRISTMAS DAY. THERE APPEARS TO BE ENOUGH LIFT...MOISTURE AND COLD AIR THAT SNOW WILL FALL. SOME LIGHT PRECIPITATION WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN SECTIONS BY DAYBREAK. THIS PRECIPITATION AREA WILL SLOWLY MOVE SOUTH AND EAST THROUGH THE DAY. THE PRECIPITATION WILL START OFF AS LIGHT RAIN...POSSIBLY MIXING WITH FREEZING RAIN...SLEET OR SNOW...BUT NO ACCUMULATIONS OF FROZEN PRECIPITATION ARE EXPECTED BY SUNRISE. AS THE DAY PROGRESSES...COLDER AIR QUICKLY MOVES INTO THE REGION. THE RAIN WILL BEGIN TO MIX WITH OR CHANGE-OVER TO LIGHT SNOW ALONG AND NORTH OF I-20. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR AREAS EAST OF A LINE FROM ONEONTA TO TALLADEGA TO WEDOWEE. AROUND ONE INCH SNOW ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE IN THIS AREA...MAINLY IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS ON GRASSY AND EXPOSED SURFACES. FOR AREAS OUTSIDE THE ADVISORY NEAR AND NORTH OF I-20 MAY RECEIVE A DUSTING OF WET SNOW. TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY REMAIN AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE FREEZING WHILE THE PRECIPITATION IS FALLING AND ROAD SURFACES WILL GENERALLY REMAIN JUST WET. AREAS AS FAR SOUTH AS DEMOPOLIS...SELMA...PRATTVILLE...AND OPELIKA COULD SEE LIGHT SNOW OR A RAIN SNOW MIX BY SUNSET. LITTLE TO NO GROUND ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED...ALTHOUGH A DUSTING OR SO IS POSSIBLE ON ELEVATED SURFACES. SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY...LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. SOME AREAS MAY EXPERIENCE A LIGHT DUSTING. IN ADDITION...LATE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY...FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP. AS A RESULT...ANY LEFT OVER MOISTURE MAY FREEZE RESULTING IN A FEW SLICK SPOTS. WIND CHILLS SUNDAY MORNING WILL BE IN THE TEENS OR LOW 20S AREA WIDE. 75
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall totals averaged 2.5 inches across the county, with isolated totals of 4.0 inches near Hackleburg, in the far northeastern portion of the county.
Snowfall totals averaged 2.0 inches across the county, with a maximum total of 3.0 inches in Haleyville.
Snowfall totals ranged from 1.0 inch in the southeastern portion of Lamar county to 2.5 inches in northern portions of the county.
An average snowfall accumulation of 1.5 inches occurred across the county with isolated higher amounts, including in the higher elevations of the county where 2.2 inches accumulated on Pine Mountain.
An average snowfall accumulation of 1.5 inches occurred across the county with isolated higher amounts, including in the higher elevations of the northern portion of the county where 2.0 inches accumulated.
An average snowfall accumulation of 2.5 inches occurred across the county with isolated amounts of 3.0 inches.
An average snowfall accumulation of 2.0 inches occurred across the county with isolated amounts of 3.0 inches near Sand Rock.
An average snowfall accumulation of 2.0 inches occurred across the county with isolated amounts of 3.0 inches. In addition, several roads were closed and numerous accidents occurred due to slick and icy conditions.
An average snowfall accumulation of 1.0 inch occurred across the county with isolated amounts of 2.0 inches across northern portions of the county and 4.0 inches near Kentuck Mountain in the far northeastern portion of the county.
An average snowfall accumulation of 2.5 inches occurred across the county with isolated amounts of 4.0 inches near Muscadine and on Mount Cheaha. In addition, several roads were closed and numerous accidents occurred due to slick and icy conditions.
An average snowfall accumulation of 2.0 inches occurred across the county with isolated amounts of 4.0 inches near Mount Cheaha across northern portions of the county.
An average snowfall accumulation of 1.0 inch occurred across the county with isolated amounts of 2.5 inches in the western part of the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, December 2010
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: 277174, 277193, 277195, 277227, 277225, 277235, 277239, 277249, 277263, 277252, 277261, 277278.