A narrow 20 to 30 mile wide band of snowfall developed during the pre-dawn hours of the 8th moving into far northwestern Alabama, then spreading eastward across far northern Alabama. Snow fell at a moderate pace at times, lowering visibility to 1/2 to 3/4 mile at times with very large clumped snowflakes reported.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 HUN wrote it up.
A narrow 20 to 30 mile wide band of snowfall developed during the pre-dawn hours of the 8th moving into far northwestern Alabama, then spreading eastward across far northern Alabama. Snow fell at a moderate pace at times, lowering visibility to 1/2 to 3/4 mile at times with very large clumped snowflakes reported. Snowfall accumulations of 2 to 3 inches were reported in this band, with isolated amounts of 4 to 5 inches reported in eastern Lauderdale County. Snow covered and slushy roads developed rapidly during the morning hours, but improved greatly as temperatures climbed well above freezing during the day along with some rainfall. Several school systems closed between 10 am and 11 am in the morning.
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 Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 7, 11:33 PM CST, 4 hours 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1133 PM CST SUN FEB 7 2010 .UPDATE... UPDATED FOR 06Z AVIATION DISCUSSION. && .AVIATION.../06Z TAFS/ CLOUDS ARE FINALLY BEGINNING TO BREAK UP ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA TONIGHT WITH VFR CONDITIONS LIKELY DEVELOPING AT KMSL AROUND 08Z. THINK MVFR CEILINGS WILL CONTINUE AT KHSV THROUGH AT LEAST 12Z BUT STILL NOT AS CONFIDENT ON TIMING OF IMPROVEMENT. VFR CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN THROUGH 9/06Z BUT DID INTRODUCE -RA FOR KMSL AFTER 00Z WITH MVFR CEILINGS POSSIBLE. && .DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 925 PM CST SUN FEB 7 2010/ SKIES HAVE BEEN SLOW TO CLEAR THIS EVENING AS ONLY A FEW BREAKS CAN BE SEEN ON SATELLITE...MAINLY OVER LAUDERDALE COUNTY. WITH LITTLE IMPROVEMENT SEEN IN THE LOW CLOUD DECK...INCREASED SKY COVER SIGNIFICANTLY FOR MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. THERE COULD BE SOME ADDITIONAL BREAKS IN THE LOW CLOUDS ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA BUT A MID/HIGH DECK OF CLOUDS CONTINUES TO STREAM IN RAPIDLY FROM THE WEST. AS FAR AS TEMPERATURES...LOWS IN THE UPPER 20S TO NEAR 30 DEGREES LOOK ON TRACK AND ONLY MADE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 340 PM CST SUN FEB 7 2010/ THE FORECAST FOR THE NEXT WEEK CAN BE SUMMED UP AS "MORE OF THE SAME." THAT IS...AN ACTIVE SOUTHERN STREAM COMBINING WITH OCCASIONAL NORTHERN STREAM INTRUSIONS...LEADING TO A DIFFICULT-TO-FORECAST WEATHER PATTERN...COOLER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES...AND CLOUDIER THAN NORMAL CONDITIONS. SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT)... FIRST...PESKY CLOUDS HAVE STUCK AROUND ALL DAY...AND EXTRAPOLATION KEEPS THEM IN THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA THROUGH EARLY EVENING. IT MIGHT BE EVEN LATER IN OUR SOUTHERN/EASTERN COUNTIES. WORTH NOTING THAT THE SHORT-TERM GFS LAMP GUIDANCE NOW KEEPS BROKEN CLOUDS ALL NIGHT (ALBEIT WITH HIGHER CEILINGS AFTER ABOUT 02Z). WILL INDICATE A PERIOD OF PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES AFTER MID-EVENING...BUT CLOUDS INCREASING AGAIN LATE TONIGHT. ASSUMING ONLY HIGH CLOUDS ARE AROUND TO START THE MORNING...TEMPS SHOULD BE ABLE TO RISE FAIRLY QUICKLY IN THE MORNING BEFORE SKIES BECOME COMPLETELY CLOUDY AROUND MIDDAY. WILL LEAN TOWARD THE COOLER MET GUIDANCE FOR HIGHS GIVEN THE CLOUD COVER. EVEN THOUGH THE NAM HAS FLIP-FLOPPED IN TIMING FROM YESTERDAY (YESTERDAY IT WAS THE SLOWER MODEL...TODAY IT IS THE FASTER MODEL)...I STILL FAVOR ITS FASTER TIMING SINCE THESE THINGS ALMOST ALWAYS START EARLIER THAN WE THINK. WILL NOT...HOWEVER...GO ALL THE WAY TO ITS LIKELY POPS... INSTEAD GOING SLIGHTLY UNDER A MET/MAV BLEND. IF PRECIP INDEED DOES START MONDAY AFTERNOON...SOME WETBULB COOLING WILL LEAD TO FALLING TEMPS...SO WILL INDICATE THIS IN THE GRIDS. WE MAY ACTUALLY SEE A BREAK IN THE RAIN DURING THE EVENING HOURS MONDAY BEFORE THE HEAVY STUFF MOVES IN AFTER MIDNIGHT. GOING WITH AVERAGE RAINFALL AROUND AN INCH...BUT AS USUAL...SOME HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY. I DID GO ABOVE HPC VALUES FOR QPF...SINCE LATELY WE HAVE SEEN HEAVIER RAIN THAN EXPECTED...AND BECAUSE DECENT MOISTURE ADVECTION WILL OCCUR MONDAY NIGHT...WITH PWATS RISING TO AROUND 0.90 INCH. RAIN WILL CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY MORNING AT LEAST...WITH FROPA EXPECTED FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE DAY TUESDAY. THERE ARE TWO VERY TINY OPPORTUNITIES FOR WINTRY WEATHER WITH THIS SYSTEM...NEITHER OF WHICH ARE OF A HIGH ENOUGH PROBABILITY TO MENTION RIGHT NOW. THE FIRST IS MONDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE WETBULB COOLING. WE MIGHT COOL ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR A RA/SN MIX FOR AN HOUR OR TWO IN NWRN LAUDERDALE OR WRN LINCOLN COUNTIES. CHANCE OF THIS IS LESS THAN 10 PERCENT. SECOND OPPORTUNITY IS RIGHT AFTER THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE...WHEN THERE COULD BE SOME LIGHT -DZ OR A FLURRY. AGAIN...CHANCE LESS THAN 10 PERCENT AT THIS TIME. TEMPS SHOULD FALL DURING THE AFTERNOON TUESDAY...AND TUESDAY NIGHT LOOKS RATHER COLD WITH A DECENT BREEZE. UPPER LOW WILL BE SWINGING THROUGH TO THE NORTH AND EAST...AND WIND FIELDS FAVOR UPSLOPE ON THE PLATEAU...NECESSITATING THE INCLUSION OF A 20 POP IN FRANKLIN COUNTY TN FOR TUESDAY NIGHT...AND A MENTION OF A DUSTING OF SNOW. ELSEWHERE...SOUNDINGS ARE MARGINALLY SUPPORTIVE OF A FEW FLURRIES... SO THIS WILL BE MENTIONED IN THE FORECAST. EXTENDED (WEDNESDAY THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND)... WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT WILL BE COLD...EVEN IF WE GET RID OF THE CLOUDS. ALTHOUGH MODELS SHOW THE CLOUDS DO EXIT...GIVEN RECENT HISTORY...IT IS HARD NOT TO BE PESSIMISTIC ON THE CHANCE. THE NEXT SRN STREAM SYSTEM QUICKLY TAKES SHAPE AND APPROACHES BY THURSDAY. THERE IS INCREASING MODEL AGREEMENT ON THE TIMING AND IMPACT OF THE SYSTEM...BUT IT IS STILL SOMEWHAT MURKY. WILL CONTINUE WITH LOW POPS THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...BEST CHANCE ON FRIDAY. 12Z GFS HAS A PRETTY GOOD SNOWSTORM FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...BUT THIS IS SLOWER TIMING THAN YESTERDAYS RUNS...AND A BIT OF A FLIP-FLOP FOR THE ENSEMBLES FROM DRY TO WET. THE WETTER SOLUTION MAY PROVE TO BE CORRECT...BUT MORE CONSISTENCY IS NEEDED BEFORE DIVING HEADLONG INTO THE IDEA. MODELS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE WITH WHAT HAPPENS NEXT WEEKEND. WILL SIMPLY HANG ON TO AN EXTRAPOLATED PATTERN PERSISTENCE...WHICH WOULD INDICATE THE AREA BEING BETWEEN SYSTEMS...AND COLDER THAN NORMAL. HYDROLOGY... A FLOOD WATCH WAS ISSUED FOR THE TENNESSEE RIVER AT FLORENCE AND WHITESBURG THIS MORNING. THE WATCH WAS RECENTLY CHANGED TO A WARNING FOR FLORENCE AS THE POINT IS RISING ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. WHITESBURG MAY ALSO HAVE TO BE UPGRADED LATER TONIGHT OR TOMORROW AS IT APPROACHES FLOOD STAGE. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && AVIATION/DISCUSSION...KNS PREV DISCUSSION...JE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1157 AM CST SUN FEB 7 2010 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-081115- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 1157 AM CST SUN FEB 7 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. RAINFALL WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY LATE MONDAY AND LINGER THROUGH TUESDAY AS A COLD FRONT CROSSES THE REGION. THE RAINFALL MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY LATE MONDAY NIGHT. MINOR FLOODING OF AREA CREEKS...RIVERS AND STREAMS IS POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVIER RAINS. AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO THURSDAY...AND TRACK EASTWARD ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF COAST REGION FRIDAY. GULF MOISTURE MOVING NORTHWARD AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM MAY RESULT IN A MIXTURE OF RAIN AND SNOW FOR THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AREA THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter storm, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Two to six inches of snowfall fell across Lauderdale county. The highest snowfall total occurred in the Anderson community. The heavy snowfall closed schools and courthouses in across the county. Several car accidents were reported across the county.
Two to four inches of snowfall were reported, particularly across the western portion of the county. The highest snowfall accumulation was reported in the Cherokee community.|Several wrecks were caused by the slick conditions across the county, which caused an unknown number of injuries.
Between 1 and 2 inches of snowfall fell across the northern portion of the county. The highest totals likely occurred in the Red Bank and near Wheeler Lake.
One to four inches of snowfall accumulation was reported across the county. The highest snowfall total was reported in Elkmont. Several car accidents occurred across the county.
One to three inches of snowfall accumulation was reported across the county. The highest snowfall total was reported in Harvest. Monte Sano Boulevard and some overpasses on interstate 65 were closed due to slick conditions in the morning.
Between a trace and one inch of snowfall accumulation was reported across the county. The highest reported snowfall total of 1 inch was reported in Trenton. Several car accidents were reported across 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, February 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: 214520, 214528, 215643, 214542, 214545, 214546.