A narrow band of heavy snow developed during the late afternoon and early evening hours of the 3rd across portions of north central into northeast Alabama, generally south of the Tennessee River. By mid evening, the snow changed to a mix of sleet and freezing rain which produced a light ice accumulation of a tenth of an inch or less on top of the snow.
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.
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 band of heavy snow developed during the late afternoon and early evening hours of the 3rd across portions of north central into northeast Alabama, generally south of the Tennessee River. By mid evening, the snow changed to a mix of sleet and freezing rain which produced a light ice accumulation of a tenth of an inch or less on top of the snow. The snow reduced visibility to 2 miles or less, in some cases to 1/2 mile. Snow amounts of 2 to 5 inches fell in Marshall County, and 1 to 2 inches in portions of Cullman and DeKalb Counties. Lighter amounts of an inch or less fell in southern portions of Franklin, Lawrence, Morgan, Madison and Jackson Counties. By late evening into the overnight hours, temperatures slowly warmed to 32 to 34 degrees in valley areas, helping to improve road conditions.
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 3, 5:45 AM CST, 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 545 AM CST THU FEB 3 2011 .UPDATE... FOR 12Z TAFS && .AVIATION... HIGH CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THROUGH 06Z TONIGHT AT BOTH SITES. MSL MAY SEE SOME MVFR CIGS FOR A SHORT TIME THIS MORNING AS AN APPROX BKN028 DECK THAT HAS BEEN SLOWLY SLIDING SOUTH FROM TN OVERNIGHT APPROACHES THE TERMINAL. AFTER SUNRISE THIS THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH. THE NEXT CONCERN FOR BOTH SITES COMES AFTER 06Z TONIGHT AS A SYSTEM APPROACHES THE AREA. PRECIP WILL APPROACH N AL AROUND 09Z AND AN ASSOCIATED MVFR CLOUD DECK WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. SOME FREEZING/FROZEN PRECIP MAY MIX IN WITH THE RAIN OR BECOME THE PREDOMINANT PRECIP TYPE IN THE EARLY MORNING HRS FRIDAY...BUT THE EXACT TIMING OF CHANGEOVER CANNOT BE DETERMINED ATTM. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 356 AM CST THU FEB 3 2011/ IN THE WORLD OF WEATHER...A RATHER ACTIVE PATTERN EXISTED ACROSS THE NORTH AMERICAN DOMAIN. ON A LARGE SCALE WESTWARD...A BUSY NORTHERN STREAM OVER THE NORTH PACIFIC CONTINUED TO BRING A SERIES OF STORMS ASHORE...MAINLY ACROSS BRITISH COLUMBIA AND THE ALASKA PANHANDLE... WHILE SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE ORIGINATING SOUTH OF THE BAJA CONTINUED TO THE MID ATLANTIC REGION. THE NORTHERN FLOW MOVING NORTH OF UPPER RIDGING WEST OF CALIFORNIA WAS DIVING TO THE SOUTH IN A MERIDIONAL (NORTH TO SOUTH) FASHION. AN UPPER LOW OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES HELPED TO MERGE THE POLAR/SUBTROPICAL FLOW IN A SW-NE DIRECTION FROM THIS REGION. VERY CHILLY ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE NOW OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES CONTINUED TO PRODUCE VERY COLD TEMPS TO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND PARTS OF THE DESERT SW. RATHER COLD EARLY FEB TEMPS REIGNED OVER THE TENNESSEE VALLEY...WITH 3 AM READINGS IN THE MID TEENS TO MID 20S WITH A 5-10 MPH NORTH WIND. THE ABOVE MENTIONED UPPER LOW WILL MOVE ACROSS WEST TEXAS THROUGH TONIGHT...WEAKENING AS IT REACHES THE OHIO/TENNESSEE VALLEY REGIONS BY SAT MORNING. THIS WILL INDUCE SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS OVER THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO...MOVING IT ACROSS THE SE STATES TO EAST OF THE MID ATLANTIC BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. STRONG OMEGA EAST OF THIS SYSTEM... ALONG WITH A RETURN OF UPGLIDING MOISTURE WILL BRING A CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION BEGINNING TONIGHT...CONTINUING THROUGH EARLY SAT. HAD TO USE THE WORD PRECIP RATHER THAN ALL RAIN...BECAUSE WE SHOULD HAVE A FEW PERIODS OF WINTRY WEATHER THROWN IN. FOR TODAY...CLOUDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE AS DEEPER MOISTURE MOVES FURTHER INLAND FROM THE GULF. LIMITED SUNSHINE AND CONTINUED COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL RESULT IN HIGH TEMPS STRUGGLING TO REACH 40...OR 12-13 DEGREES BELOW SEASONAL NORMS. HISTORICALLY...FORECAST MODELS ARE SLOW IN BRINGING SW ORIGINATING SYSTEMS PRECIP QUICKLY ENOUGH. WENT WITH THE FASTER CANADIAN/ECMWF IDEA OF STARTING LIGHT RAIN THIS EVENING...MAINLY FOR AREAS NEAR AND SOUTH OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER. STRONG UPGLIDE AND THE MOISTURE RETURN SHOULD SPREAD PRECIP FURTHER NORTH AS THE NIGHT PROGRESSES. GOING WITH THE COLDER NAM...THE PRECIP SHOULD BEGIN TO MIX SNOW AROUND MIDNIGHT. LIGHT FREEZING RAIN WILL ALSO BE A POSSIBILITY AS SURFACE TEMPS FALL BELOW FREEZING THROUGH AROUND 9 AM FRIDAY MORNING. AMOUNTS OF ICING...IF ANY IS A TRICKY PROPOSITION. IN THE MORE WIND SHELTERED VALLEYS OVER NE ALABAMA...CANNOT RULE OUT SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS BY DAYBREAK FRIDAY. WITH THIS UPCOMING VARIETY OF PRECIPITATION...HAVE A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FORTHCOMING WITH THE MORNING FORECAST PACKAGE. WARMER TEMPS AFTER WILL RESULT IN A COLD RAINY FRIDAY...WITH HIGHS WARMING ONLY INTO THE LOWER 40S. TEMPS COOLING BELOW FREEZING FRIDAY NIGHT WILL RESULT IN ANOTHER RAIN/SNOW MIX. THE ATMOSPHERE SHOULD SLOWLY DRY SOMEWHAT DURING THE NIGHT. HOWEVER...LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY OVER NE ALABAMA AND THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU. CONTINUED COLD AIR ADVECTION AND RESIDUAL MOISTURE WILL KEEP A RISK OF FLURRIES SATURDAY MORNING FOR MOST OF THE AREA...WITH FLURRIES CONTINUING OVER THE PLATEAU SAT AFTERNOON. DRY CONDITIONS SHOULD RETURN SAT NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...WITH DAILY HIGHS/LOWS NOTABLY BELOW SEASONAL AVERAGES. ANOTHER SYSTEM...AKA CLIPPER LIKE...IN THE NORTHERN STREAM WILL MAKE ITS EFFECTS FELT HERE NEXT MONDAY...WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN. HAVE TO ADD ANOTHER RAIN/SNOW MIX FOR MON NIGHT AND LIGHT SNOW TUESDAY AS THAT SYSTEM EXITS THE REGION...AND COLDER AIR POURS INTO THE REGION. DESPITE WHAT A FEW GROUND CRITTERS RECENTLY PROGGED...DO NOT THINK WINTER IS OVER FOR THIS AREA BY A LONG SHOT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...AS A SURGE OF SIBERIAN/ARCTIC AIR MOVES SOUTHWARD OVER THE CONUS. THE LAST SURGE EARLIER THIS WEEK CONCENTRATED ALONG THE FRONT RANGE TO NORTHERN MEXICO...THIS NEXT ONE WILL BE MAXIMIZED MORE FROM THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND GREAT LAKES BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THE CORRESPONDING 0C 850MB TEMP BY WED MORNING...PER THE GFS EXTENDED FROM EAST TEXAS TO CAPE CANAVERAL...WITH THE SURFACE HIGH SETTLING OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS/SOUTHEAST STATES. STAYED CLOSE TO GFS NUMBERS IN THE MID/UPPER 30S NEXT TUE/WED... ALTHOUGH WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THEY ARE EVEN COLDER. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && AVIATION...CCC DISCUSSION...RSB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 516 AM CST THU FEB 3 2011 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-031930- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 516 AM CST THU FEB 3 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... A SYSTEM MOVING FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL BRING LIGHT RAIN TO PORTIONS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY LATE THIS EVENING. AROUND MIDNIGHT...RAIN WILL MIX WITH SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN AS TEMPERATURES FALL TO NEAR FREEZING. LITTLE TO NO SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED...BUT A LIGHT GLAZE OF FREEZING RAIN MAY OCCUR IN EXTREME NORTHEAST ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... AS TEMPERATURES SLOWLY RISE BACK ABOVE FREEZING BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON...PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE BACK TO ALL RAIN. BUT TEMPERATURES WILL AGAIN FALL OVERNIGHT FRIDAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...MIXING SNOW BACK IN WITH THE RAIN BEFORE ENDING AS FLURRIES LATE SATURDAY MORNING. AT THIS TIME...LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE TENNESSEE VALLEY MONDAY INTO TUESDAY...BRINGING THE CHANCE FOR RAIN AND SNOW BACK TO THE REGION. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. CCC
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 500 AM CST THU FEB 3 2011 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-032200- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLORENCE...MUSCLE SHOALS...RUSSELLVILLE... MOULTON...ATHENS...HUNTSVILLE...DECATUR...GUNTERSVILLE... SCOTTSBORO...FORT PAYNE...CULLMAN...LYNCHBURG...FAYETTEVILLE... WINCHESTER 500 AM CST THU FEB 3 2011 ...WINTRY PRECIPITATION POSSIBLE ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY LATE TONIGHT CONTINUING INTO SATURDAY... A SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP OVER THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO...AND MOVE ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING RAIN OVER THE REGION BEGINNING THIS EVENING. AIR TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY ARE FORECAST TO COOL TO AROUND FREEZING AT MIDNIGHT. THIS WILL RESULT IN THE RAIN BECOMING MIXED WITH SNOW. SINCE AIR TEMPERATURES SHOULD NOT FALL MUCH BELOW FREEZING...LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD OCCUR. HOWEVER...A LIGHT GLAZE OF ICE IS POSSIBLE MAINLY IN THE COOLER SPOTS OF NORTHEAST ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE DUE TO LIGHT FREEZING RAIN. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD REMAIN UNDER ONE TENTH OF AN INCH. TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION SHOULD WARM ABOVE FREEZING BY 9 AM...HELPING TO ALLEVIATE WINTRY WEATHER CONDITIONS FROM LATE FRIDAY MORNING TO THE EARLY EVENING. THE RAIN WILL ONCE AGAIN MIX WITH THEN BECOME SNOW FRIDAY EVENING. EVEN THOUGH TEMPERATURES WILL BECOME COLDER...MOISTURE WITH THE SYSTEM SHOULD GRADUALLY DIMINISH. HOWEVER...UP TO AN INCH OF SNOW ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU BY SATURDAY MORNING. SNOW FLURRIES ACROSS THE AREA SATURDAY MORNING SHOULD TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE AFTERNOON. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT TO THE POTENTIAL OF ICY SPOTS DEVELOPING LATE TONIGHT ON AREA ROADS...AS TEMPERATURES FALL TO AND BELOW FREEZING. THIS WILL ESPECIALLY BE THE CASE FOR LESS TRAVELED ROADS...BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. RSB
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 winter weather, 2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Up to one inch of snowfall fell across the county.
Up to one inch of snowfall fell across portions of the county.
Three to five inches of snowfall fell across Marshall county. The highest storm total of 4.5 inches occurred 2 miles north of the Hyatt community. On top of this snowfall, a light layer of ice accumulated as a period of freezing rain/sleet occurred. These hazardous conditions prompted the local emergency management officials to declare a state of local emergency due to treacherous traveling conditions.
Up to one inch of snowfall fell across portions of the county.
One to two inches of snowfall fell across the county.
One to three inches of snow fell across the county.
Up to one inch of snowfall fell across the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, February 2011
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: 283688, 283684, 283668, 283673, 283669, 283670, 283671.