Name: Winter Weather in Alabama, January 12, 2012
Start: 2012-01-12T15:00
End: 2012-01-12T20:00
Location: Alabama

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

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 HUN wrote it up.

A strong Arctic cold front pushed through the region Friday morning and afternoon bringing gusty westerly winds of 20 to 30 mph gusting at times near 40 mph and dropping temperatures from the 40s and lower 50s into the upper 20s and lower 30s in a matter of one to three hours. Rain and drizzle gave way to snow showers behind the front, with a few convective snow showers reducing visibility to 3/4 mile or less for short periods in moderate snowfall. Snowfall accumulated in spots from a trace up to three tenths of an inch, especially in northwest and north central Alabama, and on higher elevations where temperatures dropped below freezing a bit faster than valleys.

Due to very wet road conditions from earlier rainfall and additional snowfall, black ice developed rapidly around sunset. Any melted snow due to traffic on roadways melted and refroze quickly, causing icy conditions to develop during rush hour in the Shoals. Over one hundred automobile accidents occurred as a result. Many schools were delayed on the morning of the 13th due to the icy travel.

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 Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 12, 1:36 PM CST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 12, 1:36 PM CST, 1 hour 24 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 12, 12:39 PM CST, 2 hours 21 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 12, 10:25 AM CST, 4 hours 35 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 12, 10:53 AM CST, 4 hours 7 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jan 12, 11:46 AM CST, 3 hours 14 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 12, 11:54 AM CST, 3 hours 6 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 12, 1:31 PM CST, 1 hour 29 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jan 12, 2:46 PM CST, 14 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

8 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Lauderdale

When: January 12, 3:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Lauderdale forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 34.901, -87.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Late afternoon moderate snow showers produced a quick one to three tenths of an inch of snow in some areas. Combined with sharply colder temperatures, very slick travel developed rapidly during the late afternoon rush hour. Dozens of traffic accidents were reported, many of them multi-vehicle, especially on area bridges. Fortunately only a few injuries were reported. Schools were delayed the next morning (13th) due to the slick conditions.

Winter Weather, Colbert

When: January 12, 3:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Colbert forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 34.700, -87.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Late afternoon moderate snow showers produced a quick one to three tenths of an inch of snow in some areas. Combined with sharply colder temperatures, very slick travel developed rapidly during the late afternoon rush hour. Dozens of traffic accidents were reported, many of them multi-vehicle, especially on area bridges. Fortunately only a few injuries were reported. Schools were delayed the next morning (13th) due to the slick conditions.

Winter Weather, Franklin

When: January 12, 3:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 34.442, -87.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Late afternoon moderate snow showers produced a quick one to three tenths of an inch of snow in some areas. Combined with sharply colder temperatures, very slick travel developed rapidly during the late afternoon rush hour.

Winter Weather, Limestone

When: January 12, 3:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Limestone forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 34.810, -86.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Late afternoon moderate snow showers produced a quick one to three tenths of an inch of snow in some areas. Combined with sharply colder temperatures, very slick travel developed rapidly during the late afternoon rush hour. At least three accidents were reported on Highway 20.

Winter Weather, Morgan

When: January 12, 3:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Morgan forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 34.454, -86.853 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Late afternoon moderate snow showers produced a quick one to three tenths of an inch of snow in some areas. Combined with sharply colder temperatures, very slick travel developed rapidly during the late afternoon rush hour.

Winter Weather, Lawrence

When: January 12, 3:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Lawrence forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 34.522, -87.311 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Late afternoon moderate snow showers produced a quick one to three tenths of an inch of snow in some areas. Combined with sharply colder temperatures, very slick travel developed rapidly during the late afternoon rush hour.

Winter Weather, Madison

When: January 12, 3:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 34.763, -86.550 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Late afternoon moderate snow showers produced a quick one to three tenths of an inch of snow in some areas. Combined with sharply colder temperatures, some areas of slick travel developed rapidly during the late afternoon rush hour.

Winter Weather, Dekalb

When: January 12, 4:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Dekalb forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 34.460, -85.804 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Late afternoon and early evening moderate snow showers produced a quick one to three tenths of an inch of snow in some areas. Combined with sharply colder temperatures, some areas of slick travel developed rapidly during the late afternoon rush hour.

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Alabama in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Alabama, January 2012

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 362600, 362601, 362602, 362604, 362606, 362607, 362608, 362609.