A low pressure system developed in the northern Gulf of Mexico which tracked northeast through Georgia and eventually up the East Coast. The system produced rain, which changed to sleet and then a heavy wet snow during the late afternoon and evening of the 12th.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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 low pressure system developed in the northern Gulf of Mexico which tracked northeast through Georgia and eventually up the East Coast. The system produced rain, which changed to sleet and then a heavy wet snow during the late afternoon and evening of the 12th. The snow became heavy at times producing snowfall rates of one to two inches per hour during the evening hours of the 12th. Snow totals ranged from an inch or less in far northwest Alabama, up to 5 to 10 inches in portions of north central and northeast Alabama.
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 12, 11:42 AM CST, 2 hours 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1142 AM CST WED FEB 12 2014 .UPDATE... FOR 18Z TAFS && .MESOSCALE UPDATE/DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1007 AM CST WED FEB 12 2014/ A WINTRY MIX OF RAIN...FREEZING RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW HAS BEEN SEEN THIS MORNING ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. THIS IS IN LARGE PART DUE TO A NARROW WARM LAYER /2.6C/ ABOUT 1500-2000 FEET DEEP (SEEN FROM LOCAL SOUNDING RELEASED AROUND 1430Z NEAR HSV). SNOW ALOFT IS MELTING THROUGH THIS WARM LAYER...RESULTING IN AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN. A NARROW COLD LAYER JUST BELOW THIS WARM LAYER IS CAUSING THE LIGHT SLEET/FREEZING RAIN WHERE SFC TEMPS ARE RIGHT AROUND 32F. 15Z SFC MAP SHOWS THE AREA IS SANDWICHED IN BETWEEN SHALLOW COLD AIR 'WEDGE' OVER NORTH GA AND COLDER CP AIRMASS JUST TO OUR WEST. SFC LOW IS JUST OFF THE FL PANHANDLE COAST WITH A NICE INVERTED SFC TROUGH/ EXTENDING NORTH ACROSS NW ALABAMA ATTM. THIS FEATURE WILL REPRESENT A FAVORABLE AREA FOR ASCENT/LIFT AS THE DAY MOVES ALONG. LATEST RADAR /HTX/ TRENDS SHOWING A DEFORMATION AXIS TRYING TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. JUST IN THE LAST HOUR... AN VERY NARROW 'ENHANCED' BAND OF PRECIP HAS SHOWN UP ACROSS NORTHERN LINCOLN/MOORE AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES IN SRN TN. THIS COULD BE THE START OF SEEING A TRANSITION FROM THE MIX OF EVERYTHING...TO MORE OF A SLEET/SNOW AS THE SHALLOW WARM LAYER AROUND H85 ERODES. 12Z NAM BUFR SOUNDINGS SEEM TO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD HANDLE ON THINGS NOW AND ARE SHOWING A TRANSITION/CHANGEOVER TO SLEET/SNOW AND EVENTUALLY ALL SNOW BY 20Z /2PM/ THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS N CNTRL AL. ADJUSTED SNOW ACCUMULATIONS DOWN SLIGHTLY TO ACCOUNT FOR MORNING SITUATION. HOWEVER...STILL EXPECTING ANYWHERE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES WEST OF I-65 TO 3 TO 6 INCHES EAST OF I-65 THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WHERE HEAVIER BANDING/DEFORMATION AREAS SET UP LATER TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING. HAD TO MAKE SEVERAL ADJUSTMENTS TO THE GOING FORECAST FOR 'TODAY' PERIOD TO ACCOUNT FOR COMPLICATED ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS THIS MORNING. ALL FORECAST UPDATES HAVE BEEN ISSUED. DJN.83 && .AVIATION... FOR 18Z TAFS...LOW CIGS AND VIS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY AS PRECIPITATION MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. CIGS SHOULD REMAIN LARGELY BELOW 1KFT UNTIL AT LEAST 07Z...BUT WITH PERIODIC LIFTS TO MVFR POSSIBLE THRU THE AFTERNOON. PRECIP WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY CHANGE FROM RAIN TO SNOW (WITH BRIEF PERIODS OF SLEET/FZRA) THROUGH MID AFTERNOON. ANTICIPATE COMPLETE CHANGE TO SNOW ARND 20Z...GIVE OR TAKE A COUPLE HRS...WITH THE EARLIER TRANSITION AT KMSL. A BOUT OF MODERATE/HEAVIER SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ARND 00Z...PRODUCING VSBYS BELOW ALT MINS. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF AFTER 06Z AND CIGS WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE TO VFR AS THIS SYSTEM PUSHES OFF TO THE EAST. CCC && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM CST THURSDAY FOR ALZ001>010-016. TN...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM CST THURSDAY FOR TNZ076-096-097. && FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/HUNTSVILLE.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1059 AM CST WED FEB 12 2014 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-130100- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 1059 AM CST WED FEB 12 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... A MAJOR WINTER STORM IS STILL EXPECTED TO IMPACT NORTH ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH 6 AM CST THURSDAY. THIS MORNING...EXPECT A MIX OF LIGHT RAIN...SLEET...FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW TO PERSIST ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN STEADY IN THE LOWER TO MID 30S. FOR LOCATIONS THAT HAVE TEMPERATURES AT OR JUST BELOW FREEZING...ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NORTHEAST ALABAMA...LESS THAN ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH OF ICE GLAZE IS EXPECTED ON EXPOSED SURFACES SUCH AS CARS AND POWERLINES. THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING...COLDER AIR IS EXPECTED TO WORK ACROSS THE AREA WHICH WILL TRANSITION THE WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION TO ALL SNOW. THE TRANSITION TO SNOW WILL VARY DEPENDING ON LOCATION...BUT IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR INITIALLY ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE...BETWEEN 12 PM AND 2 PM. PERIODS OF SNOW WILL THEN PERSIST THROUGH THIS EVENING WITH SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS EXPECTED. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF TONIGHT. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL WILL RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES WEST OF I-65...TO 4 TO 6 INCHES EAST OF I-65. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU. TRAVEL IMPACTS...ROADS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME ICY AND SNOWPACKED LATER TODAY AS HEAVIER SNOW DEVELOPS AND TEMPERATURES DROP BELOW FREEZING. TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DETERIORATE...ESPECIALLY AFTER SUNSET THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... ANOTHER WEAKER STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA BY FRIDAY NIGHT...WITH A MIXTURE OF LIGHT RAIN AND LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE. AT THIS TIME...NO FURTHER SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS LIKELY THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. TIMELY REPORTS OF SNOW AND/OR SLEET ACCUMULATIONS...AS WELL AS ROAD CONDITIONS...WILL BE EXTREMELY APPRECIATED.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
939 AM CST WED FEB 12 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0820 AM FREEZING RAIN 2 E BOAZ 34.20N 86.12W
02/12/2014 U0.00 INCH MARSHALL AL EMERGENCY MNGR
A MIX OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET ACCUMULATING
MAINLY ON ELEVATED SURFACES.
&&
JMSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1015 AM CST WED FEB 12 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1004 AM FREEZING RAIN 3 S FALKVILLE 34.33N 86.90W
02/12/2014 U0.00 INCH MORGAN AL EMERGENCY MNGR
LIGHT FREEZING RAIN CAUSING ICING ON TREES AND POWERLINES
OVER BRINDLEE MOUNTAIN NEAR HWY 31.
&&
DJNPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1018 AM CST WED FEB 12 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1005 AM FREEZING RAIN 1 WSW FORT PAYNE 34.44N 85.74W
02/12/2014 U0.00 INCH DEKALB AL EMERGENCY MNGR
ICING ON TREES AND POWERLINES ACROSS COUNTY. HWY 35 OVER
LOOKOUT MTN IS ICY AND THERE ARE SEVERAL POWER OUTAGES
ACROSS THE COUNTY.
&&
DJNPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1113 AM CST WED FEB 12 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1043 AM FREEZING RAIN 2 SE ALBERTVILLE 34.24N 86.18W
02/12/2014 U0.00 INCH MARSHALL AL EMERGENCY MNGR
SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WAS OBSERVED. SLIGHT ICE
BUILD UP ON ELEVATED SURFACES INCLUDING
TREES...POWERLINES AND CARS.
&&
JMSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1133 AM CST WED FEB 12 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1114 AM SLEET W WRIGHT 34.90N 87.99W
02/12/2014 U0.00 INCH LAUDERDALE AL EMERGENCY MNGR
MINOR SLEET ACCUMULATIONS ON GRASS
&&
JMSThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 heavy snow, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Snow accumulations of 0.5 to 1.8 inches were reported.
Snow accumulations of 1.0 to 2.5 inches were reported.
Snow accumulations of 2.0 to 6.5 inches were observed.
Snow accumulations of 4.0 to 6.0 inches were observed. An unofficial report of 9.0 inches was received in the Eva area.
Snow accumulations of 2.5 to 5.0 inches were observed.
Snow accumulations of 3.0 to 7.5 inches were observed.
Snow accumulations of 5.0 to 7.7 inches were observed.
Snow accumulations of 3.0 to 5.9 inches were observed. An unofficial report of 10.0 inches was received in the Cullman area.
Snow accumulations of 3.0 to 6.0 inches were observed. The higher totals were in eastern portions of the county.
Snow accumulations of 2.5 to 4.0 inches were observed.
Snow accumulations of 1.5 to 5.9 inches were observed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, February 2014
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: 502530, 502531, 502025, 502526, 502527, 502031, 502032, 502525, 502541, 502542, 502026.