Winter Weather — Moore, Tennessee

2015-02-20 · Moore, Tennessee

Event narrative

A combination of light snow and then later light sleet resulted in a half of an inch to an inch across the county. Low level temperatures warmed later in the event, with around three quarters of an inch of freezing rain occurring. A 73 year old male died of hypothermia on the morning of the 20th.

Wider weather episode

A winter storm paralyzed travel across many parts of north Alabama and southern Tennessee on the afternoon and evening of the 20th. Snow and some sleet began during the late morning and early afternoon depositing one half to one and one half inches of snowfall. Freezing rain would then accumulate a light glaze atop the snowfall during the late afternoon and early evening hours. This created impassible roadways. Numerous motorists were stranded on area roads and many cars slid off roads into ditches. Local area emergencies were declared in many counties because of the severe travel conditions. Temperatures were slow to warm during the night of the 20th. Eventually temperatures warmed above freezing during the early morning hours of the 21st in northwest and north central Alabama, but road conditions remained treacherous to impassible until after sunrise on the 21st. Conditions were slower to improve in southern Tennessee and northeast Alabama and the higher elevations of the Cumberland Plateau until late morning on the 21st. Ironically, temperatures warmed to afternoon highs in the upper 40s to upper 50s on the 21st, melting any remaining snow, ice and slush rapidly.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 563237. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.