Winter Storm — Cleburne, Alabama

2017-12-08 · Cleburne, Alabama

Event narrative

Snowfall totals averaged 8-10 inches across Cleburne County with a few locations reporting near 12 inches.

Wider weather episode

A significant snowstorm impacted central Alabama on December 8-9. The snow began during the early morning hours on December 8th and continued for nearly 24 hours.

Within the main corridor of snow, totals of 4 to 8 inches were common, with a few swaths of 8 to 12 inches. A few reports exceeding 12 inches were received from Clay and Cleburne Counties. Birmingham officially recorded 4 inches of snow, making it the 3rd snowiest December on record.

During the early portion of the event, temperature profiles were marginally supportive of wintry precipitation due to surface temperatures a few degrees above freezing, and many areas were receiving rain or a rain/snow mix; however, by daybreak, many areas had made the transition to snow as colder air moved in from the north; a period of drier air aloft that allowed for evaporative cooling; and higher precipitation rates. Through the afternoon, snow continued to fall across much of central Alabama. While surface temperatures were varied with some areas at freezing and some a degree or two above freezing, notable accumulations began to manifest. An overrunning setup provided an long fetch of moisture from the southwest, and lift alongside favorable conditions in the snow growth zone resulted in swaths of heavy snowfall and large snowflakes. Colder air had not yet made it to areas near and southeast of the I-85 corridor, and those areas continued to see rain during the afternoon; however, a change to snow occurred into the evening and nighttime hours just in time for the last surge of precipitation, with little to no accumulation.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 732567. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.