Thirteen years ago this morning, the temperature was sitting on 2 above zero at Birmingham Airport. It was the coldest temperature ever recorded during the month of March without any competition. That record stands out like a sore thumb.
It was, of course, the aftermath of the great Blizzard of '93. The huge storm had moved on into Canada and left Alabama clear and cold. With a deep snow cover, there was nothing to keep the temperture from plummeting.
It was one of those rare occasions (extremely, extremely rare) when the entire state of Alabama was snow covered, although amounts were less than 1/2 inch in some areas near the coast.
THE SNOW CHAMPION
Walnut Grove has the honor of receiving more snow than any other Alabama community in this huge storm. I believe their geographic location figured in. Walnut Grove is located on US-278--the main route between Gadsden and Cullman. It is near the Blount-Etowah County line in an area where the moisture laden east winds had to rise because of Straight Mountain and even more as the winds encountered Sand Mountain. This extra lift could have increased the snowfall.
THUNDERSNOW
Many Alabamians who had never seen lightning or heard thunder when it was snowing, had something to remember. Some of the heaviest snow fell during thunder and lightning. The lightning had an eerie bluish-green appearance, which made it even more weird.
SNOW TOTALS
Here is an extensive list of official snowfall totals from that giant storm. I don't think we have ever posted this before.
20 inches at Walnut Grove
17 inches in Valley Head
16 inches in Oneonta and Bessemer
13 inches at Anniston, Talladega, Pinson and Birmingham Airport
12 inches at Thomasville, Childersburg and Scottsboro
11 inches at Sylacauga
10 inches at Cullman, Clanton and Heflin
9 inches at Thorsby
8 inches at Ashland, Centreville, Moulton and Guntersville
7 inches at Alexander City, Huntsville and Whatley
6 inches at Camden, Evergreen, Jasper, Livingston, Andalusia, Haleyville and Highland Home
5 inches at Auburn, Winfield, Muscle Shoals and Chatham
4 inches at Montgomery, Union Springs, Vernon, Tuscaloosa, Demopolis, Frisco City, Greenville, Troy
3 inches at Brewton, Hamilton, Bay Minette and Mobile Airport
2 inches at Atmore and Robertsdale
Trace at Coden and Fairhope
HUGE SNOWDRIFTS
Remember, these are average snow depths at each location and it does not include the drifts. The snowdrifts were humongous in some areas, especially by Alabama standards. The drifts were 5 and 6 feet deep in parts of the Birmingham metropolitan area. Also, the Birmingham snow total (officially 13 inches at the airport) was exceeded in the higher elevations around town. For example, where I lived at the time in the Huffman area not far from Medical Center East (elevation about 800 feet), the total was 17 inches. After the storm, the National Weather Service received a report of some 15-foot drifts in the higher terrain of NE Alabama.
NOT A RECORD SNOW FOR EVERYONE
While this was a super event for much of the state, especially because of the wind-driven snow, it was nowhere near a record for many areas. The snow depth trailed off considerably in the NW part of the state. Hamilton, for example, received only 3 inches. They have received much heavier amounts in other storms. Muscle Shoals, Vernon and Tuscaloosa only had 4 inches. Auburn's 5 inches pales when you compare it with their biggie around Valentine's Day in the 1970s when they were buried in over 14 inches. The snow was also much lighter over South Alabama, especially from Montgomery southward.
ELSEWHERE IN THAT HISTORIC EVENT
Chattanooga got 20 inches of snow--breaking their all-time record...snow covered the north half of Georgia, but Atlanta only received 4 inches...an amazing 50 inches fell on Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina and 18 inches at Asheville...in Virginia, 40 inches fell at High Knob...30 inches fell at Frostburg, Maryland; 44 inches at Snowshoe, West Virginia; 40 inches at Halcott Center, New York; 35 inches at Kancamagus, New Hampshire and over a foot in most of Maine...5-foot drifts were common across Massachusetts.
WINDS
Winds over 50 mph were associated with this giant storm causing widespread tree and structural damage from the NW Florida coast northeastward to New England. Highest winds clocked were 110 mph in Franklin County in the Big Bend of NW Florida and 101 mph at Flattop Mountain, North Carolina.
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
A lot of all-time low pressure readings were set:
28.44 inches at Wilmington, Delaware
28.51 inches at Richmond, which broke the previous record in Hurricane Hazel in 1954
28.94 inches at Augusta, Georgia
28.89 inches at Asheville, North Carolina
28.60 inches at Raleigh, also breaking the Hurricane Hazel record in 1954
28.63 inches at Columbia, South Carolina, breaking the record set during Hurricane Hugo in 1989
28.41 inches at Dover, Delaware and that was the lowest of the entire storm
FINAL THOUGHTS
Enormous examples of neighbors helping neighbors and strangers helping strangers during this historic event. Much of the state remained paralyzed for days. How can we EVER thank all of the utility people, rescue personnel, you name it. They responded in such a way that they should have received all kinds of rewards.
The Blizzard of 1993 is already folklore in Alabama. This great story will be told for generations to come. Why don't you print this story for your scrapbook for future generations?
It was, of course, the aftermath of the great Blizzard of '93. The huge storm had moved on into Canada and left Alabama clear and cold. With a deep snow cover, there was nothing to keep the temperture from plummeting.
It was one of those rare occasions (extremely, extremely rare) when the entire state of Alabama was snow covered, although amounts were less than 1/2 inch in some areas near the coast.
THE SNOW CHAMPION
Walnut Grove has the honor of receiving more snow than any other Alabama community in this huge storm. I believe their geographic location figured in. Walnut Grove is located on US-278--the main route between Gadsden and Cullman. It is near the Blount-Etowah County line in an area where the moisture laden east winds had to rise because of Straight Mountain and even more as the winds encountered Sand Mountain. This extra lift could have increased the snowfall.
THUNDERSNOW
Many Alabamians who had never seen lightning or heard thunder when it was snowing, had something to remember. Some of the heaviest snow fell during thunder and lightning. The lightning had an eerie bluish-green appearance, which made it even more weird.
SNOW TOTALS
Here is an extensive list of official snowfall totals from that giant storm. I don't think we have ever posted this before.
20 inches at Walnut Grove
17 inches in Valley Head
16 inches in Oneonta and Bessemer
13 inches at Anniston, Talladega, Pinson and Birmingham Airport
12 inches at Thomasville, Childersburg and Scottsboro
11 inches at Sylacauga
10 inches at Cullman, Clanton and Heflin
9 inches at Thorsby
8 inches at Ashland, Centreville, Moulton and Guntersville
7 inches at Alexander City, Huntsville and Whatley
6 inches at Camden, Evergreen, Jasper, Livingston, Andalusia, Haleyville and Highland Home
5 inches at Auburn, Winfield, Muscle Shoals and Chatham
4 inches at Montgomery, Union Springs, Vernon, Tuscaloosa, Demopolis, Frisco City, Greenville, Troy
3 inches at Brewton, Hamilton, Bay Minette and Mobile Airport
2 inches at Atmore and Robertsdale
Trace at Coden and Fairhope
HUGE SNOWDRIFTS
Remember, these are average snow depths at each location and it does not include the drifts. The snowdrifts were humongous in some areas, especially by Alabama standards. The drifts were 5 and 6 feet deep in parts of the Birmingham metropolitan area. Also, the Birmingham snow total (officially 13 inches at the airport) was exceeded in the higher elevations around town. For example, where I lived at the time in the Huffman area not far from Medical Center East (elevation about 800 feet), the total was 17 inches. After the storm, the National Weather Service received a report of some 15-foot drifts in the higher terrain of NE Alabama.
NOT A RECORD SNOW FOR EVERYONE
While this was a super event for much of the state, especially because of the wind-driven snow, it was nowhere near a record for many areas. The snow depth trailed off considerably in the NW part of the state. Hamilton, for example, received only 3 inches. They have received much heavier amounts in other storms. Muscle Shoals, Vernon and Tuscaloosa only had 4 inches. Auburn's 5 inches pales when you compare it with their biggie around Valentine's Day in the 1970s when they were buried in over 14 inches. The snow was also much lighter over South Alabama, especially from Montgomery southward.
ELSEWHERE IN THAT HISTORIC EVENT
Chattanooga got 20 inches of snow--breaking their all-time record...snow covered the north half of Georgia, but Atlanta only received 4 inches...an amazing 50 inches fell on Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina and 18 inches at Asheville...in Virginia, 40 inches fell at High Knob...30 inches fell at Frostburg, Maryland; 44 inches at Snowshoe, West Virginia; 40 inches at Halcott Center, New York; 35 inches at Kancamagus, New Hampshire and over a foot in most of Maine...5-foot drifts were common across Massachusetts.
WINDS
Winds over 50 mph were associated with this giant storm causing widespread tree and structural damage from the NW Florida coast northeastward to New England. Highest winds clocked were 110 mph in Franklin County in the Big Bend of NW Florida and 101 mph at Flattop Mountain, North Carolina.
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
A lot of all-time low pressure readings were set:
28.44 inches at Wilmington, Delaware
28.51 inches at Richmond, which broke the previous record in Hurricane Hazel in 1954
28.94 inches at Augusta, Georgia
28.89 inches at Asheville, North Carolina
28.60 inches at Raleigh, also breaking the Hurricane Hazel record in 1954
28.63 inches at Columbia, South Carolina, breaking the record set during Hurricane Hugo in 1989
28.41 inches at Dover, Delaware and that was the lowest of the entire storm
FINAL THOUGHTS
Enormous examples of neighbors helping neighbors and strangers helping strangers during this historic event. Much of the state remained paralyzed for days. How can we EVER thank all of the utility people, rescue personnel, you name it. They responded in such a way that they should have received all kinds of rewards.
The Blizzard of 1993 is already folklore in Alabama. This great story will be told for generations to come. Why don't you print this story for your scrapbook for future generations?
on March 14, 2006, 11:16 am
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