Alabama Update – 7 p.m.

It will go down as a historic snow across parts of Southeast Texas, southern Louisiana and South Central Mississippi.

The culprit…a potent little upper air low and its associated cold air aloft that lowered the temperature in the atmospheric column sufficiently to allow for some impressive snowfall amounts.

How about…

8-10 inches in NW Jeff Davis County MS
3-6 inches across Marion County (Columbia MS)
6-10 inches southeast of Brookhaven
9 inches in Bogue Chitto in Lincoln County
6 inches fell in Opelousas LA
4 inches in West Beaumont TX

The 1.8 inches at Beaumont and he 0.4 inches at Lake Charles are records for the earliest snowfalls at those locations as well as December snowfall records.

Thundersnow was reported and power was knocked out in many areas by the heavy wet snow.

I know our snow lovers in Alabama could care less about the amounts in the Magnolia State. (I am with you there…I love snow.) But Northwest Alabama got a little at least…

Late skywatcher reports:
…Jim Higgins/NorthFork: just got in from work. 43 north of Hamilton in bad shape. A lot of cars in ditches. Have 2.5″ here at home. He is 7 miles NNE of Hamilton. Jim reports a bad wreck near the Northfork Bridge on US-43.
…Spotter is 1 miles ENE of Yampertown, AL (Marion county) — Light to Moderate Snow falling. Road signs covered on I-22.
…Tim Hood in Hackleburg: reports it is bad there too…cars wrecking everywhere… but reports US-43 bridge is clear

Unfortunately for the snow lovers, the wintry precipitation is now shrinking quickly over the northwestern part of the state and will be all gone within the hour. At 7 p.m., the last bands were across Madison and Morgan Counties and across parts of Limestone, Lawrence, eastern Franklin, western Winston and eastern Marion Counties.

Some light rain showers were in two bands over East Alabama, including Talladega and Coosa Counties as well as Cleburne and Randolph Counties. These bands were moving quicly to the east.

Roads will be treacherous over parts of Northwest Alabama, especially Franklin and Marion Counties, over into Winston Counties. Travel is highly discouraged in these areas.

Temperatures are around 40 in the I-20/59 corridor. It was 33F at Haleyville. 36F at Cullman.

Skies are clearing over Mississippi and this clearing trend will work into Alabama overnight.

Readings overnight will bottom out around 30 in most locations, with colder 20s over the Northwest. Look for a sunny, breezy and chilly day tomorrow with highs in the upper 40s. Any poor road conditions will improve quickly tomorrow.

Notes from Tuesday night’s tornadoes in Mississippi…
Two F2 tornadoes were reported in Central Mississippi. One cut a 29 mile path near Yazoo City. I remember that cell from the Jackson radar. You just knew it was producing a tornado. Luckily, no injuries were reported. Another F2 cut a shorter path through Rankin County. There were a total of 9 tornadoes in the Jackson NWS Office County Warning Area.

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