Like much of the nation in recent weeks, winter weather has been a pressing concern even for the southern beacon of Alabama. Though most years winter passes Dixieland with little to no disturbance, when snow and ice do rear their ugly head, it poses a particular problem for Alabamans, less exposed to treacherous road conditions than their northern counterparts. In the month of January, strong storms crippled much of the northern part of the state, with residents from Birmingham up to Tennessee feeling the effects of wintry weather, blanketed with problematic precipitation.In a two day span from January 9^th to 10th, the skies dumped snow on the area like few times in history. Huntsville, for example recorded nearly 9 inches of snowfall, the 3^rd highest total on record. In smaller northern Alabama towns, totals surpassed 11 inches. Of course, it doesn’t take more than 2 to 3 inches to shut down the state, with even central Alabama scattered with 4 to 5 inches. As temperatures rose above and sank back below the freezing point over the course of the early week, ice quickly became an issue, compounded by sleet. Read the rest of this entry »