Snow is in the forecast for Alabama. Central Alabama, where I live, rarely gets snow so it always brings excitement. People who have to cope with snow regularly just can’t understand the panic that the mention of snow in a weather forecast brings to the people of Alabama. Folks rush to the grocery store to buy bread and milk. Schools and businesses close. People hold up in their homes until the snow thaws. It won’t last long after all.
I remember a few years ago it started snowing during the morning. The University of Alabama announced that it would close at noon. On my drive home I stopped at the grocery store for a few items, but the checkout lines were so long people were gathering at the back side of the store to get in line. I just decided to go on home and tough it out. It won’t last long after all.
The photo above was taken in my back yard last year. It depicts a typical Alabama snow… maybe an inch or two… and it doesn’t last long. In this case it only lasted a couple of hours before the temperature rose above the freezing point and the snow began to melt.
Alabama does occasionally get a real snow. I can remember six foot snow drifts in Montgomery. That was amazing! My daughter KT and I made sleds from cardboard boxes and rode down the hill behind the convenience store near our apartment. But it didn’t last long.
This Thursday it is almost certain that Alabama will see some snow. I’m writing this on Tuesday and there are already bare shelves at the grocery stores. People are stocking up and getting ready to sit it out. It won’t last long after all.
On January 7th, it snowed for about 30 minutes and there was no accumulation. On Friday, February 12th, 2010 we had a nice dusting of snow in west central Alabama. Once again all schools in the area were closed. Ironically, areas to the south actually got more snow than we did!