BIRMINGHAM – The latest round of winter weather to hit north Alabama dumped as much as 4½ inches of snow in some areas but didn”t cause many major problems Thursday.
Some slick spots were reported on bridges and overpasses in the Tennessee Valley and west of Birmingham in Tuscaloosa County, and state troopers were discouraging travel. Huntsville”s Redstone Arsenal and NASA”s Marshall Space Flight Center closed for the day, as did the University of North Alabama in Florence.
Schools, businesses and government offices opened late as far south as central Alabama as a precaution, but roads were mostly clear and the power was on.
As much as 1 inch of snow fell as far south as Clarke County, which is just north of Mobile. Two-inch totals were common in central Alabama, and weather observers reported about 4½ inches of snow in Lamar and Fayette counties northwest of Birmingham.
Forecasters said afternoon temperatures should reach near 40 degrees in the Birmingham area, so much of the snow was expected to melt before nightfall. Temperatures were predicted to remain lower in outlying areas, where the snow blanket could remain through Friday.
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