Flurry festivities: Shelby County receives 3 inches on its best snow day in years

Published 2:37 pm Friday, January 10, 2025

By Noah Wortham

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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

Standing atop a hill outside Chelsea Park Elementary School, three girls readied their make-shift boogie board and pool float sleds with a snow-blanketed Shelby County school bus filling the background, they hopped on and took off in a race down the hill.

It was their second round of sledding that morning, as the girls made their way to school for a much different reason on Friday, Jan. 10—to take advantage of a thrilling neighborhood hill on a snow day.

It was sights like this that covered Shelby County Friday morning, as snow blanketed the county white with the largest snow in years.

After days of varying winter forecasts, speculation and several trips to the milk and bread aisles of local grocery stores, Shelby County residents went to bed on Thursday night with cautious optimism about their chances of seeing a winter wonderland. When they awoke early Friday morning, they were greeted by a spectacular sight—snow gently cascading on to the frozen ground and piling up for what was the biggest snow day the county has seen in several years.

The local National Weather Service office, located in Calera, confirmed 2 inches of snow collected on the ground with as high as 3 inches closer to the north part of the county and the eastern part of the county near the Jefferson and St. Clair county lines. Southern Shelby County saw approximately half an inch with parts of the county receiving freezing rain.

Leading up to the snowfall and through it all, the NWS tracked the weather and kept residents in the metro-Birmingham area up to date.

“We typically, at least every six hours, are looking at forecast model data and updating the forecasts,” NWS Meteorologist Alex Sizemore said. “We’re basically changing it as needed and then making sure that the forecast can result in impactful messaging that people can look at to make decisions. Ultimately, what we’re here to do is protect life and property.”

After the morning snow, locals took to social media to share their jubilant adventures out on the newly laid white blankets of snow while children built snowmen and pets cautiously ventured out on the unfamiliar ground. For local students, it was a snow day they got to enjoy with schools closed across the county.

“I think a lot of people were probably expecting a little more ice and sleet than snow,” Sizemore said. “Reactions so far have been some surprise to how much snow (we got), particularly in Shelby County.”

However, each time it snows in Alabama, alongside the winter festivities comes the dangers of icy roads with the day seeing dangerous conditions on roads such as Highway 25 and 11 in addition to backups on major travel routes like Interstate 65.

“There (were) a lot of traffic backups,” Sizemore said. “There (was) an 18-wheeler, just north of our office, south of Alabaster, that (had) south side blocked. My recommendation would be: avoid any unnecessary travel. If you don’t have to be out, don’t go. If you do have to go out for any reason, just take it slow (and) allow plenty of time to get to your destination.”

By 11 a.m., the weather warmed to approximately 34 degrees and is set to remain above freezing throughout the rest of the early evening before dropping back down below freezing near sunrise on Saturday,  Jan. 11.

“Everything’s kind of slowly melting out there,” Sizemore said. “The roads are just basically slush now. So, slow improvement from here for the rest of the day.”

As things continue to develop, NWS Birmingham in Calera will continue to monitor conditions and forecasts for any changes. Additionally, ALGO Traffic and local law enforcement will provide updates on road conditions with advice for residents needing to commute.

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