Snow hits Maxwell, Montgomery communities

Snow covers a sign at Maxwell Air Force Base's Gunter Annex on Sunday. The snowfall accumulated nearly an inch on base as the storm moved through the Montgomery area. (Air Force photo by Donna Burnett)

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Snow hits Maxwell, Montgomery communities

Snow falls on a Douglas AC-47 gunship nicknamed Spooky at Maxwell Air Force Base's Gunter Annex on Sunday. The morning snowfall blanketed the Montgomery, Ala. area as the snowstorm moved its way up the East Coast. (Air Force photo by Donna Burnett)

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Snow hits Maxwell, Montgomery communities

Snow falls in front of an F-86 Sabre at the Maxwell Air Park on Sunday. Although the snow on base measured nearly one inch by morning, the snow melted off by noon. (Air Force photo by Donna Burnett)

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Snow hits Maxwell, Montgomery communities

Published March 3, 2009
By Carl Bergquist
Air University Public Affairs

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- On Sunday, for the first time in 16 years, Maxwell-Gunter received significant snow cover in the month of March.

The last time this happened was March 13, 1993, and that event was dubbed by state residents and officials as the "Storm of the Century."

David Scott, Maxwell Weather Station manager, said the snowfall was the result of a "deep low," and the National Weather Service credited the River Region with receiving about one to two inches of the white stuff.

"Officially, however, we only measured 0.8 inches of snow here at Maxwell," he said. "A 'deep low' means low pressure extends from the surface high into the atmosphere, and this creates the moisture and winds necessary for precipitation. When the precipitation comes in contact with below freezing temperatures, it becomes snow."

Mr. Scott said weather conditions that brought Sunday's snow were essentially the same conditions that brought the "Storm of the Century" in 1993, but because the temperature was a little above freezing, snow accumulation didn't last very long. He said changing weather reports during the week preceding the storm, as to whether there would be snow or not on Sunday, were due to changing temperature predictions for both the surface and in the atmosphere.

"Snow is one of the hardest conditions to predict because of temperature variations. Just a degree or two can make the difference between snow and rain. Based on the model data we had, we first put snow on Maxwell's five-day prediction on the Friday before the event," he said. "At first, we predicted there would be no accumulation because the temperature would be too high, but, by Saturday, we felt the temperature would drop enough on Sunday to sustain some accumulation in grassy areas."

Mr. Scott said snowfall in the River Region began north of the base, in the Millbrook and Wetumpka areas, then moved south. Areas north of Maxwell-Gunter and Montgomery received considerably more snow than the city, with as much as three to five inches falling in Northern Elmore County. He also said it is not unusual to see measurable snow as late as April in this area.

In an article on the National Weather Service Web site, Scott Unger said by mid-afternoon, skies had cleared and temperatures rose to the low 40s.

"This allowed for the snow to quickly melt, and the only thing Alabama experienced was the beautiful snow covered trees without the hassle of cancelled school and businesses," he said.

For more information on the storm, visit the NWS Web site at: www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/significant_events/2009/03_01/index.php.