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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

While record snowfall occurred in southern Alabama, Chilton County was one of the counties that just missed out on seeing winter weather for the second time in January. Preparations were made by many in the county like Chilton County Schools closing for Jan. 21 and 22, court proceedings being paused and many local businesses closing. Though no winter weather came through, it was better to be safe than sorry with a lot of precipitation nearby to the south.

Temperatures sat in the teens to low 20s through Jan. 21 and into the morning hours of Jan. 22 with frigid conditions. However, no precipitation left roadways and walkways free of ice for the most part. Surfaces that were not fully dry before the temperatures set in did freeze, but there were no reports of major road hazards or ice for drivers commuting.

Cities in southern Alabama saw a once in a lifetime weather event with record breaking snowfall like Dauphin Island, Mobile, Silverhill and Spanish Fort. The National Weather Service reported Mobile saw seven and a half inches of snow, shattering the record that stood since 1895. Areas near Mobile saw even more snow with reports of nine and a half inches in Spanish Fort and Silverhill, and the largest amount reported was 11 inches in Babbie in Covington County.

A warming trend will move into the area throughout the rest of the week with temperatures still well below freezing at night but moving into the 40s during the day. By Jan. 26, temperatures will be back up to highs in the 50s to get the area out of the deep freeze it went into for a few days. Residents are still encouraged to continue to take precautions at night while temperatures remain below freezing like bringing animals inside and letting faucets drip.