Brief thaw Thursday could cause more icing Friday

Jan. 18—North Alabama residents expecting to get a break from the ice Thursday may be disappointed.

The National Weather Service lowered its projections for Thursday with north Alabama's temperatures not expected to reach previously projected levels.

Meteorologist Andy Kula said temperatures are only projected to get up to the mid-30s, and this likely won't occur until 11 a.m. or noon.

All local school systems and colleges remained closed Thursday with some , including Decatur City Schools, doing virtual classes. Government offices are closed again, with garbage pickup throughout the area once again pushed back.

"I don't know how much thawing we will get," Kula said. He said the sun Wednesday helped, "but Thursday is expected to be cloudy so we won't get a full thaw."

Rain is expected to move in Thursday afternoon and possibly turn into sleet after the sun sets. Temperatures are projected to fall into the 20s during the night.

"It may make it worse to have another refreeze," Kula said.

Seth Burkett, spokesman for the Alabama Department of Transportation, said the sun helped state roads Wednesday and the agency was able to plow more.

He said Wednesday at 3:15 p.m. that Interstate 65 north of Cullman through Morgan and Limestone counties are in better shape, offering at least one clear lane in both directions on Wednesday afternoon. Sixth Avenue in Decatur was also relatively clear Wednesday afternoon.

Burkett said there will be a refreeze Wednesday night, and the new weather predictions mean there may not be enough time Thursday to get the amount of thawing that's needed.

"This could make it worse (on Friday)," Burkett said.

Most residents have been cooped up since Sunday night when the snow and sleet fell followed by three days of frigid temperatures.

The temperature dropped to 13 degrees Wednesday before climbing to 31 degrees Wednesday afternoon. Another hard freeze was expected Wednesday night. — Hospital

Kelli Powers, president of Decatur Morgan Hospital, said many hospital employees are working around the clock and, when exhaustion sets in, sleeping in vacant patient rooms, on cots and air mattresses brought in before the storm, or in their offices.

"I've been sleeping in my office," Powers said. "Not everybody has been able to get in, but our staff has been great by working so much extra time."

They have not been overwhelmed with emergency room patients, she said. The ER patients they have are mainly sick, not the victims of accidents or wrecks.

Fire Chief Tracy Thornton said his department hasn't responded to any fires in the last few days. There were some minor fender-bender wrecks, but no one was hurt, he said.

Morgan County 911 also reported only minor wrecks.

Powers said the hospital's ambulance service used ice chains to continue transporting patients. Some patients even got rides home on the ambulance, she said.

Powers said they are hoping for enough thawing on Thursday for "a kind of a reset. It will allow us to switch out some people. We send some folks home and bring in some who haven't been working."

She said they're planning to open the clinic and pharmacy Thursday so patients can refill prescriptions or receive help when needed.

Beth Weinbaum, outpatient therapist for Family Counseling of Madison, said she has been trying to be productive during the time she's stuck at her home in Southeast Decatur.

"I've been using this time to put up Christmas decorations, write thank you notes and take care of other things that I might not other have time to do," Weinbaum said.

She said she created "a sustained list of in-home projects to complete because I don't have to go anywhere." She said this keeps her focused.

A retired principal with Decatur City Schools, Weinbaum said she knows it's difficult to get children to focus on virtual classes, but it's also OK to create memories by enjoying the snow and ice with them.

Temperatures are predicted to be in the 20s Friday and Saturday and could drop into the single digits at night, Kula said.

Sunday will still be cold with temperatures in the 30s, and then the first winter storm of 2024 for north Alabama will finally end, he said.

Early NWS forecasts indicate it will be in the mid- to upper 40s on Monday and 50s to 60s on Tuesday.

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.