A persistent, large-scale trough over the United States favored an active period of weather across the Central Gulf Coast region, with parts of Central Alabama experiencing several waves of wintry precipitation over a span of five days. An upper level disturbance moving through Texas aided in the development of a surface low over the northern Gulf of Mexico Sunday the 14th into Monday the 15th. As the surface low tracked northeast towards the Mid-Atlantic region, a large area of precipitation developed and overspread Central Alabama. Sub-freezing surface temperatures were confined to far west and northwest portions of Central Alabama. The freezing air mass was shallow, and the wind pattern a few thousand feet above the surface favored an influx of warmer air from the south. This type of vertical temperature profile was a typical setup for freezing rain. Over time, low-level cooling occurred and allowed for mixture of sleet and snow along with the freezing rain. The hardest hit counties were Pickens, Lamar, Fayette, Marion, and Winston Counties.  As much as one-half of ice accumulation occurred in these counties. The weight of the ice caused trees to bend or fall over, tree branches to break, and power outages. The coating of ice made for dangerous or impossible travel across the area.
As the storm system exited, arctic air was pulled southward into Alabama. Temperatures fell into the teens on the morning of Tuesday the 16th with a wind chill factor in the single digits. Much of the region remained below freezing through the day. To add to the busy period of weather, a remaining shallow cloud layer produced snow showers into the early afternoon on the 16th. The snow was dry and fluffy in nature with accumulations of 1-2 inches some areas.
A second cycle of wintry weather affected similar areas across northwest Central Alabama on Wednesday the 18th through Thursday the 19th. Another upper level disturbance moved through the large-scale trough.  The northwest counties of Central Alabama remained at or a few degrees below freezing.  By mid afternoon on the 17th, precipitation, in the form of snow and sleet, began moving in from Mississippi. Snow and sleet began accumulating in the evening hours and continued through the mid-morning hours on the 18th. As much as 3 inches of sleet and snow accumulated in Marion and Winston Counties. The sleet and snow changed over to freezing rain in northern Lamar County resulting in power outages.

Winter Storm in MARION, ALABAMA
From 14-FEB-21 19:00:00 to 15-FEB-21 14:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

A mixture of light snow, sleet, and freezing rain produced accumulations up to one-half inch across Marion County. The freezing rain coated trees and power lines resulting in power outages.

Winter Storm in LAMAR, ALABAMA
From 14-FEB-21 19:00:00 to 15-FEB-21 14:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

A mixture of light snow, sleet, and freezing rain produced accumulations up to one-half inch across Lamar County. The freezing rain coated trees and power lines resulting in power outages.

Winter Storm in PICKENS, ALABAMA
From 14-FEB-21 19:00:00 to 15-FEB-21 14:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

A mixture of light snow, sleet, and freezing rain produced accumulations up to one-half inch across Pickens County. The freezing rain coated trees and power lines resulting in power outages.

Winter Storm in WINSTON, ALABAMA
From 14-FEB-21 19:00:00 to 15-FEB-21 15:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

A mixture of light snow, sleet, and freezing rain produced accumulations up to one-half inch across Winston County. The freezing rain coated trees and power lines resulting in power outages.

Winter Storm in FAYETTE, ALABAMA
From 14-FEB-21 19:00:00 to 15-FEB-21 15:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

A mixture of light snow, sleet, and freezing rain produced accumulations up to one-half inch across northwest Fayette County. The freezing rain coated trees and power lines resulting in power outages.

Winter Storm in LAMAR, ALABAMA
From 17-FEB-21 18:00:00 to 18-FEB-21 09:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Sleet and snow accumulations up to one inch across northern Lamar County.  Precipitation changed over to freezing rain with ice accumulations of one-quarter of an inch. Power outages reported.

Winter Storm in WINSTON, ALABAMA
From 17-FEB-21 18:00:00 to 18-FEB-21 09:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Public reports of 1-3 inches of sleet and snow across the county.

Winter Storm in MARION, ALABAMA
From 17-FEB-21 18:00:00 to 18-FEB-21 09:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Public reports of 1-3 inches of sleet and snow across the county.