Parts of Alabama have been hit with up to 4 inches of snow today with the potential for ice later this afternoon.

The National Weather Service is asking Alabamians to provide snow and ice reports but there is a right – and a wrong – way to provide information.

For all cases, NWS needs to know when, where, the duration and the amount of snow or ice reported.

For snow, you should find an open, flat area sheltered from the wind. Avoid taking measurements on elevated surfaces where melting occurred, near trees, around structures or in old snow or drifts.

You should use a ruler to take measurements in several different locations and average the amount to the nearest tenth of an inch. Try to be level with surface of snow to read measurements.

Measuring ice is a little different. For that, you should find an ice-covered object like a branch, fence or sidewalk, in an open area. Avoid taking measurements on objects that are sheltered or around structures.

Once you find a flat surface, use a ruler to measure from the edge of the object to the edge of the ice. If you’re on a non-flat surface, use a ruler to measure the thickest part and thinnest part of the ice from the edge of the object to the edge of the ice and average the two measurements by adding and then dividing by two.

You should report when the freezing rain ends and report the average ice thickness to the nearest hundredth of an inch, duration, time of observation and location.