Huntsville city officials are confident the community will fare better this weekend as a winter storm approaches than it did almost exactly a year ago when much of north Alabama was crippled for several days by an ice storm.

But how Huntsville and the rest of the Tennessee Valley fare may depend more on what kind of precipitation falls and how low temperatures dip if the winter storm hits as expected on Friday.

The Huntsville area is expecting more of a snow event according to the National Weather Service when the system hits, with some areas in the valley receiving as much as eight inches.

But that was also the case last year when a winter storm hit Jan. 14-15, 2024.

In his report to the Huntsville City Council last February, City Administrator John Hamilton said the city was prepared for snow when the area was hit by several inches of freezing rain and sleet instead.

That made some of the treatment of city roads ineffective in preparations beforehand. Hamilton said the ice was so hard on the roads, even the blades on motor graders were ineffective.

“They were just chattering across the ice,” Hamilton said. “They had to be pulled off the roads until the weather improved for their tools and their materials.”

But another factor that hindered the city’s response is not expected to be in play this time – temperatures falling into the single digits.

Hamilton said salt and chemicals used to treat roads last year were ineffective when the temperature dropped below 20 degrees. Temperatures dropped into the single digits during the week and did not climb above 20 degrees most days.

“There were periods where all of those agencies pulled crews off the roads because the salt could not be effective,” Hamilton said.

Temperatures are not expected to dip below 20 degrees with this system.

Equipment upgrades, early treatment

Hamilton said the city’s equipment needed to be upgraded to handle winter events Huntsville normally experiences.

Public Works has retrofitted 10 of its 1-ton crew cab trucks with plows and bed mounted spreaders, giving the City a total of 15 trucks that can combat slick roadways for this week’s winter storm.

Those trucks will be distributed throughout the city in preparation for wintry precipitation.

“Should road conditions warrant treatment, Public Works will deploy a fine stone mixture to enhance traction on bridges and overpasses,” Public Works Director Chris McNeese said earlier this week. “The city is also prepared to dispatch trucks to blade roadways and spread salt on asphalt to diminish the impact of accumulating wintry precipitation.”

Huntsville Public Works primarily handles the treatment of roads and streets within the city limits, while the Alabama Department of Transportation manages major arterials such as Governors Drive, Memorial Parkway, U.S. 72 and I-565. Roads and streets outside the city limits fall under the jurisdiction of Madison County.

ALDOT crews began pretreatment on select routes in some areas of the state Tuesday and pretreatments continued to expand across much of the state Wednesday.

Madison Public Works has been working closely with the Madison County Commission office to salt bridges and overpasses. Crews will remain on standby to respond to any roadway needs. Police and Fire teams are also at the ready to respond to emergency calls. Residents are urged to remain off the roadways until conditions clear, the city said in a release.

In Athens, Public Works trucks are loaded with sand, and the plows are ready, Communication Specialist Holly Hollman said.

“If needed, crews will sand the bridges in heavily traveled areas first (I-65, Alabama 251, Forrest Street) and then areas around emergency facilities, such as Athens-Limestone Hospital, Fire Stations and Police Dept. and Nuclear Plant Road to Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant,” Hollman said.

Crews from Athens Utilities have their equipment ready and are on standby in case they need to respond, she said.

Police urge caution

Huntsville Police is monitoring road conditions in anticipation of potential winter weather, which may create hazardous driving conditions and make many roads impassable.

“Periods of heavy snowfall are possible during this timeframe, and road conditions may deteriorate quickly, creating hazardous travel conditions,” HPD Chief Kirk Giles said Wednesday. “HPD urges residents to prepare in advance and prioritize safety during this winter storm.”

If road conditions warrant, HPD will place barricades to block roads that are closed.

“We would like to remind everyone that if you see barricades, there is a reason that it’s there,” HPD Capt. Stephen Anderson said. “Driving around barricades is against the law and can create dangerous situations. We also urge drivers not to abandon their vehicles in the middle of roadways because those vehicles can create hazards and block first responders. Guide your vehicle to the right of way to keep travel lanes open.”

One of the criticisms by residents during last year’s ice storm was a perceived lack of communication about road conditions and which roads were being worked on. But the city of Huntsville did have a webpage alerting residents.

This week, road conditions and closures will be publicized through the City Alert system, local media and City of Huntsville social media.

The Alabama Department of Transportation monitors state and federal highways, including U.S. 231 (Memorial Parkway), U.S. 72 (University Drive), U.S. 431 (Governor’s Drive), and Interstate 565. For real-time road conditions, the Alabama Department of Transportation encourages individuals to visit algotraffic.com.

If there are road closures or widespread power outages or other emergencies, the City of Athens will issue alerts via CivicReady. To sign up, go to the City’s website at: https://public.alertsense.com/SignUp/?RegionId=2060