Snow on Main Quad. Photo by Nethan Crew. By Cady Inabinett, Editor in chief
It may have been far from a wonderland, but there was no denying winter had arrived in full force as snow and ice fell on Montevallo on the morning of Jan. 16.
Sub-freezing temperatures blanketed the state throughout the week, as the National Weather Service predicted the north and central parts of Alabama would experience some of their coldest temperatures in decades. Temperatures overnight between Jan. 16 and 17 reached the low teens and wind chill made it feel as though temperatures were in the single digits.
Ice and snow accumulations in Montevallo were noticeable, but minimal. Meanwhile, northern Alabama experienced the brunt of the winter weather—with cities in the northern part of the state reporting as much as seven inches of snow.
A request from Spire Gas Company, the company that provides natural gas services to the city of Montevallo, in addition to the winter weather, led the University of Montevallo to preemptively transition to virtual, e-learning days on Jan. 16 and 17 as a way to conserve the city’s limited gas supply. These e-learning days came after another weather-related closure the previous Friday, Jan. 12 as classes were cancelled due to the threat of severe weather.
The university returned to normal operations on Jan. 18 as campus thawed out. Nevertheless, the weather remained chilly—with high temperatures topping out in the mid-40s and lows remaining in the teens for the remainder of the week.
Cady Inabinett is the editor in chief of The Alabamian. She’s majoring in English and double-minoring in political science and peace and justice studies. She enjoys reading, watching movies, caring for houseplants and generally just being pretentious in her free time.
