St. Clair County will be getting snow anytime from noon Sunday until midnight that evening. Ice may stick around until as late as Tuesday, but only time will tell.

The National Weather Service says a winter storm watch will go into effect from Sunday afternoon through noon Monday. A winter storm watch means there is a potential for significant snow, sleet, or ice accumulations that may impact travel.

Accumulating snow is possible across during the same timeframe. It appears that St. Clair will fall into the four to seven inch category, since it is split by I-20, the separation line used for the forcast.

In addition, snow will transition into freezing rain across the southern half portions of central Alabama. Ice accumulation could be as high as one quarter of an inch.

Residents are asked to continue to monitor the latest forecasts.

While the NWS said they expect “mostly a snow event” Sunday evening into Monday, the ice conditions will continue and may inhibit travel into Tuesday.

The forecast is thus-far calling for temperatures not to rise above freezing until Tuesday.

“This is a very dangerous situation where travel problems can arise quickly,” Patricia Payne with the St. Clair Emergency Management Agency said.

The St. Clair Red Cross will have shelters set up—if needed—once the storm hits the area.

Pell City School System

Pell City School Superintendent Bobby Hathcock said his system will make its decision “sometime Sunday. “It’s Alabama and the weather may change in the next day or so, it may come in and it may not.”

He said information will be sent out to media outlets and over the PCBOE TelePad to notify parents.

“It’s just something where you have to wait a little bit to see in fact if it happens or now. We know it can change,” Hathcock said.

County School system

Jenny Seals,Superintendent of the St. Clair County Board of Education informed her staff this morning that a decision will be made by Sunday afternoon regarding closings. There will be an automatic dialing for students in the county system and the BOE said the information will also be on their website http://www.stclaircountyschools.net

After the briefing this afternoon, Seals said she will speak with Dr. Hathcock Sunday, though noting the county school system’s “situation is different because we have more area to cover.”

Leeds City Schools

The central office said the descision to close or open Leeds City Schools will be made Monday morning.

Clearing the roads

The county engineering department is prepped in case either snow or ice hit St. Clair County.

“We’re trying to prepare for either one,” County Engineer Dan Dahlke said this morning.

His crews are moving equipment around the county to key areas. Stockpiles of sand and screenings are ready to dump on roads if necessary. Screenings are a fine powdery gravel, put on roadways instead of sand and it sometimes make ice melt faster, Dahlke said.

Dahlke said his department is going to concentrate on county roads, though if crews have to cross state roads, they will hit those spots with sand or screenings.

“They’re talking about trees falling so we’ve got chainsaws and those type supplies together, too,” he said.

Regarding other county agencies, such as the EMA and local police departments, Dahlke said, “We all have each other’s phone number and we try to keep in touch pretty well. I’m sure if it gets like they’re talking about Sunday we’ll all be having some conversations and emails to plan things out. With an event like this we tell all out people that they’re subject to be called in. I’m not saying that we’ll have people sitting here waiting to see if it happens, but as soon as we start hearing stuff, we’ll call in people as they’re needed.”