Blizzard of 1993

Charles Nesbitt's photograph of the snowstorm for the Birmingham News.

The Blizzard of 1993 (also known as the Storm of the Century) was a winter snowstorm affecting the entire east coast of the United States and much of Canada's on March 12-14, 1993. In addition to the 5 to 50 inches of snow dropped along its path, the storm was also responsible for hurricane-force winds in some locations. Approximately 300 people died as a result of the storm.

On March 12, Colin Powell, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made an appearance in Tuscaloosa to congratulate the 1992 Alabama Crimson Tide football team on their national championship. His wife, Alma, visited friends in Birmingham during the short trip. Despite the weather, the Powells were able to fly out of Birmingham International Airport in time to return to Washington on schedule.

A live broadcast of Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" was staged at the Alabama Theatre on March 14. The Minnesota native made frequent reference to the unusual snowfall during the broadcast. Emmylou Harris was featured as a guest performer on the show, and walked straight onto the stage from her tour bus when it finally arrived.

The storm caused irreparable damage to the Baby Doe's Matchless Mine restaurant on Red Mountain.

Then WBRC 6 reporter Shelia Smoot met her husband of two years, Robert Ward, Jr, when she and her crew gave him a lift home during the storm.

Records

The official snowfall amount recorded at the Birmingham Airport was 13 inches, although parts of the metropolitan area saw as much as 17 inches. There were snowdrifts of five to six feet reported in the area. The official low was recorded as 2 degrees Fahrenheit on the morning of March 14.

References

• 1993 North American storm complex. (2006, October 11). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 01:34, October 14, 2006.
• Elliott, J.B. (2006, March 14). Flash Back to the Great One--The Blizzard of '93. In ABC 33/40 Weather Blog. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
• The Blizzard of '93. In WBHM - NPR News and Classical Music. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
• Owens, Jack (Winter 2010) "Colin Powell and a nearly perfect plan." Alabama Heritage. No. 98, pp. 46-7