By Scott Buttram
JEFFERSON COUNTY — The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a freezing rain advisory for Jefferson and St. Clair counties.
The advisory is in effect from 3 a.m. until 3 p.m. for the north and central portion of the state. Locally, the time of concern is primarily from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Thursday.
The area of highest impact is expected to be in the northwest corner of Alabama.
The threat for hazardous weather will arise from a system pushing down from the northwest.
As the cold front moves through the region tonight, temperatures are expected to rapidly decrease behind the front. Areas of rain will begin to change over to freezing rain and sleet early Thursday morning lasting through Thursday afternoon.
The sleet may be limited to just the northwest, where ice accumulations could be substantial. Temperatures are not expected to rise above freezing until Friday afternoon.
Gov. Robert Bentley has declared a state of emergency effective at midnight Wednesday in front of the pending weather.
Jefferson County Schools are expected to make an announcement regarding any school closings by 9 p.m. Wednesday. School information on Trussville City Schools and St. Clair County Schools will be posted on Facebook as soon as the information becomes available.
The Trussville Tribune meteorologist Dennis Washington will be tracking the weather throughout the night and will post updated weather information as needed on the Facebook page.
As always, you can keep up with the latest information, including current conditions and interactive radar, on the Tribune website at TrussvilleTribune.com/weather.
Follow us on Twitter @TrussTribune for instant updates and news.
