Rain, sleet, snow and heat streamed through Bradley County with the latest being the first significant White Christmas since 1989, according to Emergency Management officials.
The area was blanketed with up to seven-inches of snow reported in outlying areas of the county. Officially at the Emergency Management Office, 4.5 inches was recorded.
But, to get to this, we had to endure a snowy ending to January 2010. That was the true beginning of our weather year.
As much as 6.3 inches fell Jan. 29. Bradley County and Cleveland Schools released students and administration just after noon and children got home safely.
Surrounding counties in Tennessee and Georgia didn’t follow suit and students and motorists alike were caught in the snowfall and subsequent slushy conditions.
Snow fell for about 10 hours and multiples of vehicle crashes were reported.
Just as last week’s icing event, vehicles were left stranded or crashed as motorists couldn’t go in the ice and law enforcement filed reports for several days afterward.
Other smaller snow events also occurred during the early part of the 2010 winter.
In March, prior to Severe Weather Awareness Week, officials with the National Weather Service and the Cleveland-Bradley County Emergency Management Agency held a Weather Spotter’s Class.
Although no tornadic activity was reported during the year, several summer storms wreaked havoc with utilities and public works crews. Plenty of rain fell during early spring, but as the season changed, hot conditions were in the proverbial mixing bowl.
Downed trees due to winds or rains were blamed for interrupted service. A number of Tennessee towns were devastated by flooding, including Nashville.
By Aug. 2, Bradley County had experienced 47 straight days of 90-plus degree temperatures. Heat indexes crossed into the triple-digits, up to 115 degrees.
High Heat and Health Advisories were issued throughout the summer.
In October, strong storms spawned a tornado in Chattanooga. Earlier in the day, a line of storms raged across the area causing damage at two Charleston businesses.
The Stockyard Western Store had heavy roof and water damage during the storms. Tens of thousands of dollars in inventory was damaged and the business was shut down until just before the Thanksgiving weekend.
A few brush fires were all that was reported to emergency officials during the seemingly short-lived fall leading into what has proven to be a cold and blustery winter 2010.
