A mistaken forecast led to days of problems in Alabama's largest metropolitan area, but experts say predicting a winter storm is incredibly difficult.
The Birmingham metro area is still recovering from the snow and ice storm that stuck Tuesday with virtually no warning. Commuters and schoolchildren were stranded for a day.
Meteorologist Jeff Masters of Weather Underground says the rarity of winter storms in Alabama makes forecasting even tougher.
John Knox, a meteorologist at the University of Georgia, says Birmingham received the snow and ice that computers models said would happen around Montgomery.
Thousands of school kids were still out of class Friday since school systems throughout central Alabama took the day off because of lingering icy spots on roads.
Temperatures rose into the 50s, clearing away icy remnants.
