By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

In contrast to the Jan. 28 winter storm, Shelby County law enforcement agencies and city officials reported few problems stemming from a Feb. 12 snowfall in the area.

Parts of Shelby County received a few inches of snow overnight, but the county’s communities avoided the worst of the storm, which dropped as much as 6 inches of snow on other parts of central and northern Alabama.

“We are knocking on wood and considering ourselves lucky,” Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Clay Hammac said the morning of Feb. 13. “Luckily, everyone seemed to heed the request to stay off the roads. We didn’t have any major problems at all.”

Hammac said the Sheriff’s Office worked with the Alabama Department of Transportation, the Helena Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office to address some potential road hazards on South Shades Crest Road.

“We got that taken care of really fast,” Hammac said.

A few cities hit hard during the Jan. 28 storm reported no significant problems in the Feb. 12 snowfall.

In addition to South Shades Crest Road, the Helena Police Department reported icy conditions on Shelby County 13, Shelby County 52 west, Shelby County 93, Shelby County 52 and on bridges on Highway 261.

All Helena roads were declared open by about 6 a.m. on Feb. 13.

“We didn’t have any injuries or accidents,” said Helena Police Sgt. Chris Rollan. “I think a lot of that was because of the advance warning everyone had this time.”

Alabaster reported icy bridges on Shelby County 11, U.S. 31, Alabama 119, Fulton Springs Road and Thompson Road, but declared all roads open by about 6 a.m. on Feb. 13.

Alabaster City Manager George Henry said the city dispatched sand trucks to head off potential problems, but said the night was “otherwise all clear and quiet.”

Pelham officials also battled isolated patches of ice, but few widespread problems.

“We watched it really close, because we’ve got four or five spots that tend to get bad,” Pelham Deputy Police Chief Larry Palmer said on Feb. 13. “We had a few wrecks, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.

“We are just brushing off and getting back to normal today,” Palmer added.