— The freak October snowstorm that struck the northeast United States last week — knocking out power and canceling trick-or-treating in many areas —may have reminded locals of the past year of extreme weather in Limestone County. Events included a Christmas Day snow, a rare deep snowfall in January, a deadly April tornado outbreak, followed by more severe storms in May and then extreme heat.

With thoughts of the April 27 outbreak still in their heads, many residents have wondered what the approaching winter may bring.

In addition to falling temperatures, November marks the beginning of a secondary tornado season in Alabama, where the Nov. 15, 1989, twister in Huntsville caused 21 deaths and 463 injuries. On Nov. 24, 2001, an F2 tornado killed two people in Lawrence County.

In 2001, an F2 tornado struck southeastern Madison County, harming no one, but a Nov. 22, 1992, twister injured five people near New Hope in Madison County. Other November twisters to hit North Alabama include: a Nov. 27, 1973, F3 that injured 42 when it struck the Huntsville airport and a Nov. 24, 1967, twister that hurt seven in eastern Madison County.

Twisters are more rare in September and October, although in 2004, a small twister touched down in Lester on Oct. 18, but no one was injured. In 2002, twisters also touched down in Madison County in September and October. Lawrence County experienced small twisters in October of 2007, 2009 and 2010.

Dave Nadler with the National Weather Service in Huntsville said forecasters can’t predict how severe the fall and winter seasons will be, but anytime “we start to transition seasons, we run the risk of severe weather.”

“We need to be prepared,” he said. “But the magnitude of those events is very difficult to tell.”

While spring months are typically more active for tornados, for a few years in the early 2000s, Alabama experienced more severe storms and tornadoes in November rather than spring.

This year’s patterns are similar to those of 2010, Nadler said, which could mean severe storms and unusual snowfalls. However, Nadler stressed “could mean” because so many variable factors impact storm systems.

“We’re in a moderate-to-strong La Niña, similar to where we we’re heading into last winter but that doesn’t mean it translates into the same weather,” he said. “It’s just important that people understand we can get tornadoes in almost any month. I think people need to be vigilant and become more active in storm preparation.”

Oddly, 1989, the year of the deadly F4 twister that struck Huntsville, is listed by many weather experts as a year North Alabama experienced a white Christmas. However, scientists at the National Climatic Data Center count only snow accumulations of more than one inch as an official white Christmas, so many forecasters claim that 2010 was the first true white Christmas here.

Occurrence of snowstorms and twisters are not technically related, with the exception that both mark upheavals in weather patterns.

Though very rare, tornadoes can occur here in winter.

In 2010, a rare late January tornado struck Huntsville, damaging several homes.

Other wintertime tornadoes in North Alabama include:

• Feb. 15, 1939: An F1 touched down near Tanner, destroying one home and killing its owner as she ran for cover.

• Dec. 18, 1967: An F2 struck Morgan and Madison counties, killing two and injuring 27. Madison was hit again on Dec. 21, 1967.

• Nov. 27, 1973: An F2 struck the town of Eva in Morgan County, injuring three people.

• Christmas Eve, 2008: An EF1 tornado struck the Belle Mina community in southern Limestone County, destroying several homes and sheds and toppling a tree onto a truck with hunters inside. No one was injured.

• Jan. 24, 1997, an F1 struck Lawrence County. No one was injured.

• Dec. 16, 2000: F1 and F2 tornadoes tore through Limestone County. The F2 touched down in the O’Neal community, crossed Alabama 99 and damaged several homes. The F1 touched down in Lawrence County near Courtland and traveled into Limestone County. No one was injured.

• Feb. 6, 2008: An EF4 twister struck Morgan County, killing four people and injuring 23.

For more statistics on fall and winter storms, visit http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hun/ and click the Tornado Database icon on the lower left hand side of the homepage.