Between Prattville and Montgomery, Tommy Jacques counted 18 wrecks along the highway.

“Most people were running 35 to 40 on the highway. Then, someone would come speeding through, hit their brakes and end up sliding off the road,” Jacques said.

He and his Landscape Source Inc. crew canvassed central Alabama, deicing the lots of Academy Sports and Outdoors stores and Regions Banks.

“I wasn’t born for this. Thank God it only comes once in a while,” he said as he finished up at the downtown Troy Regions.

As temperatures dropped and the rain started falling Tuesday morning, businesses hung up closed signs, people gassed up their vehicles and icicles formed along rooftops.

Councilwoman Dejerilyn King Henderson joined the throngs who rushed in and out of Food World.

“I have bought up the last of essentials like milk for my granddaughter, filled the tank of gas and I have some really good gas to heat up in case the power goes out,” she said.

Henderson had a request for residents sitting at home.

“Listen, pay attention and stay at home,” she said. “Stay out of this weather.”

The kindergarteners and first-graders were making plans for their first snow day of the year. Very few of those plans included staying out of the weather.

First-grader Julia Jones said she had never seen snow, but had a pretty good idea of what it would be like.

“I think it’s very kind of cold and nice and fun,” she said. “It’s very comfortable and easy to play with.”

Kindergartener Dallas Wiley could recall one other snow day in her short life. She said she spent a lot of time outdoors and came inside for a movie and hot cocoa. Wiley had other plans for this snow day.

“I’m going to be playing snowball fight,” she said.

John Gunter Senn has never seen snow, but he offered his classmates detailed instructions for building a snowman.

“I want to build a snowman really bad,” he said.

Guerin Albritton had a long to-do list for her snow day.

“I wanna play in the snow and make snow angels,” the kindergartener said. “And play volleyball with the snow.”

Julia Morrison said those were fine ideas and added one of her own.

“I’m going to put my flower hat on my snowman,” she said.

Students at Troy Elementary School got out early Tuesday. They will be out all of Wednesday. For more closings and updates, go to www.troymessenger.com.