The heavier-than-expected snowfall is causing problems for Alabama Power, as they struggle to keep the lights on in north Jefferson County in particular, and central Alabama in general.

Spokeswoman Keisa Sharpe said that 4,954 customers in the Gardendale service area – which includes Fultondale, Pinson, Gardendale and points north – were without power at midnight Thursday.

Sharpe did not have an estimate of when those customers would have their power back.

The number was about 1,200 more that reported by Alabama Power about an hour and a half earlier.

The company reported about 15,000 customers without power statewide. There were 10,500 in metro Birmingham alone.

The metro area appears to have received the heaviest snowfall, with north Jefferson County and all of Blount County reporting big numbers. More than 40 reports were received on The North Jefferson News Facebook page, with depths around 5 inches in Gardendale, 4.5 in Morris, 5 in Trafford, 5 to 5.5 in Hayden and Smoke Rise and from 3.5 to 5.5 inches in Mt. Olive.

Some late snow showers were wrapping around on the northwest side of the storm system, adding an extra half-inch or more to parts of north and west Jefferson County. All snow was expected to end by 3 a.m.