Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 52, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 28, 2026Sumter County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 28, 2026, 6:45 PM CDT for Sumter County, Alabama. It was in force for 34 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 28, 2026, 6:45 PM CDT (23:45 UTC)
Expired
Apr 28, 2026, 7:19 PM CDT
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

County Sumter County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 146 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:49 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 28, 4:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 148 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2026-04-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 16 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2026-04-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 198 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
16 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-306 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
899 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
198 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
282 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 28, 6:31 PM CDT, 14 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Issued at 630 PM CDT TUE APR 28 2026
  • A Slight to Enhanced Risk (Level 2 to 3 of 5) is in effect through early Wednesday morning. Damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes are the main threats.
  • A Marginal Risk (Level 1 of 5) remains in effect through Wednesday afternoon. Damaging winds and hail are the main threats with any severe activity.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 28, 6:31 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
631 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Issued at 630 PM CDT TUE APR 28 2026

- A Slight to Enhanced Risk (Level 2 to 3 of 5) is in effect
  through early Wednesday morning. Damaging winds, large hail, and
  isolated tornadoes are the main threats.

- A Marginal Risk (Level 1 of 5) remains in effect through
  Wednesday afternoon. Damaging winds and hail are the main
  threats with any severe activity.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
(This afternoon through Monday)
Issued at 1231 PM CDT TUE APR 28 2026

Shower and thunderstorm activity has been ongoing for much of the
morning across Central Alabama. This activity will slowly shift
south through the morning, eventually stalling out across the
southern half of the CWA. There remains some uncertainty as to
our storm potential this afternoon and evening. Recent CAMs hint
at convection persisting throughout the day which would help
limit our severe threat this evening as the atmosphere will not
have as much time to recover. With that said, we will need to
keep a close eye on an area of thunderstorms expected to develop
in the ArkLaTex region through the day. These storms are expected
to congeal into a line and head our way. The exact path of this
cluster will depend on where the boundary from this morning's
storms sets up. There is now a Slight to Enhanced Risk (Level 2 to
3 out of 5) for much of the area through the overnight hours as
this activity moves through. These storms will be capable of
producing damaging winds, large hail, and a tornado or two. In
addition to the severe risk, we will need to keep a close eye on
the hydro side. Forecast soundings reveal a fully saturated
profile and a deep warm cloud depth, which would promote periods
of heavy rainfall. Recent runs of the HRRR and RRFS-A hint at a
few pockets of 3-5" of rain as we head into Wednesday morning.
Depending on the placement of the heaviest rainfall, isolated
instances of flash flooding are possible. This activity looks to
exit the area by 06z-07z Wednesday.

Wednesday will feature another chance for strong to severe
thunderstorms as a H5 shortwave rotating through the zonal flow
aloft combines with the lingering boundary draped along the Gulf
coast. There is a Marginal Risk (Level 1 out of 5) for the
majority of the southern half of Central Alabama. Main threats on
Wednesday will be damaging winds and large hail. We dry out a bit
on Thursday as a cold front moves through and stalls along the
northern Gulf coast. This lingering boundary will help trigger
additional showers and storms Friday afternoon into Saturday
morning as another upper level shortwave ejects through the area.
Rain will come to an end through the morning hours Saturday with
dry conditions prevailing through the remainder of the weekend.
Rain chances return to the forecast by the middle of next week.

Lastly, to touch on temperatures, we have a couple warm days left
this week with temps today and tomorrow climbing into the 80s for
most. We begin to cool down nicely Thursday through the weekend
with highs topping out in the 60s and 70s. It will even be a
little chilly on Sunday with temps falling into the 40s. This
won't last too long as we begin to warm back up early next week.

95/Castillo

&&

.AVIATION...
(00Z TAFS)
Issued at 630 PM CDT TUE APR 28 2026

Scattered to widespread thunderstorms are expected through much
of the night, with MVFR to brief IFR ceilings and visibilities
are likely with any passing shower/storm over a TAF site.
Visibilities could linger in IFR or lower after each passing
storm, and there should be enough low level moisture overnight to
keep IFR ceilings at each TAF site. Wednesday morning, the rain
should move south and east, with a mid level jet keeping breezy
winds over the state. Conditions should slowly become VFR through
the morning as drier air filters into the state from the north.

AMD NOT SKED will continue for TCL due to intermittent
observations.

NOTE: Spring seasonal issuance of the TAF for KASN is now being
issued and will run through 04/29 18z.

24

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...

An upper level disturbance and slow moving surface boundary will
lead to continued rain chances over the next couple of days. This
will keep min RH values above 50% through Wednesday. Drier air on
Thursday will drop RHs back into the 30-40% range. RHs rebound
slightly Friday and Saturday before falling back into the 30-40%
range over the weekend in the wake of a cold front. Despite the
forecast rainfall across the area through midweek, fire weather
concerns will remain elevated due to the persistent widespread
drought conditions and critically dry fuels.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Gadsden     60  81  52  73 / 100  50  50  10
Anniston    62  82  56  75 /  90  50  60  10
Birmingham  64  82  57  73 / 100  50  60  10
Tuscaloosa  64  83  57  76 /  90  50  70  20
Calera      64  84  57  77 /  90  30  70  20
Auburn      66  84  61  77 /  80  30  70  30
Montgomery  65  87  62  78 /  80  40  80  30
Troy        64  88  62  79 /  60  30  70  40

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

DISCUSSION...24
AVIATION...24

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 28, 2:06 PM CDT, 4 hours 39 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Apr 28, 3:28 PM CDT, 3 hours 17 minutes before
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The office that day

Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 28, 3:29 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXEtowah31 min
Apr 28, 3:55 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXCherokee35 min
Apr 28, 5:21 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXDeKalb24 min
Apr 28, 5:49 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXDeKalb56 min
Apr 28, 5:58 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXMarion32 min
Apr 28, 8:53 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXBibb37 min
Apr 28, 10:17 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXLamar28 min
Apr 28, 10:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette, Lamar31 min
Apr 28, 10:51 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar, Marion39 min
Apr 28, 10:53 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXFayette37 min
Apr 28, 11:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarion, Winston16 min
Apr 28, 12:25 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXGreene35 min
Apr 28, 12:34 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXLamar26 min
Apr 28, 2:06 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXFayette24 min
Apr 28, 2:36 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXMarion24 min
Apr 28, 3:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarion27 min
Apr 28, 3:28 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXMarengo47 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2026Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.