Tornadoes and Hail in Alabama, January 3, 1982

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Alabama, January 3, 1982
Start: 1982-01-03T16:18
End: 1982-01-03T23:45
Location: Alabama

January 3, 1982 · NWS T · 17 events in 13 counties and zones

9 tornado, 7 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 17
Property damage: $1.3 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 17

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

9 tornado, 7 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Chilton

When: January 3, 4:18 PM CST
Where: Chilton County
Rating: F2
Path length: 15 mi
Path width: 140 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 32.750, -86.520

Tornado, Coosa

When: January 3, 4:33 PM CST
Where: Coosa County
Rating: F2
Path width: 140 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 32.780, -86.420

Tornado, Autauga

When: January 3, 5:22 PM CST
Where: Autauga County
Rating: F2
Path length: 8 mi
Path width: 80 yd
Injuries: 6 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 32.680, -86.570

Tornado, Autauga

When: January 3, 5:25 PM CST
Where: Autauga County
Rating: F1
Path length: 1.5 mi
Path width: 77 yd
Property damage: $3,000
Coordinates: 32.670, -86.520

Tornado, Chilton

When: January 3, 5:30 PM CST
Where: Chilton County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 13 yd
Injuries: 4 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 32.830, -86.650

Tornado, Chilton

When: January 3, 5:30 PM CST
Where: Chilton County
Rating: F2
Path width: 80 yd
Injuries: 6 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 32.730, -86.550

Hail, Colbert

When: January 3, 8:50 PM CST
Where: Colbert County
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.670, -87.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Walker

When: January 3, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Walker County
Coordinates: 33.830, -87.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Escambia

When: January 3, 10:00 PM CST
Where: Escambia County
Coordinates: 31.070, -87.430

Tornado, Cullman

When: January 3, 10:40 PM CST
Where: Cullman County
Rating: F2
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 34.220, -86.730

Tornado, Marshall

When: January 3, 10:45 PM CST
Where: Marshall County
Rating: F2
Path length: 2.5 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 34.350, -86.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When: January 3, 10:50 PM CST
Where: Madison County
Coordinates: 34.700, -86.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Cullman

When: January 3, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Cullman County
Coordinates: 33.980, -86.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: January 3, 11:00 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County
Coordinates: 33.820, -86.820

Thunderstorm Wind, Blount

When: January 3, 11:10 PM CST
Where: Blount County
Coordinates: 33.980, -86.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Dekalb

When: January 3, 11:20 PM CST
Where: Dekalb County
Coordinates: 34.450, -85.920

Tornado, Monroe

When: January 3, 11:45 PM CST
Where: Monroe County
Rating: F1
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 40 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 31.520, -87.330

What these are

Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alabama in 1982 Every state in 1982 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Alabama, 1982

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 9977390, 9977391, 9977392, 9977393, 9977394, 9977395, 9977396, 9977397, 9977398, 9977399, 9977400, 9977401, 9977402, 9977403, 9977404, 9977405, 9977406.