1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Mobile, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 22, 3:05 PM CST, 2 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 305 PM CST WED DEC 22 2004 .SHORT TERM...DAY-1...A STRONG MID LEVEL SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS TO THE MID MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY OVERNIGHT AND TAKE ON A NEGATIVE TILT. A SURFACE LOW WILL MEANWHILE MOVE FROM THE NORTHWEST GULF TO EASTERN TENNESSEE WITH A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA. WIDESPREAD CONVECTION CURRENTLY OVER MUCH OF THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL SHIFT EASTWARD WHILE A LINE OF CONVECTION APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. EXPECT THE LINE TO ADVANCE INTO SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI EARLY THIS EVENING...AND THEN EXIT THE EASTERN PORTION SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE LOW LEVEL JET WILL INCREASE TO AROUND 50 KNOTS ALLOWING FOR HELICITIES TO BECOME RATHER HIGH...400-500 M2 S-2.. HOWEVER...THE SYSTEM REMAINS QUITE LIMITED REGARDING INSTABILITY WITH CAPES REMAINING AROUND 500 J KG-1...BUT WITH HIGHER VALUES OFFSHORE. THIS RESULTS IN AN ENERGY HELICITY INDEX OF ROUGHLY 1 TO 2 OVER THE LAND AREAS...BUT HIGHER OFFSHORE...SUGGESTING SOME STRONG STORMS OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A SEVERE STORM OR TWO. WRAP AROUND CLOUDINESS LINGERS OVER THE AREA DURING THURSDAY MORNING AS MUCH COOLER AND DRIER AIR FLOWS INTO THE REGION. DAYS 2-3...THU NITE THRU SAT...ALL EYES ON POTENTIAL GULF SFC LOW THAT IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN RESPONSE TO NEXT UPSTREAM LWAVE TROF. THE LOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP EARLY FRI IN SW GLFMEX AND MOVE EWD ACROSS CENTRAL GLFMEX ON CHRISTMAS EVE. IMPENDING LIGHT COASTAL SNOW EVENT SETTING UP FROM MIDDAY FRI THROUGH VERY EARLY CHRISTMAS MORNING. THE POTENTIAL SNOW ANDOR RAINSNOW MIX EVENT DEPENDS UPON 1)HOW COLD WE START OFF FRIDAY AM 2) WHEN (AND IF) THE PCPN ARRIVES INTO THE AREA FROM THE SW (SINCE THE LOW COULD TAKE A MORE SLY TRACK AND BE MUCH WEAKER THAN FORECAST) AND 3) PCPN INTENSITY WHICH WILL CONTRIBUTE TO EVAP COOLING OF PCPN IN THE LOWEST 2 KFT AGL. THE GFS HAS BEEN WAFFLING A BIT ON EITHER SIDE PAST TWO DAYS...SOMETIMES MAKING IT COLDER AND DRIER AND AT OTHER TIMES...TOO WARM. I PREFER TO TAKE A COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE ETAGFS WHICH SHOULD GIVE AT LEAST A BRIEF OF LIGHT SNOW ANDOR SLEET BEFORE ENDING. ANY ACCUM WILL BE <1 INCH AND MAINLY ALONG THE COAST. THE UKMET AND CANADIAN ARE NOW ON-BOARD WITH THE GULF CYCLOGENESIS. FARTHER INLAND...IT IS TOO MOISTURE STARVED AT THIS POINT TO TALK ABOUT ACCUMULATING SNOW BUT BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES COULD HAVE SLICK CONDITIONS WITH EVEN A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF SLEET. WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT. AS GULF SFC LOW MOVES FARTHER SE OF OUR AREA...A SECOND COLD AIR SURGE AFFECTS THAT AREA ON CHRISTMAS DAY. CHRISTMAS DAY SHOULD BE MOSTLY SUNNY AND RELATIVELY COLD...ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE WIND. && .EXTENDED...SUNDAY MORNING SHOULD BE COLDEST (TEENS INLAND TO MID 20S ALONG THE COAST) AS AXIS OF ARCTIC SFC HIGH PRESSURE IS SITUATED ACROSS REGION. SLOW MODERATING TREND THEREAFTER WITH NEXT BEST CHANCE OF RAIN TUE NIGHT AND INTO WED. && .MARINE...S FLOW THROUGH MIDNIGHT AHEAD OF FRONT...THEN WIND SHIFT LATE WITH PROLONGED PERIOD OF NLY FLOW INTO THE WEEKEND. EXPECT A STRONG LINE OF SCT STORMS TO TRAVERSE THE MARINE AREA FROM PQL TO DTS (PRODUCING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF GALE FORCE WITH STRONGER STORMS) THIS EVENING (SEE DAY 1 ABOVE). WILL STILL MENTION GUSTS TO NEAR GALE FORCE TNT...AND AGAIN ON SAT NITE. && .FIRE...NO CONCERNS AT THIS POINT IN THE SHORT TERM. WILL CONTINUE MONITORING RELATIVE HUMIDITIES FOR SAT AND SUN AFTERNOON. && .PRELIMINARY TEMPS / POPS... MOBILE 39 47 27 39 / 90 20 10 PENSACOLA 43 51 29 40 / 90 20 10 DESTIN 49 55 33 45 / 90 20 10 EVERGREEN 38 44 25 38 / 90 20 10 && .MOB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...SCA GMZ630-650-670 TNT AND THU. FL...SCA GMZ655-675 TNT AND THU. MS...NONE. && 23 MEDLIN / 29 EVERSOLE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 530 AM CST WED DEC 22 2004 ALZ051>064-FLZ001>006-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-221800- BALDWIN COASTAL-BALDWIN INLAND-BUTLER-CHOCTAW-CLARKE-CONECUH- COVINGTON-CRENSHAW-ESCAMBIA-ESCAMBIA COASTAL-ESCAMBIA INLAND-GEORGE- GREENE-MOBILE COASTAL-MOBILE INLAND-MONROE-OKALOOSA COASTAL- OKALOOSA INLAND-PERRY-SANTA ROSA COASTAL-SANTA ROSA INLAND-STONE- WASHINGTON-WAYNE-WILCOX- 530 AM CST WED DEC 22 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND THE EXTREME WESTERN PORTION OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE NORTH-NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA TODAY AS A SYSTEM MOVES FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY INTO THE TENNESSEE RIVER VALLEY. MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL INCREASE AS SOUTHERLY WINDS BLOW THROUGH THE DAY...ENOUGH SO THAT A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREAT. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL GENERALLY BE OVER OPEN GULF WATERS AND INLAND AREAS WITHIN 50 MILES OF THE COAST. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL FORM OVER THE WESTERN GULF THURSDAY AND MOVE EASTWARD OVER GULF WATERS. RAINSHOWERS WILL SPREAD INLAND...BUT COOL...STABLE AIR OVER THE AREA WILL LIMIT ANY CHANCES FOR SEVERE WEATHER. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT..
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 1231 PM CST WED DEC 22 2004 ALZ064-221900- LOWER BALDWIN- 1231 PM CST WED DEC 22 2004 ...A HEAVY RAIN SHOWER WITH GUSTY WINDS IS BEING DETECTED OVER SOUTHERN BALDWIN COUNTY... AT 1229 PM CST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A HEAVY RAIN SHOWER WITH GUSTY WINDS NEAR ROMAR BEACH...AND MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. THE SHOWER WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND AROUND...JOSEPHINE...PERDIDO BEACH...MIFLIN...ELBERTA...FOLEY...ELSANOR AND SUMMERDALE THROUGH 100 PM CST. THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM THIS SHOWER ARE TORRENTIAL RAIN AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...WHICH COULD DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS OR BRANCHES AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE HOME OR BUILDING UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A tornado briefly touched down at a construction site along the coast in Destin. The tornado did minor damage to some construction equipment.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Florida, 2004Warnings in Florida, December 2004
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: 5430560.