Hail, Tuscaloosa
- When
- March 13, 4:48 PM CST
- Where
- Tuscaloosa County, Samantha
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
- Coordinates
- 33.417, -87.617
Pea to penny size hail covered the ground in and around Samantha.
Hail in Alabama, March 13, 2005
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
What forecasters said that day
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 Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 13, 3:05 PM CST, 1 hour 43 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 13, 3:05 PM CST, 1 hour 43 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 305 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT) MAIN QUESTIONS FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WILL BE CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS AND SEVERE POTENTIAL...MAIN THREAT BEING HAIL. PLENTY OF INSTABILITY ACROSS THE AREA AND MOISTURE IS INCREASING THIS AFTERNOON. MAIN FORCING IS COMING FROM HEATING, AND SFC FRONT TO OUR NORTH. FRONT WILL SLOWLY MOVE SOUTHWARD THIS AFTERNOON WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ALONG THE FRONT AND THEN PUSHING SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT. LLJ ALSO PICKS UP ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA BETWEEN 00Z AND 06Z. AFTER 06Z JET MAX BEGINS SHIFTING EAST OF CWA AND MOST OF THE FORCING BREAKS DOWN. WITH THUNDERSTORMS ALREADY DEVELOPING IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...WILL HAVE TO ADJUST POPS FROM CATEGORICAL ACROSS THE NORTH AND CENTRAL TO CHANCE SOUTH. BEST CHANCE FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS APPEARS TO BE OVER WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS EVENING. NEXT PROBLEM IS TEMPERATURES. ETA IS REALLY SLOW IN BRINGING THIS FRONT DOWN AND DOESNT PUSH IT THROUGH OUR AREA UNTIL TOMORROW. MORNING LOWS COULD RANGE FROM 40 IN THE NORTHWEST TO LOW 60S IN SOUTHEAST. WILL HAVE TO STAY CLOSE TO GUIDANCE. MONDAY HIGHS RANGE FROM THE MID 50S NORTH TO UPPER 60S SOUTH. .LONG TERM (TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY)... RUN TO RUN CONSISTENCY BETWEEN MEDIUM RANGE MODELS HAS A LOT TO BE DESIRED...BUT SOLUTIONS AMONG THE GROUP ARE NOTHING WE HAVE NOT SEEN OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. SPLIT FLOW PATTERN AND LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE INTER-MOUNTAIN WEST WILL PLAY HAVOC WITH TIMING AND STRENGTH OF EJECTING SHORT WAVE TROUGHS COMING OUT OF THE WEST. ECMWF AND GFS DIVERGE THURSDAY/FRIDAY ON PROGRESSION/DAMPENING OF SAID LONG WAVE TROUGH AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN US AND TRANSITIONS BACK TO ZONAL FLOW. WILL GENERALLY ACCEPT HPC SOLUTION OF SURFACE FRONTAL POSITIONS DAY 3 THROUGH 7. MODELS HAVE ADVERTISED TRIPLE POINT COMING ACROSS ALABAMA FOR THE LAST SEVERAL RUNS...BUT HOW FAR NORTH INTO OUR CWA WAS THE QUESTION. ALREADY HAVE COMPLEX SYSTEM MOVING INTO OUR SOUTHERN CWA WITH MENTION OF THUNDER TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. THE HEAVIEST RAIN AMOUNTS WILL BE NEAR THE SURFACE LOW TRACK AND AFFECTING THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE AREA WITH PRECIP WATER VALUES APPROACHING 1.5 INCHES. GFS HAS ALSO SPEEDED UP THE ARRIVAL OF THIS SYSTEM THE LAST FEW RUNS AND WILL ADJUST RAIN TIMING INTO EARLIER PERIODS. GFS ENSEMBLE NUMBERS HAVE COME UP QUITE A BIT FOR THE TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY TIME FRAME SO WILL INCREASE RAIN CHANCES AREAWIDE TUESDAY/TUESDAY NIGHT. WILL ALSO INCREASE RAIN CHANCES WEDNESDAY MAINLY EAST AND DECREASE IT A BIT WEST DUE TO UNCERTAINTY AND TIMING. WIND GRIDS NEED ADJUSTING IN THIS TIME FRAME TOO. WILL REMOVE POPS FROM THURSDAY EXCEPT FAR SOUTH WHERE UNCERTAINTY EXIST ON HOW FAR AND FAST THE FRONT PUSHES SOUTH. WILL KEEP THE REMAINDER OF THE EXTENDED DRY AT THIS TIME. ENSEMBLE GFS MOS STILL HAS HIGH DEVIATIONS TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY FOR TEMPERATURES AND WILL LEAN SLIGHTLY BELOW ENSEMBLE AVERAGES DUE TO CLOUDS AND RAIN THIS SEGMENT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 48 56 40 55 / 90 20 10 60 ANNISTON 48 57 41 56 / 90 20 10 60 BIRMINGHAM 48 57 38 57 / 90 20 10 70 TUSCALOOSA 48 58 39 57 / 90 20 10 70 CALERA 48 58 40 58 / 90 20 10 70 AUBURN 55 66 51 61 / 50 40 20 70 MONTGOMERY 55 65 50 61 / 50 40 20 70 TROY 58 67 51 62 / 40 50 30 70 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && 88/75
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 13, 3:23 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 323 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 ALZ011>015-017>050-141330- AUTAUGA-BARBOUR-BIBB-BLOUNT-BULLOCK-CALHOUN-CHAMBERS-CHEROKEE- CHILTON-CLAY-CLEBURNE-COOSA-DALLAS-ELMORE-ETOWAH-FAYETTE-GREENE-HALE- JEFFERSON-LAMAR-LEE-LOWNDES-MACON-MARENGO-MARION-MONTGOMERY-PERRY- PICKENS-PIKE-RANDOLPH-RUSSELL-SHELBY-ST CLAIR-SUMTER-TALLADEGA- TALLAPOOSA-TUSCALOOSA-WALKER-WINSTON- 323 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...(THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT). A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL VERY SLOWLY MOVE SOUTHWARD THROUGH NORTHWEST ALABAMA THIS EVENING. A VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS WAS LOCATED SOUTH OF THE COLD FRONT AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THROUGH THIS EVENING. MOISTURE IS FAIRLY LIMITED...BUT THERE IS ENOUGH TO PRODUCE STORMS. THE MAIN THREAT WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED WIND DAMAGE. THE STORMS WILL BE WEAKENING BY MID EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY). NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL WILL BE NECESSARY THROUGH THIS EVENING ESPECIALLY ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 3:20 PM CST, 1 hour 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 320 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 ALZ012-022-132215- LAMAR-PICKENS- 320 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR PICKENS AND LAMAR COUNTIES UNTIL 415 PM CST... ...SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 317 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES WEST OF ETHELSVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR ETHELSVILLE... MILLPORT...REFORM...PALMETTO...KENNEDY AND HARPERS MILL THROUGH 415 PM CST. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS SMALL HAIL. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW.
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 3:53 PM CST, 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 353 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 ALZ023-132300- TUSCALOOSA- 353 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR TUSCALOOSA COUNTY UNTIL 500 PM CST... ...SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 348 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM OVER EXTREME NORTHWESTERN TUSCALOOSA COUNTY...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR THROUGH 500 PM CST. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS SMALL HAIL. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW.
Local storm report, Mar 13, 4:19 PM CST, 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
419 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0410 PM HAIL 1 N REFORM 33.39N 88.02W
03/13/2005 0.75 INCH PICKENS AL TRAINED SPOTTER
PENNY SIZE HAIL COVERED GROUND...LASTING FROM
410PM-415PM.
&&
JSSSpecial weather statement, Mar 13, 4:34 PM CST, 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 434 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 ALZ015-024-132330- JEFFERSON-WALKER- 434 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR JEFFERSON AND WALKER COUNTIES UNTIL 530 PM CST... ...SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 429 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF GOODSPRINGS...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR GOODSPRINGS...SYLVAN SPRINGS...DORA...WEST JEFFERSON...MINOR...GRAYSVILLE...BIRMINGHAM AND MORRIS THROUGH 530 PM CST. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS SMALL HAIL. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW.
The radar
The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 83 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:47 UTC.
Event by event
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, March 13, 2005
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Louisiana, March 13, 2005
- Tornado in Alabama, March 13, 2005
- Hail in Alabama, March 13, 2005
- High Surf in Hawaii, March 13 to 16, 2005
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, March 13, 2005
- Wildfire in U.S. Virgin Islands, March 13, 2005
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, March 13, 2005
- Winter Storm in Colorado, March 13, 2005
- Winter Storm in Colorado, March 13 to 15, 2005
- Hail in Alabama, March 13, 2005
- Hail in Georgia, March 13, 2005
More
Every storm in Alabama in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, March 2005
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: 5444700.