Hail, Pickens
- When
- March 13, 6:15 PM CST to 6:47 PM CST
- Where
- Pickens County, 10 mi W of Aliceville
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- BROADCAST MEDIA
- Coordinates
- 33.133, -88.317
Hail and Damaging Wind in Alabama, March 13, 2005
A supercell thunderstorm tracked across southern Pickens County. The storm produced hail up to penny size along its entire path.
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
- $10,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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 happened
The episode as NWS BMX wrote it up.
A supercell thunderstorm tracked across southern Pickens County. The storm produced hail up to penny size along its entire path. The hail covered the ground in several locations. The storm also knocked down several trees and power lines near the city of Aliceville.
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, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 13, 3:05 PM CST, 3 hours 10 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, 2 hours 52 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, 4:34 PM CST, 1 hour 41 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.
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 4:53 PM CST, 1 hour 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 453 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 ALZ019-026-132330- CALHOUN-ST. CLAIR- 453 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR CALHOUN AND ST. CLAIR COUNTIES UNTIL 530 PM CST... AT 453 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES WEST OF RAGLAND...ANOTHER STORM WAS LOCATED BETWEEN JACKSONVILLE AND OHATCHEE. THE STORMS WERE EAST AROUND 30 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR RAGLAND...OHATCHEE...WEAVER...JACKSONVILLE AND BLUE MOUNTAIN 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.
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 5:37 PM CST, 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 537 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 ALZ017-140015- BLOUNT- 537 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR BLOUNT COUNTY UNTIL 615 PM CST... ...SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 532 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM OVER COUNTY LINE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR HAYDEN...COUNTY LINE...LOCUST FORK...NECTAR...CLEVELAND...ALLGOOD...ROSA AND HIGHLAND LAKE THROUGH 615 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, 5:46 PM CST, 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
546 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0425 PM HAIL GORDO 33.32N 87.90W
03/13/2005 0.88 INCH PICKENS AL BROADCAST MEDIA
NICKEL HAIL REPORTED IN GORDO.
0441 PM HAIL SAMANTHA 33.41N 87.58W
03/13/2005 0.50 INCH TUSCALOOSA AL FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
1/2 INCH HAIL COVERING THE GROUND.
0445 PM HAIL 5 E ELROD 33.25N 87.70W
03/13/2005 1.00 INCH TUSCALOOSA AL PUBLIC
QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED ON HWY 82 NEAR SIPSEY RIVER.
0447 PM HAIL ELROD 33.25N 87.79W
03/13/2005 0.88 INCH TUSCALOOSA AL PUBLIC
NICKEL HAIL REPORTED BY PUBLIC IN ELROD.
0514 PM HAIL CORDOVA 33.76N 87.19W
03/13/2005 0.88 INCH WALKER AL AMATEUR RADIO
NICKEL HAIL REPORTED IN CORDOVA.
0500 PM HAIL 2 NW PLEASANT GROVE 33.51N 87.00W
03/13/2005 0.75 INCH JEFFERSON AL PUBLIC
PENNY SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN BIRMINGPORT.
&&
JSSSpecial weather statement, Mar 13, 5:55 PM CST, 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 555 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 ALZ011-140030- MARION- 555 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR MARION COUNTY UNTIL 630 PM CST... ...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING THUNDERSTORMS... ...SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING THUNDERSTORMS... AT 550 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM BEAR CREEK TO HAMILTON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR HAMILTON...HACKLEBURG...BEAR CREEK...WHITEHOUSE AND BRILLIANT THROUGH 630 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, 6:06 PM CST, 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 606 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 ALZ014-140045- WINSTON- 606 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR WINSTON COUNTY UNTIL 645 PM CST... ...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING THUNDERSTORMS... ...SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING THUNDERSTORMS... AT 603 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM 6 MILES NORTH OF HALEYVILLE TO 11 MILES WEST OF NATURAL BRIDGE...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR HALEYVILLE...LYNN...NATURAL BRIDGE...POPLAR SPRINGS...GRAYSON... DOUBLE SPRINGS...ARLEY AND ADDISON THROUGH 645 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 Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 85 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:13 UTC.
Event by event
1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Pickens
- When
- March 13, 6:25 PM CST
- Where
- Pickens County, Aliceville
- Measured
- 51 kt (59 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- BROADCAST MEDIA
- Coordinates
- 33.133, -88.150
What these are
- 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
- 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: 5444703, 5444704.