Hail, Tuscaloosa
- When
- May 20, 4:20 PM CST
- Where
- Tuscaloosa County, Coker
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
- Coordinates
- 33.233, -87.700
Quarter size hail was reported near Coker.
Hail in Alabama, May 20, 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 May 20, 1:58 PM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 20, 1:58 PM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 258 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 .SHORT TERM...(THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY)... NEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS BEING ISSUED...WHICH WILL INCLUDE MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA. IMPRESSIVE LIGHTNING RATES WITH THE STORMS ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA...RATES HAVE EXCEEDED 15 CLOUD-TO-GROUND STRIKES PER MINUTE AT TIMES. SEVERE REPORTS HAVE BEEN TRICKLING IN...MOSTLY TREES DOWN...AND MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL. ALL OF THIS ACTIVITY IS THE RESULT OF SURFACE INSTABILITY AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. TRACK OF THE UPPER LOW IS SLIGHTLY FARTHER EAST THAN MODELS WERE SUGGESTING AT THIS TIME YESTERDAY...BUT ALL IN ALL GUIDANCE FOR THIS EVENT HAS BEEN ON TRACK. THIS COMPLEX OF STORMS SHOULD HAVE A STRONG ENOUGH COLD POOL TO MAINTAIN ITSELF INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...BUT WILL LIKELY EXIT OUR AREA OF CONCERN BY MIDNIGHT. 850 TROUGH SHOULD BE ORIENTED FROM AROUND MOBILE, AL TO MACON, GA BY SUNRISE...WITH GENERALLY CLEAR CONDITIONS TO THE NORTH OF THIS LINE...ENCOMPASSING VIRTUALLY ALL OF OUR CWA. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY LOOK NICE...BUT TEMPERATURES WILL QUICKLY REBOUND BACK INTO THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 80S ON SUNDAY. A FEW 90S ARE ALSO EXPECTED...MAINLY IN THE URBAN AREAS. MORE SIGNIFICANT CLOUD COVER IS EXPECTED TO RETURN LATE SUNDAY. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY)... A WEAK FAST MOVING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA SUNDAY NIGHT. MOISTURE WILL BE QUESTIONABLE. INTRODUCED SOME CHANCE POPS (UPPER 20S LOW 30S) WITH THIS UPDATE...BUT CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH. THERMAL RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHWEST WILL KEEP OUR AREA UNDER NORTHWESTERLY FLOW MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. NO ORGANIZED PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED FOR THE UPCOMING WORK WEEK...AT LEAST THROUGH THURSDAY. HOWEVER...WEAK IMPULSES IN NORTHWEST FLOW CAN BE VERY TRICKY...PRODUCING UPSTREAM THUNDERSTORM COMPLEXES THAT TRACK INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA. TEMPERATURES BEHIND THE FRONT EARLY MONDAY WILL BE A BIT COOLER THAN TEMPERATURES BEHIND THE FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. HIGHS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BREAK THE 85 DEGREE MARK FOR MOST LOCATIONS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY PROVIDING TEMPORARY RELIEF FROM THE SUMMERTIME CONDITIONS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED OF LATE. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 62 81 57 83 / 10 0 0 10 ANNISTON 62 80 60 83 / 10 10 0 10 BIRMINGHAM 62 81 60 85 / 10 0 0 10 TUSCALOOSA 62 85 62 88 / 10 10 0 10 CALERA 62 83 61 85 / 10 10 0 10 AUBURN 64 82 59 84 / 50 10 0 10 MONTGOMERY 65 85 60 87 / 50 10 0 10 TROY 65 85 60 87 / 50 10 0 10 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && 12/12
Hazardous weather outlook, May 20, 4:15 PM CST, 5 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 515 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ011>015-017>050-211230- 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- 515 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD ACROSS AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM COLUMBUS GEORGIA TO TUSCALOOSA TO ROANOKE IN RANDOLPH COUNTY THROUGH 11 PM. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...ESPECIALLY FOR AREAS WEST OF INTERSTATE 65. A TORNADO OR TWO EMBEDDED WITHIN THE LINE OF STORMS IS ALSO POSSIBLE IN AREAS NEAR AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 65. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT IN A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY). THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON MONDAY. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH 11 PM. STEFKOVICH
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 20, 3:28 PM CST, 52 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 428 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ023-202215- TUSCALOOSA- 428 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR TUSCALOOSA COUNTY UNTIL 515 PM CDT... ...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... ...SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 425 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF BROOKWOOD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR HOLT...BROOKWOOD AND VANCE THROUGH 515 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW. IF LIGHTNING IS OBSERVED... WAIT AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST LIGHTNING FLASH OR THUNDER BEFORE RESUMING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
Special weather statement, May 20, 3:36 PM CST, 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 436 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ025-035>037-043-202230- CHILTON-COOSA-ELMORE-SHELBY-TALLAPOOSA- 436 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR ELMORE...CHILTON... COOSA...TALLAPOOSA AND SHELBY COUNTIES UNTIL 530 PM CDT... ...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY ARE POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... ...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 434 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES WEST OF MARBLE VALLEY...MOVING SOUTHEAST AROUND 30 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR THORSBY...JEMISON... MARBLE VALLEY...CLANTON...INGRAM...WEOGUFKA...STEWARTVILLE AND VERBENA THROUGH 530 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW. IF LIGHTNING IS OBSERVED... WAIT AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST LIGHTNING FLASH OR THUNDER BEFORE RESUMING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. ANOTHER THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS MINOR FLOODING. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS... FLOODING OF LOW-LYING AREAS...RISING WATER ALONG CREEKS...AND UNDERPASSES WITH STANDING WATER ARE POSSIBLE. REMEMBER...DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS ROADWAYS COVERED WITH WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH.
Special weather statement, May 20, 3:36 PM CST, 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED TO EXCLUDE SHELBY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 436 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ035>037-043-202230- CHILTON-COOSA-ELMORE-TALLAPOOSA- 436 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR ELMORE...CHILTON...COOSA...AND TALLAPOOSA COUNTIES UNTIL 530 PM CDT... ...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY ARE POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... ...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 434 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES WEST OF MARBLE VALLEY...MOVING SOUTHEAST AROUND 30 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR THORSBY...JEMISON... MARBLE VALLEY...CLANTON...INGRAM...WEOGUFKA...STEWARTVILLE AND VERBENA THROUGH 530 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW. IF LIGHTNING IS OBSERVED... WAIT AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST LIGHTNING FLASH OR THUNDER BEFORE RESUMING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. ANOTHER THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS MINOR FLOODING. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS... FLOODING OF LOW-LYING AREAS...RISING WATER ALONG CREEKS...AND UNDERPASSES WITH STANDING WATER ARE POSSIBLE. REMEMBER...DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS ROADWAYS COVERED WITH WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH.
Special weather statement, May 20, 3:40 PM CST, 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 440 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ015-202210- WALKER- 440 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR WALKER COUNTY UNTIL 510 PM CDT... ...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WINDS 35 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 435 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES WEST OF JASPER...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR JASPER...OAKMAN... PARRISH...CORDOVA...GOODSPRINGS AND TUTWILER THROUGH 515 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW. IF LIGHTNING IS OBSERVED... WAIT AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST LIGHTNING FLASH OR THUNDER BEFORE RESUMING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
Special weather statement, May 20, 3:45 PM CST, 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 445 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ038-202215- CHAMBERS- 445 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR CHAMBERS COUNTY UNTIL 515 PM CDT... ...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 444 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM OVER STROUD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AROUND 30 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR STROUD THROUGH 515 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW. IF LIGHTNING IS OBSERVED... WAIT AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST LIGHTNING FLASH OR THUNDER BEFORE RESUMING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. ANOTHER THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS MINOR FLOODING. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS... FLOODING OF LOW-LYING AREAS...RISING WATER ALONG CREEKS...AND UNDERPASSES WITH STANDING WATER ARE POSSIBLE. REMEMBER...DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS ROADWAYS COVERED WITH WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH.
Special weather statement, May 20, 4:03 PM CST, 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 503 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ048-050-202230- BARBOUR-RUSSELL- 503 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR BARBOUR AND RUSSELL COUNTIES UNTIL 530 PM CDT... ...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING THUNDERSTORMS... AT 503 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM PITTSVIEW TO BATESVILLE...MOVING EAST AROUND 30 MPH. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR SEALE...PITTSVIEW...GLENVILLE...FORT MITCHELL...CLAYTON... BATESVILLE...BAKERHILL AND HOLY TRINITY THROUGH 530 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW. IF LIGHTNING IS OBSERVED... WAIT AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST LIGHTNING FLASH OR THUNDER BEFORE RESUMING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. ANOTHER THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS MINOR FLOODING. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS... FLOODING OF LOW-LYING AREAS...RISING WATER ALONG CREEKS...AND UNDERPASSES WITH STANDING WATER ARE POSSIBLE. REMEMBER...DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS ROADWAYS COVERED WITH WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH.
The radar
The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:22 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
- Heat in Arizona, May 20 to 26, 2005
- Avalanche in Colorado, May 20, 2005
- Flash Flood and Hail in Mississippi, May 20, 2005
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, May 20, 2005
- Damaging Wind in South Carolina, May 20, 2005
- Tornado in North Carolina, May 20, 2005
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, May 20, 2005
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Montana, May 20, 2005
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in North Dakota, May 20 to 21, 2005
- Damaging Wind in Tennessee, May 20, 2005
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, May 20, 2005
- Tornado in Virginia, May 20, 2005
More
Every storm in Alabama in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, May 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: 5449066.