Damaging non-thunderstorm winds, likely caused by what is known in meteorological terms a gravity wave, occurred in two main swaths in north central and northeast Alabama. Sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph were observed, with gusts around 50 mph.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 episode as NWS HUN wrote it up.
Damaging non-thunderstorm winds, likely caused by what is known in meteorological terms a gravity wave, occurred in two main swaths in north central and northeast Alabama. Sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph were observed, with gusts around 50 mph. The sustained winds and gusts downed numerous trees onto power lines resulting in multiple power outages. Lawn furniture and Christmas ornaments were thrown about, and a couple of outbuilding roofs were also torn off. In a couple of cases, telephone and power poles were snapped. One swath of damage tracked from southern Lawrence County through northern Morgan and southern Madison counties, including the southern portion of Huntsville. Another widespread swath of damaging winds tracked through Cullman into southern Marshall and DeKalb counties.
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 Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 20, 10:19 AM CST, 3 hours 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1019 AM CST THU DEC 20 2007 .DISCUSSION... AS ANTICIPATED...SHORTWAVE OVER THE ARKANSAS AREA IS PROPAGATING SHOWERS...AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS...INTO OUR CWFA. MUCH OF THE FORECAST LOOKS ON TRACK...BUT EXTENDED MENTION OF ISOLATED THUNDER INTO EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT THUNDER TO DISSIPATE IN THE AFTERNOON HOURS AS FORECAST SOUNDINGS SATURATE (WITH PWATS CLIMBING AOA 1.0IN). STILL SUSPECT THE MAIN MOISTURE AXIS WILL REMAIN TO OUR SOUTH...AS BEST MOISTURE ADVECTION/TRANSPORT VECTORS RIDE INTO SOUTHERN MS AND AL. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 416 AM CST THU DEC 20 2007/ SYNOPSIS... FEATURES OF INTEREST THIS MORNING ARE A NEARLY VERTICALLY STACKED SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE RED RIVER VALLEY OF THE SOUTH...A MORE VIGOROUS TROUGH MOVING INTO THE WESTERN COASTAL STATES...AND SHORT WAVE ENERGY NOW ENTERING THE WESTERN FLANK OF A CENTRAL ALEUTIAN LOW. WEAK UPR LEVEL RIDGING WAS MOVING ACROSS THE TN/OH VALLEYS WHILE SFC HIGH PRESSURE WAS ANCHORED ALONG THE SOUTHEAST COASTAL PLAIN STRETCHING INTO THE EASTERN GOM. A LARGE SHIELD OF PRECIPITATION HAD DEVELOPED DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS IN THE SOUTHERN MISS VALLEY AHEAD OF THE RED RIVER LOW...WHERE DEW POINTS AND TEMPS HAD RISEN INTO THE 50S AND 60S. ACROSS THE CENTRAL TN VALLEY...TEMPS WERE GENERALLY IN THE LOW/MID 40S EARLY THIS MORNING...WITH A FEW SPOTS IN THE UPR 30S. CLOUDS WERE INCREASING FROM THE SW AND A FEW SHOWERS WERE NOTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF N MISS STRETCHING INTO CENTRAL AL. DISCUSSION... PERHAPS THREE OF FOUR WEATHER SYSTEMS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE TN VALLEY OVER THE NEXT WEEK ARE MAKING FOR A CHALLENGING FCST THIS MORNING. MAIN CHALLENGES WITH FIRST TWO SYSTEMS INVOLVE THE USUAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND TIMING ISSUES. FIRST...THE SYSTEM EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE AREA LATER TODAY. U/L SHORT WAVE CURRENTLY IN THE RED RIVER VALLEY WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST IN CONCERT WITH THE ATTENDANT SFC LOW. DEEPER GULF MOISTURE WILL BECOME ENTRAINED IN THE SOUTHERLY FLOW AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM AND MOVE NORTHWARD INTO THE TN VALLEY TODAY. SFC DEW POINTS WILL GRADUALLY CLIMB THROUGH THE DAY...REACHING A PEAK IN THE LOW/MID 50S IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL SECTIONS OF THE CWA BETWEEN 18Z-22Z. MID/UPR LEVEL MOISTURE WILL INCREASE FIRST HOWEVER AS NOTED IN FCST BUFR SOUNDINGS AND IR SAT IMAGERY. MID/UPR LEVEL CLOUD DECK TO THE SOUTHWEST WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA THIS MORNING...ON TOP OF RATHER DRY LAYER 700-800MB. VIRGA FALLING INTO THIS LAYER WILL RESULT IN DIABATIC COOLING AND STEEPENING LAPSE RATES WHILE ISENTROPIC LIFT ENSUES AT LOWER LEVELS. BUFR SOUNDINGS INDICATE THE POSSIBILITY FOR ELEVATED CAPE INTO THE GRAUPEL GROWTH ZONE...AND THUS THE POTENTIAL FOR LIGHTNING. BUT...INSTABILITY LOOKS QUITE MARGINAL AND HAVE ONLY INTRODUCED ISOLATED THUNDER IN FCST. EXPECTING A DECENT RAIN FROM THIS EVENT WITH GENERALLY MOIST ADIABATIC LAPSE RATES IN PLACE LATER THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING AND DEEP ISENTROPIC LIFT FROM 290K SFC UP THROUGH THE 315K SFC. EXPECTING AMOUNTS GENERALLY BETWEEN 0.50 AND 1.00 AREA-WIDE...WITH ISOLATED HEAVIER AMOUNTS ESPECIALLY IN THE WESTERN COUNTIES. THIS SYSTEM WILL DEPART THE REGION EARLY FRIDAY MORNING WITH ONLY A PARTIAL CLEARING DURING THE AFTERNOON/EVENING HOURS. EXPECTING TEMPS ON FRI TO CLIMB TO AROUND 60F AS U/L RIDGE QUICKLY SWINGS ACROSS THE AREA AND WINDS SHIFT FROM THE SOUTH. THE SECOND SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE AREA ON SATURDAY. HAVE KEPT PRECIP OUT OF FCST UNTIL 18Z WHEN PRE-FRONTAL CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN MOVING INTO THE AREA. GIVEN UNCERTAINTY IN TIMING...HAVE KEPT CHANCE POPS FOR WESTERN HALF OF AREA...AND SLIGHT CHANCE EAST THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY. SYNTHESIS OF BUFR SOUNDINGS AND ISENTROPIC ANALYSES SUGGESTS SYNOPTIC LIFT WILL TAKE PLACE NEAR THE TOP OF THE INVERSION LAYER AND MAY ALLOW FOR SOME ELEVATED CONVECTION DURING SATURDAY EVENING...BEGINNING FROM WEST TO EAST. THUS...HAVE KEPT IN ISOLATED THUNDER MENTION IN GRIDS FOR SAT AFTN FOR THE WEST AND ONLY SHRAS FOR EAST...BUT PUT THUNDER MENTION FOR ALL AREAS FOR SAT NIGHT IN ALL AREAS. INSTABILITY IS ONLY MARGINAL AND HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF A LITTLE ON WIND FIELD KINEMATICS ACROSS THE AREA. NEVERTHELESS...50KT LOW-LEVEL JET IS STILL EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE EVENING...AND WOULDNT BE SURPRISED TO SEE SOME STRONGER WIND GUSTS IN ANY CONVECTIVE CELLS THAT ARE ABLE TO DEVELOP. OTHERWISE...MOSTLY A RAIN EVENT EXPECTED AND AT THIS TIME...DOESNT LOOK AS SIGNIFICANT AS THE ONE THAT IS GOING TO IMPACT THE AREA LATER TODAY. HAVE KEPT RAINFALL AMOUNTS GENERALLY BELOW 0.50 FOR THE DURATION OF THE EVENT. PRECIPITATION SHOULD QUICKLY TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST EARLY SUNDAY WITH TEMPS NEAR NORMAL IN THE WAKE OF THE SYSTEM ON SUNDAY. A WHITE CHRISTMAS?... LARGE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MED RANGE MODEL SOLNS AND POOR RUN TO RUN CONSISTENCY LEADS TO LOW CONFIDENCE FOR THE NEXT POTENTIAL SYSTEM AND THE CHRISTMAS FCST. THE 12Z ECMWF HAD SHOWN A FAIRLY ROBUST SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST...AND NOW THE 00Z RUN HAS COME IN MUCH DRIER JUST AS THE PREVIOUS 00Z RUN...BUT STILL SHOWS A VIGOROUS SHORT WAVE TRAVERSING THE AREA. THE OPERATIONAL GFS HAS SHOWN BETTER CONSISTENCY BUT DOES NOT SHOW STRONG AGREEMENT WITH THE GFS ENSEMBLE IN PLACEMENT OF A POTENTIAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST CONUS. GIVEN THE FACT THAT THERE IS DECENT AGREEMENT IN THE U/L SHORT WAVE MOVING ACROSS THE AREA LATE MONT/EARLY TUES...HAVE RELUCTANTLY ADDED SLIGHT CHANCE MENTION FOR RAIN MON EVENING...AND RAIN OR SNOW EARLY TUES. KEPT TIMING DOWN TO A 12 HOUR WINDOW SINCE I HAVE LOW CONFIDENCE IN THE SCENARIO. GIVEN THICKNESS VALUES/THERMODYNAMIC PROFILE DURING THE PASSAGE OF THE U/L LOW...PRECIP TYPE BECOMES AN ISSUE ON TUES MORNING. STRICTLY FOLLOWING THE GFS DYNAMIC/THERMODYNAMIC FIELDS...SUGGESTS DENDRITIC GROWTH MAXIMIZED AMIDST STRONG OMEGA IN THE MID-LEVELS. THIS WOULD MAXIMIZE SNOW PRODUCTION WHILE RESULTING IN DYNAMIC COOLING OF THE COLUMN. EVEN THOUGH TEMPS MAY BE IN THE MID 30S...SNOW COULD BECOME AN ISSUE. BUT ONCE AGAIN...THIS SCENARIO HAS LITTLE SUPPORT FROM THE ECMWF AND GFS ENSEMBLES...AND FCST CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW. NEXT SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE AREA LATE WED/EARLY THUR. EVEN GIVEN LITTLE AGREEMENT WITH THE CHRISTMAS SHORT WAVE...BETTER CONSENSUS EXISTS BETWEEN GFS/ECMWF WITH THIS SYSTEM. THUS...INTRODUCED SLIGHT CHANCE POP FOR THIS PERIOD. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && UPDATE...JLL PREV DISCUSSION...KDW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1237 PM CST THU DEC 20 2007 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-201915- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DE KALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 1237 PM CST THU DEC 20 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...THROUGH TONIGHT... THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. A PROGRESSIVE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN WILL BRING A SERIES OF SYSTEMS TO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY OVER THE NEXT WEEK. LOOK FOR SHOWERS SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...MONDAY NIGHT...AND THEN WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. JLL
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 138 PM CST THU DEC 20 2007 ALZ003-004-202100- FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...RUSSELLVILLE...MOULTON 138 PM CST THU DEC 20 2007 ...GUSTY WINDS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN TENNESSEE VALLEY... GUSTY WINDS...INCLUDING DOWNED TREES...HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN PORTIONS OF LAMAR AND MARION COUNTIES. THESE WINDS...GUSTING TO 40 MPH...ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF FRANKLIN AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES THROUGH 3 PM. JLL
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds around 45 mph affected Lawrence County downing numerous trees, particularly in the Speake community.
Strong winds sustained around 40 mph with gusts to around 50 mph, knocked down several trees and powerlines across the county. Locations particularly hard hit included: Moutain Gap Road 7 miles SSE of Huntsville, the intersection of Rock Cut Road and U.S. Highway 72 in Gurley, and other locations in eastern Madison county.
Strong winds down trees across roads in many locations across Cullman county. Cities reporting downed trees included: Crane Hill, Loretta, Bremen, Garden City, Battleground, Fairview, and Gold Ridge.
Strong winds sustained around 45 mph with gusts around 50 mph knocked down or snapped power poles causing massive power outages countywide. Locations hardest hit included: Douglas, Horton, and Lake Guntersville. Some of the stronger wind damage occurred to the Old Horton Grocery store at 410 pm, when the canopy was blown off the building.
Strong winds knocked down trees and powerlines across the county. Particularly hard hit were Collinsville and Geraldine. The strongest wind damage occurred in the Geraldine area, where a metal carport was moved onto county road 23.
Strong winds knocked down severeal trees across much of Morgan county. Particularly hard hit were the Hartselle, Decatur, and Somerville communities. A roof was blown off an outbuilding at 822 Bluff City Road aprroximately 2 miles north of Somerville at 2:40 pm. Also, a roof was blown off a business at 304 2nd Avenue SE in Decatur. Most winds were sustained around 40 mph, with estimated gusts around 50 mph at times.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, December 2007
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: 69855, 72353, 72357, 72358, 72365, 69857.