An atmospheric gravity wave brought gusty winds to a large part of Central Alabama during the afternoon and early evening hours on December 20, 2007. The winds associated with the gravity wave moved into Western Alabama just after noon, and moved eastward across the state through around 7 pm.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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 BMX wrote it up.
An atmospheric gravity wave brought gusty winds to a large part of Central Alabama during the afternoon and early evening hours on December 20, 2007. The winds associated with the gravity wave moved into Western Alabama just after noon, and moved eastward across the state through around 7 pm. Several counties reported tree and power line damage due to the gusty winds, and as a result there were numerous power outages. Sustained winds over 30 mph, and gusts up to 50 mph, were common across the area.
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 Dec 20, 5:42 AM CST, 6 hours 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 542 AM CST THU DEC 20 2007 .SHORT TERM...TODAY AND TONIGHT. IMPRESSIVELY PROGRESSIVE...AND QUITE NON-DROUGHT LIKE...WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES TO AFFECT OUR PART OF THE COUNTRY. WITH THE EXIT OF ONE WEAK SHORTWAVE TROUGH TO THE EAST...WE NOW TURN OUR ATTENTION TO A STRONGER SHORTWAVE TROUGH APPROACHING FROM THE WEST. WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS THIS FEATURE NICELY...SPINNING ACROSS TX/OK AND MAKING STEADY PROGRESS TO THE EAST. RAIN HAS REALLY BLOSSOMED ACROSS ARKANSAS AND LOUISIANA...AND IS POISED TO MOVE ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE WHOLE SHOOTIN MATCH WILL CONTINUE ITS TREK EASTWARD THIS MORNING...AND BY NOON WELL LIKELY BE LOOKING AT A RAINY DAY FOR MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. WHILE THERE ARE SOME SLIGHT TIMING DIFFERENCES AMONG THE MODELS...I THINK CATEGORICAL POPS AT LEAST AS FAR EAST AS I-65 ARE STILL JUSTIFIED FOR TODAY. WHILE SURFACE BASED INSTABILITIES REALLY DONT GET OUT OF HAND IN OUR AREA TODAY...THE UPPER LEVEL FORCING ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHORTWAVE SHOULD BE GREAT ENOUGH TO HELP A FEW THUNDERSTORM UPDRAFTS FORM. THE RAIN SHOULD MOVE OUT OVERNIGHT TONIGHT ABOUT AS QUICKLY AS IT MOVED IN. /61/ .LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...MUCH DRIER AIR WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA AS A MORE NORTHERLY FLOW BECOMES ESTABLISHED. HIGHS ON FRIDAY WILL RANGE FROM NEAR 60 IN THE EAST TO NEAR 70 SOUTHWEST. OVERNIGHT LOWS MAINLY IN THE 40S. SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...MODELS HAVE MADE SOME BIG ADJUSTMENTS THIS RUN AND CONTINUE TO DIFFER ON TIMING OF THE NEXT SYSTEM. BIG CHANGES APPEAR TO BE THAT THE SYSTEM DOES LOOK AS NEARLY AS STRONG AS A FEW RUNS AGO. BEST UPPER SUPPORT WILL PASS NORTH OF THE AREA AND MAIN INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN TO OUR SOUTH. A SOMEWHAT SLOWER SOLUTION IS PREFERRED WITH THE COLD FRONT COMING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY. WILL FORECAST A CHANCE OF SHOWERS WEST AND SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS EAST ON SATURDAY. FOR SATURDAY NIGHT LIKELY POPS WEST AND CHANCE POPS EAST WITH SOME MENTION OF THUNDERSTORMS AS COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA. ON SUNDAY WILL CARRY CHANCE POPS FOR ALL SECTIONS DURING THE MORNING AND THEN DROP THE MENTION OF SHOWERS ACROSS THE WEST DURING THE AFTERNOON. MUCH DRIER AIR SPREADS IN FROM THE NORTHWEST SUNDAY NIGHT. WARM DAY EXPECTED ON SATURDAY AS SOUTHERLY FLOW INCREASES WITH HIGHS 65 TO 70 NORTH AND 70 TO 75 SOUTH. LOWS SATURDAY NIGHT 45 TO 50 NORTH AND 50 TO 55 SOUTH. HIGHS ON SUNDAY 55 TO 65 WITH LOWS SUNDAY NIGHT 30S NORTH AND 40S SOUTH. MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN INDICATED BY THE LAST FEW RUNS OF THE GFS FOR THIS IMPORTANT TIME PERIOD. RAPID RETURN OF MOISTURE EXPECTED TO TAKE PLACE ON MONDAY IN STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS BACK INTO THE FORECAST FOR MONDAY AFTERNOON AND KEEP A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AREA- WIDE FOR MONDAY NIGHT (CHRISTMAS EVE) AS AN IMPULSE WILL MOVE FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. WITH SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT CONTINUING WILL MENTION A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS FOR CHRISTMAS DAY...THEN INCREASE RAIN CHANCES BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS ANOTHER IMPULSE MOVES INTO AND ACROSS THE AREA. SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO REMAIN AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE SEASONAL LEVELS KEEPING ALL PRECIPITATION IN THE LIQUID FORM. && .AVIATION...12Z TAF DISCUSSION. YIKES CEILINGS ARE ALL ACROSS THE BOARD THIS MORNING...AND FORECASTING CLOUD HEIGHTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE PROBLEMATIC THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. IN AREAS WHERE CONDITIONS ARE BORDERLINE MVFR/IFR DUE TO LOWER CEILINGS...I THINK THE GENERAL TREND THIS MORNING SHOULD BE FOR CEILINGS TO IMPROVE TO AROUND 2500 FEET BY 15 OR 16Z. THE RAIN SHOULD ARRIVE FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH THE DAY... WHICH WILL LIKELY ALSO BRING A RETURN TO LOWERED CELINGS ALONG WITH VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS. THERE MAY BE A FEW PERIODS OF RAIN HEAVY ENOUGH TO TAKE VISIBILITIES DOWN BELOW 3 MILES...BUT I DONT HAVE THE CONFIDENCE IN TIMING YET TO TRY TO PIN THAT DOWN. TIMING DIFFERENCES IN THE MODEL SOLUTIONS ON WHEN THE RAIN SHOULD END ONLY LEADS TO MORE CONSTERNATION. AT THIS POINT...I THINK THE STEADY RAIN SHOULD END BETWEEN 00Z AND 04Z (AGAIN...WEST TO EAST). BUT PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE HANGS ON...WHICH MAY LEAD TO MORE STRATUS AND/OR LIGHT FOG. /61/ && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 551 AM CST THU DEC 20 2007 ALZ011>015-017>050-211130- 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- 551 AM CST THU DEC 20 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THERE IS A SMALL CHANCE FOR A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA BETWEEN THE HOURS 6 PM SATURDAY AND 3 AM SUNDAY. THE AREA WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF STRONG STORMS IS ROUGHLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF U.S. HIGHWAY 82. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. 61
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Widespread trees and power lines were blown down between Sulligent and Vernon.
Numerous trees were blown down, and power outages were reported, in the southern portion of Marion County.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the entire Birmingham metro area, resulting in numerous power outages. Winds gusted to 37 mph at the Birmingham Airport.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the entire county, resulting in power outages. A gas station awning was blown off in Pelham.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the entire county, resulting in widespread power outages.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in the Childersburg area, resulting in several power outages.
Several trees and power lines were blown down across the county, resulting in several power outages.
Several trees and power lines were blown down across the county, resulting in several power outages.
Several trees and power lines were blown down across the county, resulting in several power outages.
A few trees and large limbs were blown down across the county.
A few trees were blown down across the county.
A few trees were blown down across the county.
A few trees and large limbs were blown down across the county, resulting in several power outages.
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: 71722, 71723, 71724, 71725, 71726, 71727, 71728, 71729, 71730, 71731, 71732, 71733, 71734.