A large pressure gradient along the leading edge of a strong cold front caused a period of high winds across Central Alabama. Winds gusted up to 55 mph, and there were many reports of trees and power lines blown down.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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.
A large pressure gradient along the leading edge of a strong cold front caused a period of high winds across Central Alabama. Winds gusted up to 55 mph, and there were many reports of trees and power lines blown down.
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 Jan 29, 7:00 PM CST, 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 700 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2008 .UPDATE...FOR AVIATION AND FORECAST DISCUSSIONS. && .DISCUSSION... QUICK LOOK AT THE OVERALL CONDITIONS OUT THERE THIS EVENING. MAIN RAIN SHIELD CURRENTLY APPROACHING A LINE FROM MONTGOMERY TO ANNISTON. THIS RAIN SHIELD EXTENDS BACK TO A FAYETTE TO CARROLLTON LINE. THE COLD FRONT ITSELF EXTENDS FROM WESTERN TENNESSEE THROUGH CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI...AND QUICKLY SLIDING EAST. A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG THE FRONT...BUT ONLY EXTENDS TO FAR NORTHEASTERN MISSISSIPPI. MAY SEE THIS LINE SNEAK FURTHER SOUTH AS IT APPROACHES NORTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. LATEST LOOK AT LI NUMBERS ACROSS THE STATE...REVEALS NEAR ZERO ACROSS THE NORTH TO ALL POSITIVE NUMBERS ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA. THIS CORRESPONDS WITH THE ACTIVITY DIMINISHING IN OVERALL INTENSITY OVER THE PAST HOUR. WILL CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE AREA OF RAIN AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...BUT SEVERE ACTIVITY LOOKS EXTREMELY LIMITED. OTHER HIGHLIGHTS FOR TONIGHT WILL BE THE WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM AS WELL AS STRONG GRADIENT WINDS AHEAD AND BEHIND THE STRONG COLD FRONT. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE AND BECOME VERY GUSTY WITH 30 TO 50 MPH GUSTS. AT THIS TIME WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR A HIGH WIND POTENTIAL ACROSS THE NORTH WITH THE FRONT. AT THIS TIME FEEL AS THOUGH THE WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST ACROSS THE NORTH BUT REMAIN BELOW HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA...58 MPH. A FEW OF THE SURROUNDING OFFICES HAVE ALREADY ISSUED A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR HIGHER ELEVATIONS. WILL WAIT UNTIL THE FRONT ACTUALLY BEGINS TO MOVE INTO THE NORTHERN POTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA...AFTER 1Z...TO SEE WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH. AN UPDATED HWO WILL BE OUT SOON. OTHER FORECAST UPDATES HAVE BEEN SENT. JRA/16 .LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. A STORM SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS STATES ON WEDNESDAY AND MOVE QUICKLY EASTWARD TOWARDS ALABAMA. THIS SYSTEM WILL HAVE IMPRESSIVE THERMODYNAMICS WITH A DEEPENING SURFACE LOW LIFTING NORTHWARD ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH. ALL THE INGREDIENTS ARE THERE FOR A SEVERE WEATHER EVENT...EXCEPT ONE. THE BOUNDARY LAYER OF ATMOSPHERE WILL NOT SUFFICIENTLY RECOVER BEFORE UPPER DYNAMICS ARRIVE. THE CULPRIT IS AN EASTERLY WEDGE WHICH WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES AND DEWPOINTS SUPPRESSED. MODELS ARE BRINGING IN THE FIRST WAVE OF RAIN QUICKER THAN PREVIOUS RUNS WHICH WILL CAUSE EVAPORATIVE COOLING AT THE SURFACE AND KEEP TEMPERATURES FROM RISING SIGNIFICANTLY...AND UNDERCUT MOS GUIDANCE...ESPECIALLY EAST ALABAMA. ANY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE CONFINED TO THE COAST NEAR WARM FRONT. LOW LEVEL INSTABILITY MAY GET INTO SOUTHEAST COUNTIES BEFORE FRONT ARRIVES...SO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE SOUTH OF I-85 THURSDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL BE A QUICK MOVING SYSTEM AND RAIN SHOULD EXIT ALABAMA BEFORE SUNRISE FRIDAY. THERE COULD BE SOME WRAP AROUND MOISTURE FRIDAY MORNING ON BACK SIDE OF EXITING LOW AND THERE MAY BE A SOME PATCHY LIGHT RAIN OR LIGHT SNOW NORTH OF I-20. SURFACE RIDGE WILL MOVE OUT INTO THE ATLANTIC AND SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL RETURN TO ALABAMA OVER THE WEEKEND...AND TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB INTO THE 60S BOTH DAYS. GFS IS HINTING AT SOME LIGHT RAIN ACROSS WEST ALABAMA SUNDAY AFTERNOON...BUT RIDGE SHOULD KEEP RAIN TO OUR NORTH AND WEST. BAROCLINIC ZONE WILL SET-UP NORTH OF ALABAMA ON MONDAY ALONG WARM FRONT. DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER TEXAS WILL CAUSE SLIGHT RIDGING OVER CENTRAL GULF COAST STATES AND TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB INTO THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S MONDAY AFTERNOON. THERE MAY BE JUST ENOUGH MOISTURE FOR SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS WEST ALABAMA MONDAY...BUT BETTER CHANCES EXPECTED MONDAY NIGHT AND INTO TUESDAY AS TEXAS SYSTEM MOVES EASTWARD. 58/ROSE && .AVIATION...00Z TAF DISCUSSION. MAINLY LOCALLY HEAVY SHOWERS AND AND PERHAPS A FEW THUNDERSTORMS OUT AHEAD OF APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL BRING MVFR AND TEMPO VFR CONDITIONS FOR A FEW HOURS AS IT PASSES THIS EVENING. STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL CAUSE CROSS-WIND PROBLEMS FOR E-W RUNWAYS. EXPECT FRONTAL PASSAGE LATER THIS EVENING...WITH WINDS SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST...WITH BRIEF PERIOD OF WINDS GUSTING TO 35KTS OR GREATER POSSIBLE. SKIES WILL CLEAR WITH FROPA...FOR VFR CONDITIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TAF PERIOD. NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL DIMINISH SOMEWHAT BUT CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY TOMORROW. JD/81 && .FIRE WEATHER... AFTER A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH TONIGHT...A DRY AIRMASS WILL BRIEFLY SET IN ON WEDNESDAY...AND POSSIBLY PRODUCE RED FLAG CONDITIONS IN THE AFTERNOON. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH WILL BE ISSUED. 10/ARM && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...WIND ADVISORY ALL ZONES THROUGH 08Z. FIRE WEATHER WATCH ALL ZONES WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 650 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2008 ALZ011>015-017>050-310050- 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- 650 PM CST TUE JAN 29 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM UNTIL 2 AM WEDNESDAY FOR ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA... .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE STORMS HAS DIMINISHED ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. HOWEVER...THERE IS STILL A POSSIBILITY THAT STRONG WINDS COULD DEVELOP WITH SOME OF THE HEAVIER SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING. THE AREA OF CONCERN IS MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 59...AND WILL GRADUALLY END FROM WEST TO EAST AS THE AREA OF RAIN AND SHOWERS MOVES EASTWARD. AS THE COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS EVENING... EXPECT WINDS TO SHIFT RAPIDLY AND BECOME STRONG AND GUSTY OUT OF THE WEST NORTHWEST...WITH WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUST UP TO 50 MPH POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO ENTER THE NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF CENTRAL ALABAMA AROUND 7 PM...TUSCALOOSA AROUND 8 PM...BIRMINGHAM BY 9 PM...AND ANNISTON BY 10 PM. TO THE SOUTH OF THIS AREA...WINDS WILL BE SLIGHTLY LOWER...20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR DEMOPOLIS AFTER 8 PM...SELMA AFTER 9 PM... MONTGOMERY AROUND 10 PM...AND TROY AND AUBURN BY 11 PM. EXPECT WINDS TO GRADUALLY DIMINISH WITHIN 2 TO 3 HOURS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. WEDNESDAY...DRY AIR WILL SETTLE ACROSS THE AREA INCREASING THE FIRE DANGER. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL BE 25 PERCENT OR LESS FOR SEVERAL HOURS DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. LATER IN THE WEEK...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL ALABAMA THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. THERE ARE STILL UNCERTAINTIES WITH THE STRENGTH OF THIS SYSTEM...AND WILL REQUIRE SOME ADJUSTMENTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL MAY BE NEEDED DUE TO STRONG WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE THIS EVENING. 14
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in Vernon, and across the remainder of the county. At least two trees fell onto houses.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the county.
Several trees and numerous power lines were blown down across the county. Winds gusted to 39 mph at the Tuscaloosa airport, 43 mph in Taylorville, and 42 mph in Northport.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. Trees were blown down onto a house southwest of Locust Fork.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the Birmingham Metro area. A 55 mph gust was reported at the Birmingham Airport.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the county. A car ran into downed trees in Chelse, resulting in unspecified injuries (indirect).
Trees were blown down across Valley Street in downtown Gadsden. A mobile home in Rainbow City was damaged by a fallen tree. Numerous other trees were blown down across the county.
Numerous trees and tree branches were blown down across the county.
A tree was blown down across Broad Street in downtown Selma. A tree was blown down on Old Montgomery Highway near the Selmont Waterworks.
Trees were blown down onto at least two houses in Alexander City.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, January 2008
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: 78170, 78231, 78171, 78172, 78173, 78174, 78175, 78177, 78178, 78176.