Alabama, 2008

Excessive Heat in Alabama, July 21, 2008

July 21, 2008 · NWS HUN · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A strong upper level ridge of high pressure in place across the southeastern US lead to temperatures in the upper 90s to low 100s across Madison County. In fact, A record high of 103 degrees Fahrenheit was set at the Huntsville International Airport.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
3
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 happened

The episode as NWS HUN wrote it up.

A strong upper level ridge of high pressure in place across the southeastern US lead to temperatures in the upper 90s to low 100s across Madison County. In fact, A record high of 103 degrees Fahrenheit was set at the Huntsville International Airport. This coupled with dewpoints in the mid 60s produced heat index values between 105 and 110 degrees. This caused some heat related illnesses in Madison county.

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 Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 21, 9:25 AM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 9:25 AM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Excessive Heat, Madison

When
July 21, 11:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Injuries
3 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
Newspaper
Coordinates
34.763, -86.550 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

WHNT News Channel 19 in Huntsville reported that two workers at construction sites and at least one worker from a landscaping service were treated for heat related illnesses by HEMSI units.

What these are

Excessive Heat
Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Alabama in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, July 2008

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 111976.