A weak frontal boundary moved from northwest to southeast and sparked scattered strong to severe thunderstorms across portions of northern Alabama. There were several reports of large hail and wind damage in northern Alabama.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
A weak frontal boundary moved from northwest to southeast and sparked scattered strong to severe thunderstorms across portions of northern Alabama. There were several reports of large hail and wind damage in northern Alabama.
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 22, 10:36 AM CST, 1 hour 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE CORRECTED ISSUED BY THE NWS JACKSON MS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1136 AM CDT TUE JUL 22 2008 .DISCUSSION...ANOTHER HOT HAZY HUMID DAY IS IN STORE FOR THE TENNESSEE VALLEY TODAY. THE GOOD NEWS IS IT LOOKS LIKE SOME SHORT TERM RELIEF IS ON THE WAY. UNTIL THEN HOWEVER...WE STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH TODAY. AS HAS BEEN THE CASE THE LAST FEW DAYS...TEMPERATURES AND AFTERNOON CONVECTION WILL BE THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE FORECAST THIS AFTERNOON. HIGHS WILL ONCE AGAIN CLIMB UP INTO THE MID AND UPPER 90S...WITH A FEW LOCATIONS ACROSS THE AREA FLIRTING WITH AND PERHAPS REACHING THE CENTURY MARK. A LITTLE BETTER MOISTURE ADVECTION IN THE MID AND LOWER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE SHOULD KEEP DEW POINTS FROM MIXING DOWN AS MUCH AS THEY DID YESTERDAY. I BELIEVE THIS...IN ADDITION TO INCREASING MID AND HIGH CLOUDS ASSOCIATED WITH AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE...AND CONVECTION OF OUR OWN THIS AFTERNOON...WILL AID IN KEEPING HEAT INDICES JUST BELOW CRITICAL VALUES TODAY. BECAUSE OF THIS...ILL HOLD OFF ON ISSUING A HEAT ADVISORY AT THIS TIME. CONDITIONS THOUGH WILL CONTINUE TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED...AND RESIDENCE ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY...ESPECIALLY THE ELDERLY AS WELL AS THOSE WHO WORK OUTDOORS...SHOULD TAKE THE PROPER PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM THE HEAT. IN TERMS OF CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON...THE UPPER RIDGE THATS BEEN IN CONTROL OF MUCH OF THE WEATHER ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS...CONTINUES TO BREAK DOWN OVER THE REGION TODAY. THIS IS ALLOWING A SHORTWAVE TO SLOWLY APPROACH THE AREA FROM THE NORTH. ON TOP OF ANY DIURNAL CONVECTION THATS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE AREA...SATELLITE IS ALREADY SHOWING A COUPLE OF FEATURES OF INTEREST THIS AFTERNOON MOVING TOWARD THE AREA. THE FIRST IS A WEAKENING MCS MOVING ACROSS NORTHWEST TENNESSEE THAT IS PRECEEDED BY A PRETTY DECENT OUTFLOW BOUNDARY...AND ANOTHER MCS DEVELOPING ACROSS NORTH MISSOURI. THESE FEATURES...ESPECIALLY THE FIRST TWO COULD PLAY A ROLE IN HELPING THE COVERAGE OF CONVECTION LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND PERHAPS INTO THE EVENING. AS A RESULT OF THIS...IVE TWEAKED POPS UP A BIT AREAWIDE FOR THIS AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...WITH THE GOOD INSTABILITY OVER THE AREA AND BETTER FLOW ALOFT AS A RESULT OF THESE IMPENDING DISTURBANCES...ANY STRONG CONVECTION THAT DOES DEVELOP WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SOME STRONG TO DAMAGING WIND GUSTS LATER THIS AFTERNOON. OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE FORECAST LOOK GOOD AT THIS TIME. OTHER THAN THE ADJUSTMENTS MENTIONED ABOVE...NO MAJOR CHANGES TO THE FORECAST WILL BE MADE AT THIS TIME. UPDATED PRODUCTS WILL BE OUT SHORTLY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 604 AM CDT DAY JUL 22 2008/ DISCUSSION /ISSUED AT 332 AM CDT/... CHANGES APPEAR TO BE IN THE OFFING FOR THE TENNESSEE VALLEY...AND THOSE CHANGES WILL BEGIN LATER TODAY. FIRST...THE TEMP FCST FOR TODAY IS A BIT OF A CHALLENGE AGAIN. HAVE DECIDED TO PARE BACK VALUES A COUPLE OF DEGREES BUT THIS WILL STILL LEAVE AFTN HIGHS IN THE MID/UPR 90S IN MOST AREAS...OR A FEW DEGREES BELOW YESTERDAY. HERES WHY...BOUNDARY LYR THICKNESSES WILL FALL SLIGHTLY OVER YESTERDAY...AND THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE CONVECTIVELY-DRIVEN CLOUD COVER. ADDITIONALLY...MOISTURE ADVECTION IN THE LOW/MID LEVELS SHOULD KEEP SFC DEWPOINTS FROM MIXING DOWN INTO THE 50S AS HAPPENED YESTERDAY....THUS ALLOWING LESS SENSIBLE HEATING. THERE IS A LITTLE UNCERTAINTY HERE HOWEVER. THE BNA/LZK SOUNDINGS...WHICH REPRESENT THE UPSTREAM AIRMASS DO SHOW 50S DEWPOINTS WITHIN THE POTENTIAL MIXED LAYER FOR TOMORROW. HOWEVER...THE LATEST WATER VAPOR SAT IMAGERY SEEMS TO BE INDICATING A GENERAL INCREASE IN MOISTURE IN THIS AREA OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS. SO...WHY ALL THE ATTENTION PAID TO THE FCST HIGHS?...BECAUSE WERE VERY CLOSE TO OUR HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA AGAIN. I THINK THAT WELL BE JUST SHY FOR BOTH RAW TEMPS AND HEAT INDICES. BUT IF TEMPS DO WARM JUST A FEW DEGREES MORE...THEN AN ADVISORY MAY BE WARRANTED. THIS IS SOMETHING THE DAY SHIFT WILL NEED TO MONITOR. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR AFTN TSRA DEVELOPMENT TODAY AND I HAVE DECIDED TO INCREASE POPS TO CHANCE CATEGORY...WITH A SILENT HIGHER POP IN THE NORTH DUE TO CLOSER PROXIMITY TO ADVANCING WEAK MID-LVL SHORT WAVE...AND SLIGHTLY BETTER INSTABILITY. AFTN MIXED LYR CAPES ARE AOA A RESPECTABLE 1500J/KG. MDPI/WINDEX VALUES ARE QUITE DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHICH MODEL IS USED. FOR NOW...WILL LEAN TOWARDS THE NAM BECAUSE OF BETTER AGREEMENT WITH SAT IMAGERY...WHICH SUGGESTS MOISTER AIR IN THE MID-LEVELS. THIS PLACES A GUST POTENTIAL OF 50 KTS WITH ANY DEEP CONVECTION. THINK THIS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH ANY TSRA THIS AFTN/EVENING. THEN...MORE CONVECTION MAY ARRIVE LATER TONIGHT VIA A DEVOLVING MCS MOVING SWRD FROM THE MID-MISS/LOWER OH VALLEYS. THE SUITE OF MODEL GUIDANCE IS FAIRLY BULLISH ON THIS...AND IT CERTAINLY SEEMS PLAUSIBLE THAT AN MCS WILL DEVELOP TODAY IN SERN MO THROUGH WRN KY...AND DIVE TO THE SOUTHEAST PERHAPS REACHING THE NRN FRINGES OF OUR AREA DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. HAVE NOT RAISED TO THE LIKELY POPS JUST YET OFFERED BY MOS...BUT HAVE INCREASED TO 50 TO DEMONSTRATE INCREASING CONFIDENCE. AS WITH ANY MCS/MCV ACTIVITY...WILL HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR STRONG GUST POTENTIAL ALONG THE LEADING LINE OF CONVECTION...BUT THIS DOESNT LOOK TO BE A CONSIDERABLE THREAT RIGHT NOW. WEDNESDAY...THE TRAILING SFC FRONT SHOULD BEGIN TO PUSH INTO NRN PORTIONS OF OUR FCST AREA BY LATE MORNING. THE UNCERTAINTY RIGHT NOW IS OVER WHETHER THE FRONT WILL MAKE A CLEAN SWEEP THROUGH OR ESSENTIALLY WASH OUT OVER OUR AREA. REGARDLESS...THE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF TSRA/SHRA WILL EXIST LATE WED MORNING THROUGH THE AFTN AS THE SFC BOUNDARY CROSSES THE AREA IN CONCERT WITH AN UPR LEVEL SHORT WAVE. PW VALUES 1.9-2 INCHES CERTAINLY SUGGEST HEAVY RAIN-MAKERS WHERE CONVECTION DOES DEVELOP. THINK RIGHT NOW THAT SRN AREAS WILL HAVE THE HIGHEST LIKELIHOOD OF DEVELOPMENT GIVEN THE MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT INTO THAT AREA LATER INTO THE AFTN. BUT...UNCERTAINTY STILL DOES EXIST WITH REGARD TO EXACT TIMING/MOVEMENT WITH THE FRONT. FOR NOW...HAVE PAINTED A SILENT HIGHER POP IN THE SOUTH ON FRIDAY...BUT WILL SHOW UP AS A SOLID 50 FOR ALL AREAS IN THE ZONES. AGAIN...DONT WANT TO COMMIT TO THE LIKELY POP JUST YET OFFERED BY MET/MAV MOS FOR WED. WED NIGHT AND THURSDAY...MAY SEE SOME LINGERING TSRA/SHRA ACTIVITY FROM ONGOING CONVECTION INTO WED EVENING AND HAVE LEFT IN A 20 POP FOR ALL AREAS. FOR THURSDAY...MOS VALUES DECREASE DRAMATICALLY...BUT AM NOT SURE THAT THIS DAY WILL BE ENTIRELY DRY. ALTHOUGH THE FRONT WILL HAVE ESSENTIALLY WASHED OUT OVER OUR AREA OR DRIFTED TO OUR SOUTH...IT SHOULD BEGIN TO PUSH BACK TO THE NORTH AS THE NORTHERN STREAM HIGH MOVES INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC AND THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE OVER THE NERN GULF BEGINS TO RE-EXERT ITS INFLUENCE OVER OUR WX. SFC WINDS SHOULD GRADUALLY SHIFT SWRLY DURING THE AFTN...WITH WEAK LOW-LVL CONVERGENCE ALONG THE NWRD MOVING BOUNDARY. ALTHOUGH CONVERGENCE WILL BE WEAK...IT MAY BE ENOUGH TO SPARK OFF A FEW SHRA/TSRA DURING THE AFTN. FAIRLY DRY AIR IN THE MID-LVLS SUGGEST WIND GUST POTENTIAL WILL BE STRONG WITH ANY ISOLD TSRA THAT DO DEVELOP. FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...THE UPR LVL RIDGE OVER THE SRN PLAINS WILL TAKE DOMINANCE DURING THIS PERIOD...AS TROUGHING DEVELOPS ALONG THE EAST AND WEST COASTS. THAT PUTS THE TN VALLEY IN THE INTERESTING POSITION OF NWRLY FLOW ALOFT...WITH SW-WRLY FLOW AT THE SFC AROUND THE WRN FLANK OF A VERY BROAD SUBTROPICAL RIDGE. THE RESULTING THERMODYNAMIC PROFILE WILL SUPPORT AFTN/EVENING CONVECTION EACH DAY. CHANCES MAY BE HEIGHTENED ON FRIDAY AS A WEAK SHORT WAVE MOVES ACROSS THE AREA...AND HAVE INCREASED POPS ON THIS DAY TO CHANCE CATEGORY. MED RANGE GUIDANCE IS STILL BULLISH AND THERE IS FAIR AGREEMENT AMONGST SOLNS FROM THE ECMWF/GFS/ENSEMBLES ON DEEPENING THE ERN CONUS TROUGH...AND PUSHING ANOTHER SFC FRONT INTO OR THROUGH THE TN VALLEY EARLY NEXT WEEK. HOWEVER...CONFIDENCE ON TIMING WITHIN ANY 12-HR PERIOD IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH YET TO RAISE POPS TO CHANCE CATEGORY...SO WILL LEAVE AT SLIGHT FOR NOW. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && 19
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 431 AM CDT TUE JUL 22 2008 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-221800- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DE KALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 431 AM CDT TUE JUL 22 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... HOT WEATHER WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY TODAY. HIGHS WILL APPROACH 100 DEGREES IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA INCLUDING THE SHOALS...WITH MID TO UPPER 90S ELSEWHERE. PLEASE CONTINUE TAKING PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT HEAT ILLNESS. THE HEAT WILL ALSO SPARK SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING THUNDERSTORMS. THESE STORMS WILL POSE A HAZARD OF SUDDEN CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS AROUND 50 MPH WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. LATE TONIGHT...A COMPLEX OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DROP SOUTH THROUGH MIDDLE TENNESSEE...AND POSSIBLY INTO NORTH ALABAMA TOWARD DAYBREAK. THESE STORMS MAY ALSO CONTAIN SOME GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL TRACK THROUGH THE AREA WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE STORMS MAY TEND TO REORGANIZE AND INTENSIFY DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS...ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF NORTH ALABAMA. A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS SHOULD LEAD TO FAIRLY TYPICAL AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND. A COOL FRONT MAY INCREASE THE STORM THREAT BY SUNDAY OR MONDAY. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. KULA
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 38 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:45 UTC.
23 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A few power lines were downed by thunderstorm winds in the Salty Bottom Road area near Gurley.
A roof was blown off of a barn and several trees were downed by thunderstorm winds along highway 36 in the Somerville area.
A tree was downed by thunderstorm winds along highway 278 near Cullman. This storm continued to move east southeast and downed large limbs, which damaged a carport in the Spring Hill community.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds near Carroll road at Harvest.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds on Old Railroad Bed road.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds near the Morgan county 911 center.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds on Joe Quick Road near Summer Street, which blocked traffic in both directions.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds in the Monrovia area at the intersection of Dan Tibbs road and Indian Creek Road.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds at the intersection of Stardust Circle and Welcome Home Village road.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds at the intersection of Carters Gin road and Burwell road.
A tree was downed by thunderstorm winds along Hill Road.
A tree was downed by thunderstorm winds at New Hope.
Quarter sized hail was reported near Wheeler.
A few trees and power lines were downed by thunderstorm winds.
Penny sized hail was reported in Trinity.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds on County Road 28 near Crossville.
Penny sized hail was reported in the Wheeler area by a trained spotter.
Several trees were downed and tin was torn off of a building by thunderstorm winds at Hays Gap road near Union Gap.
A tree was downed by thunderstorm winds in the Wheeler community.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds at the intersection of County Roads 114 and 537.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds at Pisgah High School.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds on highway 207.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds on East Willow Road, near the Masonic Lodge in Scottsboro.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds in the Cartwright community.
Penny sized hail was reported near Ardmore.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds on Branchwater Lane.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds in the Cherokee area.
Nickel size hail was reported on Mount Hester Road.
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, July 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: 113521, 113801, 113504, 113526, 113527, 113802, 113522, 113530, 113533, 113536, 113523, 113524, 113518, 113804, 113799, 113505, 113517, 113805, 113807, 113512, 113514, 113809, 113516, 113810, 113519, 113811, 113502, 113503.