An atmospheric gravity wave caused high winds that blew down trees in several counties across central Alabama.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 caused high winds that blew down trees in several counties across central 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 Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 6, 11:57 PM CST, 4 hours 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1157 PM CST THU MAR 6 2008 .UPDATE...AVIATION DISCUSSION HAS BEEN UPDATED. && .DISCUSSION... LATEST SATELLITE FOG PRODUCT AND SURFACE OBS SHOW THE CLOUDS INCREASING RAPIDLY FROM THE SOUTHWEST. CEILINGS HAVE ENTERED AREAS AS FAR NORTH AS TROY...PRATTVILLE...LIVINGSTON WITH HIGHER CLOUDS NORTH. COASTAL RADARS ARE BEGINNING TO SHOW GOOD RETURNS ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA. LARGE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS POISED OFFSHORE FROM THE UPPER TEXAS COAST TO CENTRAL FLORIDA. 03Z TEMPS RANGING FROM THE UPPER 40S TO THE UPPER 50S AREAWIDE. FOR TONIGHT...INCREASED CLOUD COVER QUITE A BIT AND INCREASED THE SPEED AT WHICH IT BECOMES CLOUDY. BASICALLY ADJUSTED EVER SENSIBLE WEATHER FIELD...BUT OVERALL FORECAST REMAINS UNBLEMISHED. EXPECT RAIN TO MOVE IN OVERNIGHT AND COVER MUCH OF CENTRAL ALABAMA BY DAYBREAK. TRACK OF FIRST WAVE ALONG THE FRONT MAY ALLOW A VERY BRIEF PERIOD WHERE INSTABILITY/SHEAR COMBINE TO PRODUCE STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS. BUT THIS WILL BE LIMITED IN SCOPE MAINLY TO FAR SOUTHEASTERN LOCATIONS NEAR PIKE AN BARBOUR COUNTIES FRIDAY MORNING AND POSSIBLY AGAIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON. 21Z SREF/00Z NAM/00Z GFS IN MUCH BETTER AGREEMENT ON THE SURFACE LOW/WAVES TRACK DURING THE NEXT 36 HOURS. ALL THESE MODELS FAVOR A SOUTHERN TRACK ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA. NAM ALSO HAS MUCH MORE MOISTURE TO WORK WITH AS THE COLD AIR INVADES THE AREA JUST AFTER 00Z. MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE WEATHER FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AS SOME SNOW MAY BE POSSIBLE RIGHT AFTER 00Z. NAM SOUNDINGS INDICATE DEEPER MOISTURE INTO THE CRYSTAL GROWTH REGION WHILE UPPER LIFT IS STILL PRESENT. ADDITIONALLY...LOWER LAYER PROFILE WOULD SUPPORT SHOWERY ACTIVITY. WITH ALL THIS SAID...NO NEED FOR ANY WATCHES AT THIS POINT...BECAUSE IF ANYTHING ACCUMULATES...IT WILL BE BELOW WARNING CRITERIA. DO EXPECT THE POSSIBILITY OF A DUSTING AS FAR SOUTH AS I-20...SOME FLURRIES AS FAR SOUTH AS PRATTVILLE...AND POTENTIAL HALF INCH OR SO NEAR LAMAR/MARION/AND WINSTON COUNTIES. GROUND CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN WARM THE LAST FEW DAYS...AND IF ANYTHING STICKS IN THE NORTHWEST...IT WOULD BE MAINLY ON ELEVATED AND GRASSY SURFACES. 75/LINHARES && .AVIATION...06Z TAF DISCUSSION. RAIN IS QUICKLY MOVING IN FROM THE SOUTH AND WILL AFFECT ALL TAF SITES THROUGH THE DAY FRIDAY. THUNDERSTORMS COULD MOVE NEAR MGM AND TOI. EXPECT CEILINGS TO MOSTLY HOVER AROUND THE MVFR RANGE ALTHOUGH MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A BRIEF POSSIBILITY OF IFR CLOSER TO SUNRISE. ANOTHER CONCERN WILL BE THE POSSIBILITY OF WIND SHEAR ESPECIALLY ACROSS MGM AND TOI. THIS FORECAST PACKAGE WONT BE DEALING WITH THE SNOW JUST YET AS MOST OF IT WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT CENTRAL ALABAMA AFTER 06Z. SO...STAY TUNED. 10/ARM && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1044 PM CST THU MAR 6 2008 ALZ011>015-017>050-071230- 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- 1044 PM CST THU MAR 6 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FRIDAY MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON SOUTH OF A LINE FROM BILLINGSLEY TO ALEXANDER CITY TO WEDOWEE. A STORM SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP IN THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY AND MOVE NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE ATLANTIC COAST. AHEAD OF THE SURFACE LOW...INSTABILITIES WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES TO SUSTAIN A FEW THUNDERSTORMS. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE MARGINALLY SEVERE WIND GUST...ALTHOUGH AN ISOLATED TORNADO CAN NOT BE RULED OUT DUE TO THE STRONG WIND SHEAR IN PLACE. AS THE SURFACE LOW MOVES TO THE NORTHEAST...THERE IS A CHANCE OF SNOW ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF CENTRAL ALABAMA...FRIDAY EVENING INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. WHILE THE EXACT TRACK OF THE SURFACE LOW IS STILL UNCERTAIN...THERE DOES APPEAR TO BE ENOUGH RESIDUAL MOISTURE AND SUFFICIENTLY COLD AIR WORKING IN FROM THE NORTHWEST TO PRODUCE A FEW HOURS OF INTERMITTENT LIGHT SNOW OR SNOW SHOWERS... PRIMARILY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20. MOST AREAS WILL SEE LITTLE TO NO SNOW ACCUMULATION...BUT THE POSSIBILITY OF UP TO AN INCH OF SNOW EXIST FOR FAR NORTHWEST AREAS NEAR LAMAR...MARION...AND WINSTON COUNTIES. BETWEEN INTERSTATE 20 AND THE INTERSTATE 85/HIGHWAY 80 CORRIDOR...ANY LINGERING RAIN SHOWERS MAY MIX WITH OR CHANGE TO SNOW FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE SUNRISE. STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS. AS THE STORM SYSTEM LIFTS OUT OF THE AREA SATURDAY...NORTH WINDS WITH SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF 15 MPH AND GUSTS TO 25 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE DAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. 75/LINHARES
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 134 AM CST FRI MAR 7 2008 ALZ029-070800- RANDOLPH- 134 AM CST FRI MAR 7 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR RANDOLPH COUNTY UNTIL 200 AM CST... AT 130 AM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR WELCH...OR NEAR STROUD...MOVING NORTH AT 45 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... ROCK MILLS. BIG SPRINGS. GRAHAM. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees and power lines were blown down at several locations in Dallas County, including the city of Selma.
Trees and power lines were blown down at several locations across the county.
Trees and power lines were blown down at several locations across the northern part of the county.
Trees and power lines were blown down at several locations across the western part of the county.
Trees and power lines were blown down in the city of Gadsden.
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, March 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: 90716, 90718, 90719, 90720, 90721.