A prefrontal trough moved into a moist and unstable air mass over northern Alabama, resulting in scattered wind damage, large hail and isolated flash flooding.
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 prefrontal trough moved into a moist and unstable air mass over northern Alabama, resulting in scattered wind damage, large hail and isolated flash flooding.
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 May 26, 12:47 PM CST, 1 hour 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 147 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 .DISCUSSION... UPPER TROF OVER MO WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARDS THE CWA THIS AFTN AND EVENING. LINE OF STORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROF ARE MOVING INTO THE NW CORNER OF AL ATTM. SOME STORMS WILL BE STRONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS...THE CHC OF SVR WX LOOKS LOW DUE TO WEAK SHEAR/WEAK LOW LEVEL JET. UPPER TROF SHOULD BE MOVING OUT OF THE CWA ARND MIDNIGHT...WILL KEEP CHC POPS ACROSS THE TN VALLEY MAINLY FOR THE EVENING. EVENING SHIFT CAN EVALUATE IF NEED TO KEEP A POP GOING FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY...WEAK CDFNT IS PROGGED BY THE MODELS TO SAG SLOWLY SOUTH TOWARDS THE CWA DURING THIS TIMEFRAME. THINKING IF TUESDAY WILL BE A CASE OF THE HIGH POPS BUT LOW QPF VALUES. WILL MOST AREAS BE DRY WITH ONLY SCATTERED SHRA/TSRA. STAY TUNED FOR NOW WILL GO WITH CHC POPS BOTH FOR TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. GFS/NAM BOTH HAS CDFNT MOVING ACROSS THE CWA BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. WILL CONTINUE CHC POPS BUT THESE MAY HAVE TO BE INCREASED AS LIFTING/FORCING OF CDFNT SHOULD MAKE WEDNESDAY THE BEST DAY FOR PCPN. THURSDAY THRU SATURDAY...NOT A LOT OF COOL OR DRY AIR BEHIND THE ABOVE MENTIONED CDFNT. WARM/MUGGY CONDITIONS SHOULD CONTINUE IN THIS TIMEFRAME. HIGH PRESSURE WILL KEEP PCPN CHANCES TO A MINIMUM. GFS HINTS AT A LITTLE PCPN IN RETURN FLOW ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...FOR NOW WILL NOT BITE OFF ON THIS. REST OF EXTENDED FCST...ANOTHER WEAK TROF/CDFNT PROGGED BY GFS ON SUNDAY LOOKS REASONABLE...WILL KEEP LOW POPS. MONDAY LOOKS DRY BEHIND CDFNT AS UPPER RIDGE BEGINS TO BUILD IN. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... HUNTSVILLE 68 81 68 82 / 30 50 30 50 SHOALS 69 83 69 83 / 30 50 30 50 CULLMAN 69 84 69 83 / 30 50 30 50 FAYETTEVILLE 66 80 66 79 / 30 50 30 50 ALBERTVILLE 69 83 69 83 / 30 50 30 50 FORT PAYNE 66 81 65 81 / 30 50 30 50 && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && 07
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1220 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-271100- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DE KALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 1220 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... MOISTURE RICH SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS...MAINLY FOR AREAS WEST OF I-65. BRIEF GUSTY WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... A COLD FRONT WILL SAG SOUTH TOWARD THE CENTRAL TENNESSEE VALLEY ON TUESDAY...WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BE STRONG...WITH BRIEF GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN TO THE FORECAST AREA ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 215 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ALZ001-002-262000- COLBERT-LAUDERDALE- 215 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR COLBERT AND LAUDERDALE COUNTIES UNTIL 300 PM CDT... AT 215 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF CHEROKEE...OR 8 MILES EAST OF IUKA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL AND WINDS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... RIVERTON. WATERLOO. WRIGHT. THREET. CLOVERDALE. UNDERWOOD-PETERSVILLE. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE STORM TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 257 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ALZ002-003-262045- COLBERT-FRANKLIN- 257 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR COLBERT AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES UNTIL 345 PM CDT... AT 253 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM CHEROKEE ALABAMA TO BELMONT MISSISSIPPI...OR ROUGHLY ALONG THE NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY SOUTH OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... CHEROKEE. MYNOT. POGO. BARTON. PLEASANT SITE. RED ROCK. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE STORM TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. BCC
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 257 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ALZ002-003-262045- COLBERT-FRANKLIN- 257 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR COLBERT AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES UNTIL 345 PM CDT... AT 253 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM CHEROKEE ALABAMA TO BELMONT MISSISSIPPI...OR ROUGHLY ALONG THE NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY SOUTH OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 45 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... CHEROKEE. MYNOT. POGO. BARTON. PLEASANT SITE. RED ROCK. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE STORM TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. BCC
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
304 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0258 PM HAIL CHEROKEE 34.76N 87.97W
05/26/2008 E0.50 INCH COLBERT AL EMERGENCY MNGR
HAIL TO THE SIZE OF DIMES REPORTED.
&&
BCCThe Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 108 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:40 UTC.
2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees and power lines were blown down by thunderstorm winds on Highway 72 west of Highway 43.
Quarter size hail reported.
Nickel size hail reported.
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, May 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: 106068, 106061, 106072.