Tennessee, 2008

Drought in Tennessee, August 1 to 26, 2008

August 1 to 26, 2008 · NWS HUN · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

August finally marked the first substantial rainfall for the Central Tennessee Valley since we entered into the heart of the drought in early 2006. The month began rather uneventfully with a series of mainly dry cold fronts.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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.

August finally marked the first substantial rainfall for the Central Tennessee Valley since we entered into the heart of the drought in early 2006. The month began rather uneventfully with a series of mainly dry cold fronts. The parade of cold fronts was stopped just after mid-month as Tropical Storm Fay approached Florida. No measurable rain was observed between the 13th and 23rd. The big rainmaker was Tropical Storm Fay, which brought between two and six inches of rain, the heaviest across Lincoln County. For most of the Tennessee Valley, this was the first substantially above-normal rainfall month of 2008.

River base-flow actually increased as a result of Fay, the first sign of improvement in stream-flows from the drought. Deep groundwater also recovered to near average, and soil moisture reached near average levels for the first time in about two years.

Drought conditions improved to below severe drought /D2/ status in Lincoln and Moore Counties.

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 31, 11:30 PM CST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 11:30 PM CST, 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1230 AM CDT FRI AUG 1 2008

.UPDATE...06Z TAFS.

&&

.AVIATION...
FOG DEVELOPMENT IS THE MAIN CONCERN THRU THE TAF PD. MVFR CONDITIONS
ARE CURRENTLY OCCURRING AT HSV AND  VFR AT MSL...BUT CIRRUS FROM
EARLIER STORMS MAY BE PREVENTING VISBYS FROM DROPPING FURTHER ATTM.
EXPECT CONDITIONS TO SLOWLY DETERIORATE OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
THERE IS A HIGHER PROBABILITY OF IFR FOG AT MSL THAN HSV...BUT BOTH
SITES SHOULD SEE AT LEAST BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS AROUND SUNRISE. ONCE
THE FOG DISSIPATES MID-MORNING...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THRU
THE REST OF THE PD WITH N WINDS 5KT OR LESS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...ISSUED 347 PM CDT THU JUL 31 2008...
FOR FRIDAY...HAVE RETAINED ISOLD POPS IN SRN AREAS OWING TO THE
POSSIBILITY OF LINGERING BOUNDARIES IN SLIGHTLY RICHER THETA-E AIR
THERE. BUT LOW-MID LEVEL DRYING AND DEVELOPING INVERSION 700-800MB
SHOULD KEEP CONVECTION MOSTLY AT BAY.

A WEAK COLD FRONT IS STILL PROGGED TO MOVE SWRD THROUGH THE AREA ON
SATURDAY. STILL THINK THAT A DRY PASSAGE IS LIKELY...ALTHOUGH MAY
SOME ISOLD CONVECTION JUST TO OUR EAST. ITS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT
THIS IS ONLY A COLD FRONT IN NAME AS IT WILL BE A HIGHLY MODIFIED
CANADIAN AIRMASS...BUT WILL OFFER LOWER DEWPOINTS FOR THE AREA FOR A
FEW DAYS. WE MAY EVEN SEE DEWPOINTS MIXING DOWN INTO THE 50S IN SOME
AREAS ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY AFTERNOON...BUT GRIDS WILL JUST SHOW LOW
60S FOR NOW.

FCST LOOKS TO REMAIN DRY AND QUITE HOT FROM SUNDAY THROUGH WED AS
THE LARGE UPR RIDGE IN THE CENTRAL CONUS EXPANDS EWRD. 500MB HEIGHTS
INCREASE TO A MAX OF 595DAM AS THE UPR RIDGE CENTER BUILDS OVHD THE
TN VALLEY TUES INTO WED. AFTN HIGH TEMPS FROM SUN TO WED WILL
GENERALLY BE IN THE MID/UPR 90S WITH HEAT INDICES CLIMBING INTO THE
100-105 RANGE...ESPECIALLY LATER IN THIS PERIOD. HEAT ADVISORIES MAY
BE WARRANTED EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE RIDGE SHOULD BEGIN TO BUILD TO OUR
EAST AROUND MID TO LATE WEEK...WITH THE SFC HIGH BECOMING MORE
ESTABLISHED NEAR THE EAST COAST AT THAT TIME. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR A
SWRLY RETURN FLOW SETTING UP AND THE POTENTIAL FOR INCREASED
MOISTURE/INSTABILITY BY THURS. THUS...HAVE PUT IN A 20 POP AT THAT
TIME.
&&

.HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...NONE.
TN...NONE.
&&

UPDATE/AVIATION...BCC
PREV DISCUSSION...KDW.03
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 31, 9:55 PM CST, 2 hours 5 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1055 PM CDT THU JUL 31 2008

ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-011000-
LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN-
MARSHALL-JACKSON-DE KALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN-
1055 PM CDT THU JUL 31 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS
OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT...

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

PATCHY FOG IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION OVERNIGHT DUE TO LINGERING
MOISTURE FROM RAINFALL ON THURSDAY. THE FOG MAY BECOME LOCALLY DENSE
IN AREAS THAT RECEIVED HEAVY RAINFALL OR IN OTHER TYPICALLY FOGGY
LOCATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

A LARGE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT EAST FROM THE
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. AS THIS
OCCURS...VERY HOT CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED...WITH AFTERNOON
HIGH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM 95 TO 100 DEGREES. THE ADDED
HUMIDITY WILL SIGNIFICANTLY ELEVATE HEAT STRESS LEVELS.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS
NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

BCC

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 31, 6:08 PM CST, 5 hours 52 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
708 PM CDT THU JUL 31 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0355 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 NNW FAIRVIEW          34.30N 86.70W
07/31/2008                   CULLMAN            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES WERE DOWNED ALONG CR 1544 IN THE FAIRVIEW
            COMMUNITY.

0555 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 NNW MOULTON           34.53N 87.29W
07/31/2008                   LAWRENCE           AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            A TREE WAS BLOWN DOWN ACROSS CR 240 NORTH OF MOULTON.

0600 PM     TSTM WND DMG     6 NNE MOULTON           34.56N 87.26W
07/31/2008                   LAWRENCE           AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            AN OUTBUILDING WAS BLOWN ACROSS CR 214 NORTHEAST OF
            MOULTON

&&

DL
Local storm report, Jul 31, 9:29 PM CST, 2 hours 31 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1029 PM CDT THU JUL 31 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0355 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 NNW FAIRVIEW          34.30N 86.70W
07/31/2008                   CULLMAN            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES WERE DOWNED ALONG CR 1544 IN THE FAIRVIEW
            COMMUNITY.

0555 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 NNW MOULTON           34.53N 87.29W
07/31/2008                   LAWRENCE           AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            A TREE WAS BLOWN DOWN ACROSS CR 240 NORTH OF MOULTON.

0600 PM     TSTM WND DMG     6 NNE MOULTON           34.56N 87.26W
07/31/2008                   LAWRENCE           AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            AN OUTBUILDING WAS BLOWN ACROSS CR 214 NORTHEAST OF
            MOULTON

0610 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 E BOONSHILL           35.21N 86.72W
07/31/2008                   LINCOLN            TN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREE DOWNED ON HUGHEY RD

&&

RB

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Franklin

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Franklin forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.155, -86.092 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Lincoln

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 26, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.141, -86.589 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought conditions improved to below the /D2/ Severe category.

Drought, Moore

When
August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 26, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Moore forecast zone
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
35.285, -86.359 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought conditions have improved to below the /D2/ Severe category.

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Tennessee in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, August 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 129240, 129241, 129243.