Surface dew points were in the 70s with dry air and weak flow aloft making conditions favorable for wet microbursts. In addition, a weak frontal boundary moved through Central Alabama helping to focus lift.
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 BMX wrote it up.
Surface dew points were in the 70s with dry air and weak flow aloft making conditions favorable for wet microbursts. In addition, a weak frontal boundary moved through Central Alabama helping to focus lift.
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 Aug 22, 12:33 PM CST, 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 133 PM CDT SUN AUG 22 2010 .DISCUSSION... WILL ALLOW HEAT ADVISORY TO EXPIRE TONIGHT...ALTHOUGH MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WELL ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH AT LEAST MID WEEK. HOWEVER...A DRIER AIR MASS SHOULD HELP KEEP HEAT INDICES IN CHECK. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...A SHORT-WAVE TROUGH OVER NEW ENGLAND HAD A TRAILING VORTICITY LOBE EXTENDING SOUTHWEST OVER THE DEEP SOUTH. AN UNSTABLE RIDGE OVER ONTARIO IS NOW EXPECTED TO RESULT IN INTENSIFICATION OF THE TROUGH...LEADING TO A CLOSED LOW CIRCULATION BY TONIGHT. NWP MODELS DROP THE CLOSED LOW SOUTHWARD TO VIRGINIA ON MONDAY. AT THE SAME TIME...THE RIDGE REMAINS IN PLACE FROM THE DESERT SOUTHWEST TO THE MIDWEST. THIS ALL LEADS TO WEAK CYCLOGENESIS ALONG THE EAST COAST AND NORTHERLY FLOW FROM THE OHIO VALLEY TO THE SOUTHEAST U.S. THE NORTHERLY FLOW WILL ADVECT DRIER AIR SOUTHWARD OVER ALABAMA...RESULTING IN LOWER SURFACE DEW POINTS AND LOWER PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES. CONFIDENCE IS FAIRLY HIGH IN THE ABOVE SCENARIO AS THE ECMWF...GFS...NAM...SREF...GEM...AND GFS ENSEMBLES ALL SHOW THIS TYPE OF UPPER-LEVEL EVOLUTION...LEADING TO DRY ADVECTION OVER ALABAMA THIS WEEK. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND BLENDED PRECIPITABLE WATER PRODUCT INDICATE MUCH DRIER AIR TO OUR NORTH POISED TO MOVE SOUTH AND FINALLY SCOUR OUT THE OPPRESSIVE MOIST AIR MASS OVER THE ALABAMA. BEYOND TUESDAY...AN UPSTREAM WAVE OVER THE UPPER PLAINS ACTS AS A KICKER AND LIFTS THE EAST COAST CLOSED LOW OUT OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC. THIS SECOND WAVE DIGS DOWN OVER NEW ENGLAND AND THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES...AND MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR US...BRINGS ANOTHER PUNCH OF DRY AIR TO ALABAMA. MAY SEE SOME ADVECTION OF ATLANTIC MOISTURE COME IN FROM THE EAST BY NEXT WEEKEND. 03 && .AVIATION...18Z TAF DISCUSSION. MCV STILL EVIDENT ON SATELLITE JUST WEST OF KTCL MOVING SOUTHEAST. DRIER AIR ALOFT IS MOVING INTO THE EXTREME NORTHERN SECTIONS OF STATE. SATELLITE PW ESTIMATES AHEAD OF THE MCV ARE AROUND 2.2 INCHES AND AROUND 1.5 BEHIND THE SYSTEM...ALBEIT SFC DEWPOINTS ARE STILL IN MID 70S. EXPECT ALL SHOWER AND TSRA ACTIVITY TO OCCUR SOUTH OF I-20 EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AND AS THE MCV PUSHES SOUTHEAST...NEAR AND SOUTH OF HWY 80/I85 BY 00Z. AS WITH LAST NIGHT...THE STORMS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE UNTIL THE 03Z-06Z TIMEFRAME...BUT BY THAT TIME WILL LIKELY BE MORE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN 1/3 OF THE STATE. SOME MVFR FOG WILL OCCUR FOR ONE MORE NIGHT...THEN WITH MIXING WITH DRY AIR ACROSS ALL OF TAF SITES ON MONDAY...WILL LIKELY NOT HAVE ANY BR VSBY RESTRICTIONS FOR REMAINDER OF WEEK. NOTICE...KEET TAF WILL HAVE (AMD LTD TO VIS WIND AND WX) AMENDED TO THE END OF THE FORECAST THROUGH THE END OF 2010. THE CEILOMETER DATA WILL BE GOING THROUGH NUMEROUS TESTS AND MONITORED FOR ACCURACY. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 67 95 65 95 68 / 10 0 10 10 10 ANNISTON 71 96 68 95 65 / 10 0 10 10 10 BIRMINGHAM 73 97 70 97 67 / 10 0 10 10 10 TUSCALOOSA 71 99 68 98 67 / 10 0 10 10 10 CALERA 72 98 69 96 67 / 10 0 10 10 10 AUBURN 72 96 71 96 67 / 20 10 10 10 10 MONTGOMERY 74 99 71 99 71 / 20 10 10 10 10 TROY 72 98 69 96 70 / 20 10 10 10 10 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: 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. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1230 PM CDT SUN AUG 22 2010 ALZ011>015-017>050-231100- 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- 1230 PM CDT SUN AUG 22 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH 10 PM...GENERALLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20. FREQUENT LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE LIKELY. HEAT INDICES WILL RANGE FROM 105 TO 112 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 136 PM CDT SUN AUG 22 2010 ALZ030-221915- SUMTER AL- 136 PM CDT SUN AUG 22 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN SUMTER COUNTY UNTIL 215 PM CDT... AT 134 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR CUBA...MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... CUBA... KINTERBISH... WARD... STEFKOVICH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 143 PM CDT SUN AUG 22 2010 ALZ041-221930- AUTAUGA AL- 143 PM CDT SUN AUG 22 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN AUTAUGA COUNTY UNTIL 230 PM CDT... AT 142 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MARBURY...OR 13 MILES NORTH OF PRATTVILLE...MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... PRATTVILLE... BOOTH... AUTAUGA COUNTY AIRPORT... THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS... FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY. GOGGINS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 156 PM CDT SUN AUG 22 2010 ALZ023-034-221945- BIBB AL-TUSCALOOSA AL- 156 PM CDT SUN AUG 22 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN TUSCALOOSA AND NORTHWESTERN BIBB COUNTIES UNTIL 245 PM CDT... AT 154 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BEVILLE LOCK AND DAM...OR 15 MILES EAST OF HOLT... MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... VANCE... LAKE WILDWOOD... COALING... EOLINE... I 20 REST AREA NEAR TUSCALOOSA... TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY. GOGGINS
The Jackson/Brandon,MS radar (KDGX), 153 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:13 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A few trees were blown down on County Road 27 near Interstate 20 and 59.
Several trees were knocked down along County Roads 57 and 81.
Ten or more trees were blown down South and West of Liberty Park City.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, August 2010
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: 254622, 254621, 254623.