A storm system and associated cold front moving across southeastern United States caused showers and thunderstorms in Central Alabama. One storm in the eastern portion of the state caused wind damage.
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.
A storm system and associated cold front moving across southeastern United States caused showers and thunderstorms in Central Alabama. One storm in the eastern portion of the state caused wind damage.
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 21, 2:25 PM CST, 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 325 PM CDT SUN MAR 21 2010 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. SURFACE COLD FRONT HAS PUSHED INTO EAST ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON. COLD FRONT HAS ENCOUNTERED SLIGHTLY MORE UNSTABLE AIR OVER EAST ALABAMA WHERE TEMPERATURES WERE ABLE TO WARM TO NEAR 60 DEGREES. SEVERAL LIGHTNING STRIKES HAVE SHOW UP ALONG CONVECTIVE LINE AND ALSO A FEW REPORTS OF WIND GUSTS OF 40-50 MPH AS SOME OF THE STRONGER WINDS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MIX DOWNWARD. CONVECTIVE LINE SHOULD BE OUT OF ALABAMA BY 5 PM WITH COLDER AIR SPREADING OVER ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE DEEP UPPER LOW WAS NEAR THE AR/LA/MS INTERSECTION AND MOVING STEADILY EASTWARD. THE LOW MAY BE MOVING ALONG FASTER THAN FORECAST BY MODELS...WHICH MEANS COLDEST POCKET OF AIR MAY MOVE INTO NORTH ALABAMA THIS EVENING INSTEAD OF AFTER MIDNIGHT. THIS IS CERTAINLY A UNIQUE SYSTEM AS THE LOW LEVEL COLD AIR HAS PUSHED WELL EAST OF THE UPPER LOW. ALSO...THE COLDEST LOW LEVEL AIR IS LOCATED TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST OF THE UPPER LOW. ASSUMING UPPER LOW TRACKS TO NEAR OR JUST NORTH OF BIRMINGHAM...THE BEST CHANCE OF SNOW MAY BE ALONG THE I-20 CORRIDOR AND TO THE SOUTH. LOW LEVEL THICKNESS VALUES SUPPORT SNOW...BUT LOOKING AT CROSS SECTIONS OF OMEGA...THERE IS NOT MUCH DEEP LAYER LIFT AS UPPER LOW CROSSES OVER AREA. THERE IS A HUGE MID LEVEL DRY SLOT TO THE EAST OF THE UPPER LOW...AND VERY LITTLE PRECIPITATION UPSTREAM OVER MISSISSIPPI. HOWEVER...ENHANCED REACTIVITIES ARE STARTING TO SHOW UP OVER WEST MISSISSIPPI JUST EAST OF UPPER LOW. LIGHT PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA ON MONDAY ON BACK SIDE OF DEPARTING UPPER LOW. THE TYPE OF PRECIPITATION IS QUESTIONABLE...AS WARMING IS FORECAST TO OCCUR AS LOW MOVES EAST. DECIDED AGAINST WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY DUE TO WARM GROUND CONDITIONS AND SMALL LIQUID RAINFALL AMOUNTS...BUT THERE COULD VERY WELL BE A PERIOD WHEN SNOWFALL IS INTENSE ENOUGH FOR LIGHT ACCUMULATION ON GRASSY SURFACES. A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT WAS ISSUED TO DISCUSS UNCERTAINTIES. WRAP AROUND LOW CLOUDS WILL LIKELY PERSIST OVER ALABAMA MONDAY NIGHT BUT SHOULD SEE DECREASING CLOUDS FROM WEST TO EAST AFTER MIDNIGHT. SOME LIGHT PRECIPITATION WILL LINGER OVER NORTHEAST COUNTIES MONDAY EVENING...BUT LOW LEVEL THICKNESS VALUES SUPPORT ONLY RAIN. A NICE DAY ON TAP FOR TUESDAY AS WARMER AIR WORKS BACK INTO AREA WITH HIGHS 65 TO 70 DEGREES. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. A NICE WARM-UP WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AS UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE AREA FROM THE WEST...WITH HIGHS IN THE 70S BOTH DAYS. A WEAKER SHORT WAVE TROF WILL MOVE INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS STATES ON THURSDAY AND BRING INCREASING HIGH CLOUDS TO ALABAMA. THE SHORT WAVE TROF WILL PASS NORTH OF AREA ON FRIDAY. VERY LITTLE SURFACE DEVELOPMENT WITH THIS SYSTEM...AND NO DECENT RETURN FLOW TO BRING GULF MOISTURE NORTHWARD. INSTABILITY WILL BE LIMITED AND PRIMARY WEATHER TYPE WILL BE SHOWERS. THIS SYSTEM WILL PASS ON THROUGH AREA BY FRIDAY NIGHT WITH ANOTHER SYSTEM ARRIVING BY LATE IN THE WEEKEND. 58/ROSE && .AVIATION...18Z TAF DISCUSSION. QUITE A MESSY FORECAST IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS FOR ALL SITES. A STRONG COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO PLOW ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT FOR SOME OF THE HEAVIEST RAIN TO OCCUR RIGHT ALONG THE FRONT. THE FRONT HAS NOW CROSSED INTERSTATE 65...SO EXPECT FOR ONLY OUR EASTERN SITES (ANB...MGM AND TOI) TO BE AFFECT BY HEAVY RAIN THROUGH 22Z. ONCE THIS LINE OF RAIN MOVES OUT...THEN PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE VERY LIGHT AND POSSIBLY MIXED WITH SNOW. SNOW IS NOT EXPECTED TO CAUSE MUCH OF A PROBLEM AS NO ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. IN FACT...COVERAGE IS EXPECTED TO BE SO SPORADIC...THAT IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE FORECAST AT THIS TIME. HAVING SAID THAT...WE WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL ADJUST THE FORECAST AS NEEDED. WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY THROUGH AT LEAST 00Z. EXPECT FOR THE STRONGEST WINDS TO BE RIGHT ALONG THE FRONT. THEY ARE EXPECTED TO DECREASE A LITTLE AFTER SUNSET. CEILINGS WILL REMAIN MVFR FOR THE ENTIRE PERIOD. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY COULD DROP INTO THE IFR RANGE AFTER 09Z...BUT COMPUTER MODELS ARE IN FAIR AGREEMENT FOR NOW THAT THEY SHOULD STAY ABOVE 1000 FT. 10/ARM && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 36 43 41 64 37 / 40 50 20 10 0 ANNISTON 36 43 41 64 41 / 40 50 20 10 0 BIRMINGHAM 35 45 42 66 44 / 40 50 10 0 0 TUSCALOOSA 35 47 42 70 42 / 40 50 0 0 10 CALERA 37 44 43 66 42 / 40 50 0 0 0 AUBURN 37 46 34 66 41 / 30 30 10 0 0 MONTGOMERY 38 50 42 69 41 / 30 30 10 0 0 TROY 36 53 40 68 38 / 30 20 10 0 0 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 126 PM CDT SUN MAR 21 2010 ALZ011>015-017>050-221830- MARION-LAMAR-FAYETTE-WINSTON-WALKER-BLOUNT-ETOWAH-CALHOUN- CHEROKEE-CLEBURNE-PICKENS-TUSCALOOSA-JEFFERSON-SHELBY-ST. CLAIR- TALLADEGA-CLAY-RANDOLPH-SUMTER-GREENE-HALE-PERRY-BIBB-CHILTON- COOSA-TALLAPOOSA-CHAMBERS-MARENGO-DALLAS-AUTAUGA-LOWNDES-ELMORE- MONTGOMERY-MACON-BULLOCK-LEE-RUSSELL-PIKE-BARBOUR- 126 PM CDT SUN MAR 21 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .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.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1219 PM CDT SUN MAR 21 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1217 PM HAIL TUSCALOOSA 33.24N 87.54W
03/21/2010 M0.25 INCH TUSCALOOSA AL EMERGENCY MNGR
HAIL A BIT LARGER THAN PEA SIZE WAS REPORTED IN DOWNTOWN
TUSCALOOSA.
&&
GGOGGINSSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 111 PM CDT SUN MAR 21 2010 ALZ011>015-017>038-212356- BIBB-BLOUNT-CALHOUN-CHAMBERS-CHEROKEE-CHILTON-CLAY-CLEBURNE-COOSA- ETOWAH-FAYETTE-GREENE-HALE-JEFFERSON-LAMAR-MARION-PERRY-PICKENS- RANDOLPH-SHELBY-ST CLAIR-SUMTER-TALLADEGA-TALLAPOOSA-TUSCALOOSA- WALKER-WINSTON- 111 PM CDT SUN MAR 21 2010 ...EARLY SPRING SEASON SNOW POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING... A DEEP AND STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF ALABAMA TONIGHT. A STRONG COLD FRONT AHEAD OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL SPREAD MUCH COLDER AIR ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA SUNDAY AFTERNOON. AS THE UPPER LOW APPROACHES ALABAMA...THE COLD AIR ALOFT WILL DEEPEN AND EXTEND CLOSER TO THE SURFACE... ALLOWING LIGHT RAIN TO BECOME MIXED WITH SNOW AS EARLY 7 PM ACROSS WEST ALABAMA. THE RAIN AND SNOW MIXTURE WILL SPREAD EASTWARD OVERNIGHT REACHING THE GEORGIA STATE LINE BY MIDNIGHT. THE MIXTURE OF RAIN AND SNOW COULD CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW FOR SEVERAL HOURS AFTER MIDNIGHT. SURFACE TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL FALL INTO THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 30S ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA...SO NO TRAVEL PROBLEMS ARE EXPECTED SINCE TEMPERATURES SHOULD STAY ABOVE FREEZING. AT THIS TIME...SOME AREAS MAY EXPERIENCE A DUSTING OF SNOW AS WARM GROUND TEMPERATURES SHOULD MINIMIZE ANY ACCUMULATION. HOWEVER...IF LATER FORECAST TRENDS INDICATE HEAVIER PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS...A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MAY BE REQUIRED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 225 PM CDT SUN MAR 21 2010 ALZ017>020-026-212015- BLOUNT-CALHOUN-CHEROKEE-ETOWAH-ST. CLAIR- 225 PM CDT SUN MAR 21 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR BLOUNT...CALHOUN...CHEROKEE...ETOWAH AND ST. CLAIR COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM CDT... AT 225 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM ALTOONA TO OHATCHEE...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 9 MILES EAST OF ONEONTA TO 9 MILES WEST OF SAKS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL AND WINDS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. * LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE... STEELE. WALNUT GROVE. ROCKLEDGE. SARDIS CITY. WILSONIA. SPRING GARDEN. THE GUSTY WINDS WILL BE CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN SMALL TREES...TREE LIMBS...AND POWERLINES. SEEK SAFE SHELTER UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION. 10/ARM
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 78 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:49 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Two houses and one mobile home sustained roof damage, 2 barns were damaged, and several more trees were blown down, near Black Oak Church, on CR-57.
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, March 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: 222147.