Below normal rainfall persisted across central Alabama during the month of August. This caused drought conditions to continue for most counties and strengthen in some.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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.
Below normal rainfall persisted across central Alabama during the month of August. This caused drought conditions to continue for most counties and strengthen in some. By the end of the month Lee, Russell, Barbour, Randolph, Clay, Tallapoosa, Macon, Montgomery, Pike, Chambers, and Bullock Counties were under an Extreme (D3) drought.
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 Jul 31, 10:56 PM CST, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1156 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011 .UPDATE... FOR AVIATION. && .AVIATION... 06Z TAF DISCUSSION. LINGERING NOCTURNAL CONVECTION EXTENDS ACROSS GEORGIA...HOWEVER WITH A MAINLY SOUTH-SOUTHWEST TRAJECTORY...THIS CONVECTION SHOULD NOT AFFECT CENTRAL ALABAMA TAF SITES. CLOUD SHIELD FROM EARLIER IS JUST ABOUT GONE BUT SOME THIN MID/UPPER LEVEL CLOUDINESS REMAINS FROM EARLIER STORMS. NOT MUCH CHANGES OTHERWISE TO FORECAST AS ONCE AGAIN SOME MINOR BR IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT WITH CLEARING SKIES... LIGHT WINDS...AND SOME SPOTS RECEIVED GOOD LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING SHOWERS. WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARY STILL EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO MAKE ITS WAY SOUTH THROUGH MONDAY THROUGH CENTRAL ALABAMA. HAVE VCTS IN FOR MONDAY AFTERNOON ONLY FOR MGM/TOI AS THEY SHOULD BE SOUTH OF THIS BOUNDARY. 08/MNK && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1002 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011/ UPDATE... EVENING FORECAST. DISCUSSION... THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY SUBSIDED RATHER QUICKLY THIS EVENING ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. FORECAST WAS UPDATED TO REMOVE RAIN CHANCES FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT. TEMPERATURES ARE RIGHT ON TRACK AND NO CHANCES ARE NECESSARY. UPDATED ZONES ARE ALREADY OUT AND NEW GRIDS WILL BE SHIPPED OUT SHORTLY. 10/ARM PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 335 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011/ DISCUSSION... SURFACE TROUGH SITUATED ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. AS THE STRONG RIDGE CURRENTLY SITUATED OVER THE CENTRAL US BEGINS TO ENCOMPASS THE CWA ON TUESDAY...RAIN CHANCES WILL DIMINISH...AND THE HEAT WILL BUILD IN. THEREFORE...THE MAIN THEME FOR THIS PERIOD WILL BE TEMPERATURES. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL APPROACH THE CENTURY MARK EVERYDAY THIS WEEK. WITH DEW POINTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 70S...HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL REMAIN AROUND 105 AND SOME LOCATIONS WILL RISE ABOVE THAT. MODELS AND MOS DEW POINTS VARY GREATLY...SO HEAT INDEX VALUES MAY GO UP OR DOWN. WILL NOT ISSUE A HEAT ADVISORY FOR TOMORROW...SINCE CONFIDENCE IS STILL RATHER LOW. HEAT INDICES WILL NEED TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED OVER THE COMING WEEK...AS SOME SITES MAY MEET OR EXCEED ADVISORY CRITERIA. THE NEXT CHANCE FOR RAIN APPEARS TO BE ON FRIDAY. MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE THAT A SHORT WAVE TROF WILL MAKE ITS WAY DOWN INTO THE AREA ALONG THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE RIDGE ON FRIDAY. THIS...ALONG WITH AMPLE MOISTURE FOR THE GULF WILL LIKELY BRING RAIN AND A LITTLE RELIEF TO THE HEAT FRIDAY AND INTO SUNDAY. 73 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 72 98 71 97 73 / 10 10 10 10 10 ANNISTON 73 97 74 97 75 / 10 20 10 10 10 BIRMINGHAM 76 98 77 99 76 / 10 10 10 10 10 TUSCALOOSA 74 98 75 99 75 / 10 20 10 10 10 CALERA 75 96 75 98 76 / 10 20 10 10 10 AUBURN 75 95 76 97 76 / 10 30 20 20 10 MONTGOMERY 76 99 76 99 77 / 10 30 20 20 20 TROY 73 98 76 97 75 / 10 30 20 20 20 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 08/10/73
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 725 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011 ALZ011>015-017>050-020030- 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- 725 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011 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...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. A DOME OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL EXPAND EASTWARD INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS WEEK. THE COMBINATION OF HIGH TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS HEAT CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE AREA. HEAT INDICES OF 105 TO 110 DEGREES ARE FORECAST FOR MONDAY WITH VALUES CLIMBING INTO THE 108 TO 112 DEGREES TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. BE PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF EXCESSIVE HEAT FOR SEVERAL DAYS THIS WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. 08/MNK
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Lee County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions the entire month.
Russell County experienced Extreme Drought (D3) conditions the entire month.
Barbour County experienced Extreme Drought (D3) conditions the entire month.
Randolph County started the month with Severe Drought (D2) conditions and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Clay County started the month with Severe Drought (D2) conditions and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Tallapoosa County started the month with Severe Drought (D2) conditions and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Macon County started the month with Severe Drought (D2) conditions and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Montgomery County started the month with Severe Drought (D2) conditions and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Pike County started the month with Severe Drought (D2) conditions and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Chambers County started the month with Severe Drought (D2) conditions and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Bullock County started the month with Severe Drought (D2) conditions and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, August 2011
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: 340946, 340947, 340948, 340949, 340950, 340951, 340952, 340953, 340954, 340955, 340956.