Very little rain fell across central Alabama during the month of August, resulting in drought conditions spreading to a larger portion of the area. By the end of the month Talladega, Shelby, Bibb, Tuscaloosa, Hale, Perry, Chilton, Dallas, Autauga, Elmore, and Coosa Counties were all under Extreme (D3) drought conditions.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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.
Very little rain fell across central Alabama during the month of August, resulting in drought conditions spreading to a larger portion of the area. By the end of the month Talladega, Shelby, Bibb, Tuscaloosa, Hale, Perry, Chilton, Dallas, Autauga, Elmore, and Coosa Counties were all under Extreme (D3) drought conditions.
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 1, 11:01 PM CST, 59 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1201 AM CDT TUE AUG 2 2011
.UPDATE...
FOR AVIATION.
&&
.AVIATION...
06Z TAF DISCUSSION.
AFTERNOON/EVENING CONVECTION IS PRETTY MUCH DONE. CLOUD SHIELD
FROM EARLIER STORMS IS JUST ABOUT GONE AS WELL. MINOR BR EXPECTED
AGAIN FOR TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY AREAS THAT RECEIVED RAIN.
HOWEVER...OVERALL WE ARE GOING INTO A DRIER REGIME WITH OUR
BOUNDARY TO THE SOUTH AND HIGH PRESSURE SET TO BUILD. VFR FOR
TUESDAY NOT TOO LONG AFTER SUNRISE AND MIXING DEALS WITH ANY MINOR
BR.
08/MNK
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 952 PM CDT MON AUG 1 2011/
UPDATE...
EVENING FORECAST.
DISCUSSION...
A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS REMAIN ACROSS EXTREME EASTERN PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...THAT ACTIVITY SHOULD BE
SUBSIDING SOON.
FORECAST WISE...EVERYTHING IS ON TRACK. WILL UPDATE THE FORECAST
SOON TO REMOVE RAIN CHANCES ONCE THESE LEFTOVER SHOWERS DISSIPATE.
10/ARM
PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 331 PM CDT MON AUG 1 2011/
DISCUSSION...
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE THE STORY THIS
AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA...WITH VERY WARM TEMPERATURES AND
HIGH DEW POINTS. DRY AIR ALOFT BEHIND THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH FROM
YESTERDAY IS HELPING TO A CERTAIN EXTENT...KEEPING THE HEAT INDEX
VALUES IN THE LOW TRIPLE DIGITS...JUST BELOW HEAT ADVISORY
CRITERIA. THIS DOES NOT MEAN ITS NOT UNCOMFORTABLY WARM OUT THERE
THOUGH. POP COVERAGE SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING
HOURS AS DIURNAL HEATING CONTINUES TO CREATE ENOUGH INSTABILITY TO
INITIATE CONVECTION...AND WITH THAT AFOREMENTIONED DRY AIR
ALOFT...THE WET MICROBURST POTENTIAL WILL ALSO REMAIN HIGH THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
THE STORY FOR THE REST OF THE FORECAST WILL BE THE HEAT. WE HAVE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS HEAT FOR A NUMBER OF DAYS NOW AND IT REALLY
LOOKS LIKE IT WILL COME TO FRUITION. THE UPPER RIDGE TO OUR WEST
WILL CREEP EASTWARD...PUTTING THE STATE INTO A NORTHWESTERLY FLOW
ALOFT. THIS...ALONG WITH WESTERLY SURFACE FLOW...WILL HELP TO
ADVECT THESE TRIPLE DIGITS TEMPERATURES INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA
BEGINNING TOMORROW...AND LASTING THROUGH AT LEAST FRIDAY. THERE
WILL BE SUBTLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE DAYS THOUGH. SHORT RANGE
MODELS INDICATE THE MID-LEVEL DRY AIR WILL STICK AROUND TUESDAY
AND WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR DEW POINTS TO MIX OUT BOTH DAYS
AND LIKELY KEEP US ONLY IN HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA. THURSDAY MAY BE
A DIFFERENT STORY AS THE DRY AIR ALOFT IS REPLACED BY MUCH MORE
SATURATED FORECAST SOUNDINGS AND PW VALUES BACK ABOVE 2 INCHES. IF
THIS DEEP LAYER MOISTURE DOES RETURN...I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED
THAT WE WOULD NEED AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING ON THURSDAY AS DEW
POINTS WILL LIKELY REMAIN IN THE LOW TO MIDDLE 70S ALL DAY. IN ANY
CASE...THE NEXT 4 DAYS ARE GOING TO BE VERY WARM. ACCORDING TO
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH...HEAT STRESS LEVELS WILL BE
NEAR 10 OUT OF 10. THIS MEANS IF YOU WORK OUTSIDE AND ARE USED TO
TEMPERATURES OF 95-98 DEGREES...THE TEMPERATURES THESE NEXT COUPLE
OF DAYS WOULD RAISE YOUR BODY'S LEVEL OF STRESS TREMENDOUSLY...
GREATLY INCREASING THE POSSIBILITY OF HEAT CRAMPS...HEAT
EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE IF OVEREXPOSED.
THE ATMOSPHERE SHOULD BEGIN TO SETTLE BACK DOWN...SLIGHTLY...BY
FRIDAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE SHOULD FLATTEN OUT AND ALLOW ANOTHER
WEAK SHORTWAVE INTO THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
PRECIPITATION COVERAGE SHOULD HELP TO ALLEVIATE THE MORE EXTREME
TEMPERATURES EACH DAY...BUT UPPER 90S WILL STILL BE VERY LIKELY
THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK.
THE WILD CARD IN THIS WHOLE THING IS THE TROPICAL DISTURBANCE IN THE
WESTERN ATLANTIC. CURRENTLY...NHC CONTINUES TO INDICATE NO REAL
ORGANIZATION WITH THIS SYSTEM...BUT ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT. LONG RANGE MODELS DO NOT HAVE
THIS SYSTEM APPROACHING ALABAMA...BUT MAKING IT TO FLORIDA BEFORE
HEADING BACK INTO THE ATLANTIC. THIS WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED
OVER THE NEXT 3-4 DAYS AS THIS SYSTEM COULD AFFECT US IN THE WAY
OF MORE SUBSIDENCE THAN THE MODELS ARE CURRENTLY SHOWING.
27
CLIMATE...
THE RECORD TEMPERATURES FOR THE PERIOD AUGUST 2ND THROUGH
AUGUST 5TH:
BHM MGM TCL ANB
AUG 2ND 101 100 100 100
AUG 3RD 101 102 101 101
AUG 4TH 103 101 102 103
AUG 5TH 102 103 100 101
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GADSDEN 72 99 72 99 73 / 10 10 10 10 10
ANNISTON 73 98 74 100 74 / 10 10 10 10 10
BIRMINGHAM 76 99 77 100 77 / 10 10 10 10 10
TUSCALOOSA 75 101 75 102 75 / 10 10 10 10 10
CALERA 75 98 76 99 74 / 10 10 10 10 10
AUBURN 75 97 75 97 75 / 10 20 20 10 10
MONTGOMERY 76 99 76 101 76 / 10 20 20 10 10
TROY 74 98 74 99 74 / 10 20 20 10 10
&&
.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON TO 7 PM CDT TUESDAY 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.
&&
08/10/27HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 720 PM CDT MON AUG 1 2011 ALZ011>015-017>050-030100- 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- 720 PM CDT MON AUG 1 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...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. A DOME OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL EXPAND EASTWARD INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS WEEK AND WITH THE COMBINATION OF HIGH TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY...DANGEROUS HEAT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE AREA. HEAT INDEX VALUES OF 108 TO 112 DEGREES WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. BE PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF EXCESSIVE HEAT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. 08
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Talladega County experienced Severe Drought (D2) conditions beginning on the 2nd and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Shelby County experienced Severe Drought (D2) conditions beginning on the 2nd and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Bibb County experienced Severe Drought (D2) conditions beginning on the 2nd and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Tuscaloosa County experienced Severe Drought (D2) conditions beginning on the 2nd and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Hale County experienced Severe Drought (D2) conditions beginning on the 2nd and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Perry County experienced Severe Drought (D2) conditions beginning on the 2nd and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Chilton County experienced Severe Drought (D2) conditions beginning on the 2nd and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Dallas County experienced Severe Drought (D2) conditions beginning on the 2nd and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Autauga County experienced Severe Drought (D2) conditions beginning on the 2nd and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Elmore County experienced Severe Drought (D2) conditions beginning on the 2nd and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Coosa County experienced Severe Drought (D2) conditions beginning on the 2nd and was upgraded to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions on the 30th.
Cleburne County experienced Severe Drought (D2) conditions beginning on the 2nd 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: 340957, 340958, 340960, 340961, 340962, 340963, 340964, 340965, 340966, 340967, 340968, 347027.