On the evening of Thursday, Feb 24th, A squall line passed through Central Alabama causing numerous reports of straight line wind damage. In addition, a brief EF0 tornado spun up in Marion County along the squall line.
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.
On the evening of Thursday, Feb 24th, A squall line passed through Central Alabama causing numerous reports of straight line wind damage. In addition, a brief EF0 tornado spun up in Marion County along the squall line.
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 Feb 24, 7:44 PM CST, 2 hours 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 744 PM CST THU FEB 24 2011 .UPDATE...MESOSCALE DISCUSSION. && .MESOSCALE DISCUSSION... FORECAST UPDATED TO INCREASE SURFACE WINDS/WIND GUSTS AND TO ADD SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WORDING TO THE ZONES. WITH THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ONLY A COUPLE OF HOURS AWAY...AND THE 00Z UPPER AIR RUNS COMPLETE...WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE LATEST MESOSCALE FEATURES THAT ARE...OR ARE NOT...DEVELOPING ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. AS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS...SHEAR IS LIKELY NOT GOING TO BE A PROBLEM. ALREADY WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN THE 0-6KM BULK SHEAR PROFILES TO 55-70KTS FOR POINTS ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20. WITH SURFACE DEW POINTS IN THE UPPER 50S TO RIGHT AROUND 60 FOR EVERYONE...THOSE SHEAR BULK SHEAR PROFILES SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN SOLID UPDRAFTS TO KEEP THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT GOING THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. THERMODYNAMICALLY...ONE OF THE OTHER FACTORS THAT WILL HELP CONTINUE DEVELOPMENT AND GET US CLOSER TO EXPERIENCE SEVERE WIND GUSTS AS THIS LINE MOVES THROUGH THE AREA IS THE INCREASE IN MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES OVER THE LAST 3-6 HOURS ACROSS NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE STATE. BUT AS SEVERE WEATHER GOES...WE TRY TO LOOK FOR THE FACTORS THAT COULD LIMIT POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER AS WELL...AND THERE ARE A COUPLE. ONE OF THE BIGGEST LIMITING FACTORS IS SEEN IN UPPER AIR SOUNDINGS AROUND ALMOST ALL OF THE SOUTHEAST THIS EVENING. A FAIRLY DECENT TEMPERATURE INVERSION STARTING AT 700MB COULD HAMPER ANY STRONG UPDRAFTS THAT ARE INITIATED. JAN AND BMX ARE SHOWING THE MOST PREVALENT ONES...AND THIS IS LIKELY WHY WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY SIGNIFICANT WARM SECTOR DEVELOPMENT AHEAD OF THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS THUS FAR. THAT BEING SAID...AFTER LOOKING OVER THE LAPS SOUNDINGS FROM 00Z...THEY ARE SHOWING THIS CAPPING INVERSION OVER ALABAMA AND NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...BUT FURTHER ANALYSIS SHOWS AN EVENTUAL EROSION OF THIS CAP JUST AHEAD OF THE CURRENT LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. THIS TREND OF CAP EROSION WILL LIKELY CONTINUE AS THE MAIN LINE CLOSES IN ON CENTRAL ALABAMA...BUT THE QUESTION WILL ENOUGH OF THE CAP ERODE TO BE SIGNIFICANT IN THE WAY OF CONTINUED SIGNIFICANT THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. ALL OF THAT BEING SAID...WITH A 40-45KTS 850 JET ALREADY DEVELOPING AND A 115-125KT UPPER LEVEL JET ASSISTING IN LARGE SCALE ASCENT OVERHEAD...THE LACK OF SURFACE BASED INSTABILITY WILL LIKELY BE OVERCOME TO THE POINT OF ALLOWING UPDRAFTS TO BE SUSTAINED LONG ENOUGH FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA...ESPECIALLY POINTS ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 59...TO EXPERIENCE SOME SEVERE WEATHER THIS EVENING. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WITH THE SQUALL LINE AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE STATE WILL LIKELY BE THE MAIN THREAT. THERE WILL ALSO BE A VERY ISOLATED TORNADO THREAT AS THE LINE MOVES THROUGH...AS 0-1KM SRH VALUES REMAIN IN THE 350-500 M^2/S^2 RANGE. TIMING IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ADJUST SLIGHTLY AS THE LINE LOOKS TO BE RUNNING ABOUT 2 HOURS FASTER THAN THE MODELS HAD IT MOVING INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA. A 10 PM ARRIVAL INTO OUR NORTHWEST COUNTIES OF MARION AND LAMAR...WITH AN APPROXIMATE ARRIVAL TIME OF 1-2AM INTO THE GREATER BIRMINGHAM METRO AREA. && AVIATION...00Z TAF DISCUSSION. THE SQUALL LINE ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPROACHING FRONTAL SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY LOCATED ACROSS E AR SWRD INTO N LA AND WILL CONTINUE TO SLIDE EWD THRU THE EVNG. THIS LINE SHOULD REACH NW PORTIONS OF THE CWA AROUND MIDNIGHT. HAVE ADJUSTED TIMING OF THE LINE SLIGHTLY FOR EACH TERMINAL...BUT NO MAJOR CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE AS OF YET. BETTER TIMING WILL BE KNOWN AS THE LINE APPROACHES THE STATE...SO EXPECT ADDITIONAL CHANGES TO SQUALL LINE ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE TIMES WITH THE NEXT ISSUANCE. AT THIS TIME...BELIEVE THE ACTIVITY WILL TRACK EWD ACROSS THE AREA AND EXIT THE SE SITES AROUND 12Z. VIS AND CIGS WILL LIKELY DROP TO LIFR AND IFR...RESPECTIVELY...AS THE SQUALL LINE MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL KEEP SOUTHERLY WINDS GUSTING UP TO 25 KTS THRU THE EVNG AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. GUSTS UP TO 40 OR 50 KTS ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE SQUALL LINE...BUT SHOULD BE BRIEF IN NATURE. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO WNW BEHIND THE FRONT...AND MODELS SHOW MVFR CIGS PERSISTING FOR SEVERAL HRS IN THE WAKE OF THE BOUNDARY AS WELL. SKIES SHOULD BEGIN TO CLEAR FROM W TO E FRI AFTN. NOTICE...KEET TAF WILL HAVE (AMD LTD TO VIS WIND AND WX) AMENDED TO THE END OF THE FORECAST THROUGH THE END OF THE 2010/2011 WINTER SEASON. THE CEILOMETER DATA WILL BE GOING THROUGH NUMEROUS TESTS AND MONITORED FOR ACCURACY. 19 HYDROLOGY... THE WEATHER SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH TONIGHT SHOULD BE A FAIRLY QUICK HITTING ONE...WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS LASTING JUST A COUPLE HOURS AT MOST. DUE TO THE SPEED OF MOVEMENT...QPF APPEARS TO REMAIN WELL BELOW FLOOD GUIDANCE LEVELS. ALTHOUGH NORMAL POOR DRAINAGE AND QUICK RESPONSE LOCATIONS COULD SEE SOME HIGH WATER...NO WIDESPREAD FLOODING CONCERNS ARE EXPECTED IN CENTRAL ALABAMA AT THIS TIME. /61/ && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 520 PM CST THU FEB 24 2011/ DISCUSSION... WELL...CONDITIONS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA ARE CURRENTLY A BIT MORE MOIST THAN PREVIOUS COMPUTER MODELS HAD PREDICTED. SURFACE DEW POINTS IN THE WESTERN 2/3 OF THE AREA ARE WITHIN 2 DEGREES (EITHER SIDE) OF 60F...WHICH IS ANYWHERE FROM 7 TO 10 DEGREES HIGHER THAN THE 12Z MAVMOS HAD PREDICTED FOR THIS TIME FRAME. UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S DEWPOINTS GO TO THE WEST ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE DRY LINE...WHICH IS CURRENTLY BETWEEN DFW AND TYLER TEXAS. THE DEEPENING SURFACE LOW PASSING TO OUR NORTH WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS THIS EVENING...SO I WOULD EXPECT TEMPERATURES AND DEW POINTS TO NOT MAKE A LOT OF BIG MOVEMENTS UNTIL COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE OVERNIGHT. THAT MAKES THINGS POTENTIALLY MORE UNSTABLE DURING THE TIME THAT SURFACE AND MID LEVEL FORCING MAXES OUT. AS A RESULT...I'M NOW A BIT MORE CONCERNED WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS IN OUR AREA LATER TONIGHT...AND MESOSCALE DEVELOPMENTS WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED CLOSELY DURING THE EVENING HOURS. ALL SIGNS CONTINUE TO POINT TO A SHORT REST PERIOD IN BETWEEN SYSTEMS FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. CURRENTLY HAVE FAIRLY HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT THERE WILL BE A SEVERE WEATHER/TORNADO THREAT SOME TIME BETWEEN LATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY EVENING...AS THE NEXT UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH LIFTS NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE TN/OH VALLEYS AND DRAGS A SURFACE FRONT THROUGH THE SOUTHEASTERN STATES. THE UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS SYSTEM REMAINS WITH THE TIMING. ECMWF REMAINS THE SLOWEST...DELAYING THE FRONTAL PASSAGE UNTIL AROUND NOON MONDAY. GFS AND GEM ARE 6 TO 8 HOURS QUICKER...AND ALSO FARTHER NORTH WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE PARENT SURFACE LOW. MY GUT TELLS ME TO GO WITH THE SLOWEST MODEL (LOCAL RULE OF THUMB STATES THAT THE SLOWEST MODEL IS USUALLY STILL TOO FAST)...WHICH WOULD BE THE ECMWF. BUT WITH THE OPERATIONAL GFS AND GEM...NOT TO MENTION ENSEMBLE SUPPORT...THERE IS JUST THAT LITTLE BIT OF UNCERTAINTY. HOPEFULLY THINGS WILL SHAKE OUT AND COME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT ON THE TIMING...SO THAT WE CAN THEN CONCENTRATE MORE ON THE MESOSCALE DETAILS THAT WOULD DETERMINE THE STRENGTH AND MODE OF THE THREAT. ONCE THAT SECOND SYSTEM GETS THROUGH HERE CONDITIONS APPEAR TO RETURN TO A ZONAL FLOW DOMINATED PATTERN...WITH DRY AND SEASONABLE WEATHER. /61/ .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 58 59 32 69 41 / 100 10 0 0 10 ANNISTON 60 60 34 69 44 / 90 20 0 0 0 BIRMINGHAM 59 60 37 69 51 / 100 10 0 0 10 TUSCALOOSA 60 61 35 72 49 / 100 0 0 0 10 CALERA 60 61 37 70 49 / 100 10 0 0 10 AUBURN 59 68 40 69 50 / 60 60 0 0 0 MONTGOMERY 62 68 38 73 50 / 60 20 0 0 0 TROY 59 69 38 74 50 / 60 60 0 0 0 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST FRIDAY 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 810 PM CST THU FEB 24 2011 ALZ011>015-017>050-260210- 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- 810 PM CST THU FEB 24 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA BEGINNING AT 10 PM AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE NEAR AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM LIVINGSTON TO TUSCALOOSA TO BIRMINGHAM BETWEEN 10 PM AND 2 AM. THE THREAT WILL THEN SHIFT TO STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND LARGE HAIL FOR AREAS GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM SELMA TO PRATTVILLE TO ROCKFORD TO HEFLIN. THIS ACTIVITY IS MAINLY EXPECTED BETWEEN 2 AM AND 5 AM. BREEZY CONDITIONS ARE ALSO EXPECTED THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SUSTAINED WINDS BETWEEN 10 AND 20 MPH WITH A FEW GUSTS TO 30 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST JUST AHEAD OF THE THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A WEAKENING AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ACROSS SOUTHEAST PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA FRIDAY MORNING. ALTHOUGH A FEW STRONG WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE...THE ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LIMITS. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT CENTRAL ALABAMA SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL THAT THIS SYSTEM COULD BE STRONGER AND THUS HAVE A HIGHER THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER THAN THE FIRST SYSTEM. TIMING DIFFERENCES LEAD TO LESSER CONFIDENCE AT THIS TIME. THIS SYSTEM WILL ALSO PRODUCE BREEZY CONDITIONS WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WILL BECOME NECESSARY TONIGHT AND POSSIBLY AGAIN ON MONDAY. DUE TO THE ATMOSPHERIC SHEAR AVAILABLE...A TORNADO WATCH IS LIKELY FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA TONIGHT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
915 PM CST THU FEB 24 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 4 SSE LAKE TUSCALOOSA B 33.33N 87.59W
02/24/2011 TUSCALOOSA AL UTILITY COMPANY
TREE REPORTED DOWN ON LARY LAKE RD AT TROY TRIMM RD...DUE
TO GRADIENT WINDS.
&&
GOLDENPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
939 PM CST THU FEB 24 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0925 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 1 W BLOUNTSVILLE 34.10N 86.59W
02/24/2011 BLOUNT AL EMERGENCY MNGR
TREE REPORTED DOWN ALONG CO RD 47.
&&
GOLDENThe Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 43 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:02 UTC.
51 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Two homes near County Road 19 suffered roof damage.
Straight line winds brought down powerlines along Military Street.
A tornado touched down briefly just to the northwest of Hackleburg, doing extensive damage to numerous chicken houses, sheds and outbuildings in the area by removing pieces of tin roofing and peeling off metal siding. In a few cases, the roof was completely removed. One chicken house was completely destroyed. Many trees were knocked down, with several damaging homes. The outdoor recreation facility suffered minor roof damage and a couple light poles were knocked down. The tornado also knocked down a TV tower.
Trees and powerlines were knocked down across much of the county.
Metal roofing from a barn was blown into near by trees, approximately 40 feet up. Part of the barn was blown onto Highway 107.
A roof was blown off a building.
Several trees were blown down in Glen Allen.
Several trees were blown down.
A barn was damaged on Duncan Road, between Highway 5 and Highway 195.
Several trees were blown down on Scott Cemetery Rd.
Several trees were blown down, blocking Highway 18 at the Fayette/Walker county line.
Wind damage was reported at the Northside Baptist Church on Highway 78.
Several trees were blown down in Arley.
A roof was blown off a mobile home and several trees were blown down on County Road 39 at Highway 278.
Trees were blown down at Gaines Road and Christy Lane, near Highway 257.
Several trees blown down on Smith Lake Dam rd, near Highway 69.
Several trees down reported in Sipsey.
Power lines were blown down along Copeland Ferry Road.
Wind speeds estimated at 60 mph.
Several trees blown down in Northport, including along Watermelon Road.
Several trees were blown down on Flat Top Road.
A tree was blown down along North Washington Street.
Several trees blown down.
Several trees were blown down on Thomas Loop Road.
Powerlines were blown down along Highway 11 between York and Livingston.
Several trees were blown down on Forestdale Bend Road near Brookside.
Several trees were blown down along Coalburg Road causing interruptions in power service.
Power lines were blown down on Mountain View Trail and County Road 11.
Trees and powerlines were knocked down along Minor Parkway near Minor High School.
A tree was blown down blocking Highway 79 near the Dallas Selfville Fire Department.
Several power poles were blown down.
A tree was blown down on County Road 21.
A tree was blown down onto a house on Pineywood Rd.
A tree was blown down across County Road 1.
The roof was blown off a barn.
A power pole was knocked down.
Trees were blown down onto a storage building at Queenstown Road and 2nd Street.
Trees and power lines were blown down in Gallant and the surrounding area.
Trees were blown down on Rocky Hollow Road.
Several trees were uprooted or snapped, causing damage to a shed and barn along Jack Floyd St., Broadwell Rd., and Horton Circle. Winds were estimated at 70-75 mph.
Several trees were blown down along Moody Parkway.
Power lines were blown down along Highway 231 at Rattlesnake Hill Circle.
Trees and power lines were blown down in and around Gadsden.
Several trees were blown down along County Road 22.
A chain link fence was blown over and fourteen fence poles were bent.
A tree was blown down across County Road 70.
Several trees blown down in and around Pell City.
A tree was blown down along Cheaha Road.
Several trees were blown down along Perryman Bridge Rd and Evans Bridge Rd, between Heflin and Interstate 20.
Trees were blown down near County Road 7.
Several trees were knocked down along Highway 49.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Alabama, 2011Warnings in Alabama, February 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: 288705, 288707, 288703, 288708, 288926, 288928, 288927, 288929, 288931, 288932, 288930, 288936, 288933, 288934, 288937, 288940, 288939, 288941, 288943, 288942, 288946, 288948, 288955, 288947, 288956, 288953, 288954, 289167, 288952, 288935, 289169, 289173, 289174, 289177, 289182, 289179, 289505, 289521, 289535, 289540, and more.