A powerful cold front and upper level system combined with a weakly unstable, moist and highly sheared environment to produce severe thunderstorms and a tornado. A quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) developed during the morning hours across the mid South and raced eastward at 50 to 60 mph.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 HUN wrote it up.
A powerful cold front and upper level system combined with a weakly unstable, moist and highly sheared environment to produce severe thunderstorms and a tornado. A quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) developed during the morning hours across the mid South and raced eastward at 50 to 60 mph. The storms arrived in northwest Alabama during the mid morning, weakened, then reintensified during the midday hours in north central Alabama. The storms continued tracking east and exited the state by late afternoon. One of the storms produced an EF-1 tornado that tracked near the Tennessee state line in Madison County. Other storms produced wind damage and large hail reports.
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 Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 27, 10:55 PM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1055 PM CST SUN FEB 27 2011
.UPDATE...FOR 06Z TAFS.
&&
.AVIATION...
GUSTY SOUTHERLY FLOW TNGT WL PERSIST AND BRING LOWER CLOUDS (MVFR)
RAPIDLY INTO NRN AL BY ~08Z. SOME GUSTS OVER 30KT ARE ANTICIPATED.
SCT TS SHOULD DVLP BTWN 12-16Z IN NWRN AL...BUT GIVEN CONSIDERABLE
TIMING AND COVERAGE UNCERTAINTY...HAVE MAINTAINED VCTS AT BOTH KMSL
AND KHSV. A BROKEN SQLN OF +TS ARE ANTICIPATED TO ENTER KMSL VCNTY
BTWN 15-18Z...AND KHSV VCNTY 18Z-22Z...BUT AGAIN SOME TIMING
UNCERTAINTY EXISTS. GUSTY WINDS AND SOME HAIL WL BE PSBL. SWLY
FLOW WL SHIFT TO THE NW BEHIND THE FROPA WITH MVFR CIGS XPCTD.
&&
.DISCUSSION.../ISSUED AT 1000 PM CST SUN FEB 27 2011/
STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW CONTINUES INTO THE AREA...WHICH HAS KEPT
TEMPERATURES FROM FALLING MUCH IN THE LAST SEVERAL HOURS. IN
FACT...THE 9PM OBSERVATION FROM MSL WAS STILL A BALMY 73 DEGREES. AS
SUCH...OPTED TO RAISE OUR OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES PRETTY MUCH
ACROSS THE BOARD /BUT RAISED THEM THE MOST OVER THE WEST/ AS
DEWPOINTS WILL ONLY RISE THROUGH THE NIGHTTIME HOURS. IN ADDITION TO
THE WARM TEMPERATURES...THERE HAS BEEN A CONSIDERABLE INCREASE IN
GUSTS ACROSS THE AREA AS OF LATE...WITH A 34 MPH GUST AT DCU NOTED
EARLIER. THIS LINES UP WELL WITH THE WIND ADVISORY...WHICH IS SET TO
GO INTO EFFECT AT MIDNIGHT. OPTED TO INCREASE GUST POTENTIAL OVER
THE HIGHER TERRAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT AS BUFR SOUNDINGS FROM NAM/GFS
SUGGEST OVER 30KT AOA 1500 FT AGL.
NOW IN TERMS OF WEATHER...SCALED BACK BOTH POPS AND THUNDERSTORM
CHANCES TONIGHT AS 00Z SOUNDINGS FROM JAN/BMX ARE VERY CAPPED AND
THERE SHOULD NOT BE MUCH IN THE WAY OF DYNAMICAL FORCING THROUGH THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS TO BREAK THIS. THE ONE EXCEPTION MAY BE OVER EXTREME
NORTHWEST ALABAMA...WHICH WILL BE CLOSEST TO THE UPPER LOW/BEST JET
DYNAMICS/HIGHEST MOISTURE INFLUX. IN THIS PORTION OF THE
CWFA...COULD SEE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP LATE TONIGHT...AND
SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG WITH GUSTY WINDS/SMALL
HAIL/BRIEF HEAVY RAIN.
NAM/GFS BUFR SOUNDINGS SUGGEST THE CAP WILL RAPIDLY ERODE IN
RESPONSE TO THE UPPER/THERMAL TROUGH BETWEEN 12 AND 15Z. AS THIS
OCCURS...CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR THE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME
STRONGER IN NATURE DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS...WITH DAMAGING
WINDS/LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ALL POSSIBLE. BEHIND THESE
DISCRETE STORMS...LOOK FOR A BROKEN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO PUSH
THROUGH THE AREA. LATEST RUNS OF THE NAM AND RUC HAVE SLOWED THIS
BROKEN LINE DOWN CONSIDERABLY FROM 12Z RUNS...AND THIS TREND MAY
CONTINUE WITH 06Z RUNS AS WELL. THE PRIMARY THREATS ASSOCIATED WITH
THIS SECOND ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE
HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. LATEST FORECAST TIMING SUGGESTS THE
SQUALL LINE WILL TRAVERSE NORTHWEST ALABAMA BETWEEN 10AM AND
1PM...REACH THE I-65 CORRIDOR BETWEEN NOON AND 4PM....AND PUSH
THROUGH NORTHEAST ALABAMA BETWEEN 4PM AND 6PM.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION.../ISSUED AT 615 PM CST SUN FEB 27 2011/
JUST MADE A QUICK UPDATE TO THE EVENING GRIDS...MOSTLY TO REFLECT
CURRENT RADAR TRENDS AND LATEST FORECAST SOUNDING DATA. WHILE LIGHT
SHOWERS ARE PUSHING THROUGH MISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATED WITH A DECAYING
WEAK SHORTWAVE...BUFR SOUNDINGS OFF THE NAM/GFS SUGGEST THAT MUCH OF
THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE CWFA WILL REMAIN PRETTY WELL CAPPED AT H8
THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 06Z...SO PEELED BACK TS CHANCES FOR THE
EVENING HOURS. DID NOT MAKE ANY WEATHER CHANGES TO THE GRIDS PAST
MIDNIGHT AS IT STILL LOOKS LIKE THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AND
SPREAD EASTWARD THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT
AND SQUALL LINE PROGGED TO IMPACT THE CWFA ON MONDAY. WINDS WILL
BECOME GUSTY OVERNIGHT /ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN/ AND
MIDNIGHT STILL APPEARS LIKE A GOOD START TIME FOR THE WIND ADVISORY.
UPDATED ZONES FORTHCOMING SHORTLY.
&&
.AVIATION.../FROM 00Z AVIATION DISCUSSION/
GUSTY SLY FLOW WL DVLP BY 04-06Z. VFR CONDS SHOULD PREVAIL...BUT
THERE IS SOME CONCERN FOR LOW CLOUDS (MVFR) MOVG IN AFT 06Z AND
LLWS...SO WL CONT TO MONITOR TRENDS THIS EVENING FOR PSBL AMDS.
ISOLD TS ARE XPTD AFT 10Z IN THE KMSL VCNTY...AND IN THE KHSV VCNTY
BY 12Z. MORE WDSPRD TSRA ARE XPCTD WITH A SQLN WHICH WL AFFECT THE
AREA LATE MON MORNING INTO THE AFTN HRS. TIMING IS STILL IN
QUESTION...THUS HAVE KEPT VCTS AS OPPOSED TO A PREVAILING FCST GROUP
ATTM. STRONG WINDS ARE ANTICIPATED WITH THE SQLN...FOLLOWED BY
GUSTY SWLY FLOW FOLLOWING FROPA.
&&
.HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...WIND ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 3 PM CST MONDAY FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES: COLBERT...CULLMAN...DEKALB...FRANKLIN AL...
JACKSON...LAUDERDALE...LAWRENCE...LIMESTONE...MADISON...
MARSHALL...MORGAN.
TN...WIND ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 3 PM CST MONDAY FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES: FRANKLIN TN...LINCOLN...MOORE.
&&
AVIATION...KULA
DISCUSSION/UPDATE...JLLHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 919 PM CST SUN FEB 27 2011 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-281115- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 919 PM CST SUN FEB 27 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY LATE TONIGHT...AS A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT APPROACH THE REGION FROM THE WEST. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG...PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. OUTSIDE OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE OVERNIGHT. EXPECT GUSTS TO 35 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT...ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... THERE ARE POTENTIALLY TWO ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS ON MONDAY AS A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SLIDES FROM THE MID SOUTH INTO THE THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ONGOING ACROSS MUCH OF THE WESTERN TENNESSEE VALLEY AT THE START OF THE PERIOD. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES THE PRIMARY RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS. AS THE COLD FRONT EDGES CLOSER TO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY...A BROKEN SQUALL LINE WILL FORM AND QUICKLY TRAVERSE THE AREA DURING THE DAYTIME HOURS. THE PRIMARY THREATS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SECOND ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. LATEST FORECAST TIMING SUGGESTS THE SQUALL LINE WILL TRAVERSE NORTHWEST ALABAMA BETWEEN 10AM AND 1PM...REACH THE I-65 CORRIDOR BETWEEN NOON AND 4PM....AND PUSH THROUGH NORTHEAST ALABAMA BETWEEN 4PM AND 6PM. OUTSIDE OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY. EXPECT GUSTS TO 35 MPH...OCCASIONALLY GUSTING TO 40 MPH OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 3PM AREAWIDE. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS LIKELY FOR THE ENTIRE AREA ON MONDAY. DD/JLL
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:02 UTC.
14 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 1 strong wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds blew portions of the roof from a barn.
High winds blew off a porch roof from a mobile home onto an adjacent vehicle. A tree was also knocked down.
A wind gust of 53 mph was reported.
A roof was peeled off of a barn.
Roof damage was observed at a home near US 72 on Sledge Road. Other structural damage was reported and several power lines were blown down.
Three large trees were blown down at Colbert County High School. Some of the trees damaged some of the awning at the school.
Roof damage was observed and trees were blown down on Poplar Creek Road west of Athens.
An EF1 tornado with winds of 95 mph touched down along Borderline road between Evertt Jones and Greenville Pike road, immediately south of the Tennessee state line. As the tornado tracked eastward, it demolished a well built shed, significantly damaged several barns, and snapped and uprooted numerous trees. The worst damage occurred frm BH Reeves road eastward to Vanntown School road. Here, multiple sheds were demolished or had roofs removed, numerous trees were snapped and uprooted, and a mobile home had its roof peeled off. The tornado lifted just west of School House road.
Several roof shingles were torn off by thunderstorm winds.
A building was damaged on highway 72.
A large flagpole at Lockheed Martin broke off into two pieces.
Two trees were knocked down on College Street in Scottsboro. Time estimated by radar.
Several trees were blown down across the city of Arab.
Several power lines were blown down across Sunset Dr. and Lurleen B Wallace Dr.
Several trees were blown down in portions of Guntersville State Park.
Several trees were blown down across CR 811.
Quarter size hail was reported on Fruit Farm road east of Fort Payne.
Quarter size hail was reported in the Pleasant Hill area.
Golf ball size hail was reported near Antioch.
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: 291035, 291030, 291024, 291016, 291010, 291013, 291009, 289298, 291031, 291007, 291032, 291006, 291005, 291003, 291002, 291000, 289295, 289296, 289297.