A line of strong to severe thunderstorms pushed east across northern and central Alabama. A few of the line segments produced strong winds, mainly in Cullman, Marshall and DeKalb counties.
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 HUN wrote it up.
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms pushed east across northern and central Alabama. A few of the line segments produced strong winds, mainly in Cullman, Marshall and DeKalb counties.
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 May 13, 8:55 AM CST, 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 955 AM CDT FRI MAY 13 2011 .UPDATE... UPPED RAIN CHANCES EAST TO THE I-65 REGION FOR THE LATE MORNING. RAISED HIGH TEMPS A BIT OVER NE AL. && .DISCUSSION... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE ACROSS NW ALABAMA...WITH NEWER ACTIVITY FORMING OVER THE CENTRAL REGIONS. AS OF THIS TIME (955 AM CDT) NOT MUCH LIGHTNING ACTIVITY WAS NOTED OVER ACROSS OUR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN ALABAMA/SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. HOWEVER THIS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE ON A VERY SHORT ORDER. GIVEN THE INSTABILITY PRESENT ACROSS THE REGION AND THE COLD FRONT NEARING FROM THE WEST...WE EXPECT MORE SHOWERS/STORMS TO AFFECT THE REGION FOR THE REST OF THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. HAVE EXPANDED COVERAGE OF LIKELY POPS TO THE I-65 CORRIDOR GIVEN THE SLOW SPREAD OF THE ACTIVITY OVER NW ALABAMA AND NE MISSISSIPPI...AND THE NEWER ACIDITY OVER THE CENTRAL AREAS. AS NOTED IN THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...SOME OF THE STORMS TODAY COULD BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY THREAT. STORMS OVER MISSISSIPPI HAVE BEEN SHOWING FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. THIS WOULD POSE A PROBLEM FOR THOSE WORKING RECOVERY/REPAIR CAUSED BY THE RECENT SEVERE STORM OUTBREAK. ALSO...SOMEWHAT HIGHER LOWER LEVEL SHEAR IS PRESENT...SO CANNOT RULE OUT AN ISOLATED BRIEF TORNADO. THIS THREAT WOULD BE HIGHER IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE THIS EVENING/OVERNIGHT...WHOSE SHEAR WOULD BE SOMEWHAT TEMPERED BY SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPS/A MORE STABLE ATMOSPHERE. NEW UPDATES WILL BE SENT OUT SHORTLY. && .AVIATION... /12Z ISSUANCE...NO CHANGES/ VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE THE PREDOMINANT FLIGHT CATEGORY AT BOTH TERMINALS THROUGH MOST OF THE PERIOD. HOWEVER...LOWER CIGS/VIS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATER TODAY AS SHRA/TSRA DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION. TSRA MAY BEGIN TO IMPACT KMSL THIS MORNING...WITH ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXPANDING ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTN AND EVENING AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES IN FROM THE WEST. BASED ON UNCERTAINTIES IN THE TIMING OF THIS LATER ACTIVITY HAVE MAINTAINED VCTS/CB WORDING FROM THE PREVIOUS ISSUANCE. HOWEVER...ANY STORMS THAT MAY IMPACT EITHER SITE COULD PRODUCE LOCALIZED MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 352 AM CDT FRI MAY 13 2011/ A MID-TROPOSPHERIC TROUGH CENTERED OVER ERN KANSAS WILL MOVE EWRD TOWARDS THE MID MISS VALLEY TODAY AND PROVIDE LARGE SCALE FORCING FOR ASCENT IN THE TN VALLEY REGION. CHANCES FOR TSTMS REMAIN VIABLE AS DOES A SLIGHT RISK FOR SVR THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING PERIOD. COOLER WEATHER WITH INTERMITTENT SHOWERS WILL FOLLOW FOR THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS UPR TROUGHING DOMINATES IN THE EASTERN CONUS. AS ALWAYS...DETAILS FOLLOW BELOW. TO THE WEST THIS MORNING...A COLD FRONT STRETCHED FROM A LOW PRESSURE CENTER NEAR KANSAS CITY SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE OZARKS AND INTO THE ARKLATEX. A LINE OF SHOWERS/TSTMS AHEAD OF THIS FRONT WAS MOVING ACROSS THE MID-MISS VALLEY AND AT 3 AM WAS ENTERING WRN TN AND NW MISS. INSTABILITY WAS SUFFICIENT TO PROMOTE STRONG/DEEP CONVECTION AND THE ISSUANCE OF A FEW SVR TSTM WARNINGS ALONG THE LINE IN ERN ARKANSAS SO FAR. LATEST TIMING PLACES THIS LINE OF SHOWERS/TSTMS REACHING OUR WESTERN BORDER COUNTIES ARND 7-8 AM. HOWEVER...AS THE LINE MOVES EWRD AND AWAY FROM THE SFC BOUNDARY AND BETTER UPR LVL SUPPORT...IT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AND BECOME LESS ORGANIZED. SHORT TERM GUIDANCE FROM WRF/SREFS SUGGESTS MDT CONFIDENCE THAT THE LINE WILL INDEED MAKE IT TO OUR WESTERN BORDER...BUT MUCH LESS CONFIDENCE THAT IT WOULD REACH THE I-65 CORRIDOR BY MID-LATE MORNING. WILL GO WITH A LIKELY POP JUST INSIDE OUR WRN BORDER THROUGH 18Z...WITH LOWER CHANCE TO SLGT CHANCE POPS ELSEWHERE TO INDICATE EXPECTED WEAKENING WITH THE LINE OF STORMS AND LESSER CONFIDENCE IN ITS ARRIVAL. MID-HIGH LEVEL DEBRIS CLOUDS FROM DEEPER CONVECTION TO OUR SW-W WILL HELP REDUCE DAYTIME HEATING TODAY...AND WILL PLAY A ROLE IN THE EXTENT OF DESTABILIZATION IN THE WARM SECTOR AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING FRONT. HOWEVER...EVEN IN A LOWER-BOUND TEMP FCST SCENARIO...MID-LVL COOLING AND MID-UPR TROPOSPHERIC DIFFLUENT FLOW SHOULD PROVIDE SUFFICIENT LIFT FOR SHOWERS/TSTMS THIS AFTERNOON. FURTHERMORE...A MID-LVL 40-50 KT JET WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA ATOP THE DESTABILIZING WARM SECTOR AND PROVIDE SUFFICIENT DEEP LYR SHEAR FOR SOME STORM ORGANIZATION. STORM REDEVELOPMENT LOOKS LIKELY TO TAKE PLACE TO OUR WEST AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON NEAR THE SFC FRONT...WITH STORMS MOVING EWRD INTO NORTHERN AL/SOUTHERN MIDDLE TN DURING THE AFTERNOON/EVENING. AT THIS POINT...CAPE VALUES ARND 1-2 KJ/KG APPEAR POSSIBLE IF NOT LIKELY...AND COMBINED WITH MARGINAL DEEP LYR SHEAR WILL SUPPORT A SLIGHT RISK FOR SVR THUNDERSTORMS. WET-BULB ZERO HEIGHTS DECREASING TO ARND 9-10KFT...INSTABILITY THROUGH -20 TO -30C AND DEEP LYR SHEAR WILL SUPPORT A LARGE HAIL THREAT. IN ADDITION...A PUNCH OF MID-LVL DRY AIR ATOP THE MOIST BOUNDARY LYR WILL PROVIDE A DAMAGING WIND THREAT ESPECIALLY AS STORMS POSSIBLY EVOLVE INTO A QLCS LATE IN THE DAY. WEAK LOW-LVL SHEAR WILL LIMIT THE TORNADO POTENTIAL...BUT THIS MAY INCREASE SLIGHTLY DURING THE EARLY EVENING AS SFC WINDS BACK AHEAD OF THE SFC FRONT...AND THE LOW-LVL JET STRENGTHENS SLIGHTLY. STILL...THIS APPEARS TO BE A MINOR THREAT AT THIS POINT. THE FRONT APPEARS LIKELY TO CROSS THE AREA DURING THE LATE EVENING AND INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE SVR THREAT WILL QUICKLY DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THIS PERIOD AS THE FRONT CROSSES AND COOLER AIR BEGINS TO FILTER INTO THE AREA. MOST OF THE CONCENTRATED SHOWER/TSTM ACTIVITY WILL COME TO AN END BY EARLY SAT MORNING. HOWEVER...AS THE PARENT UPR LOW CROSSES DURING THE DAY...FCST SOUNDINGS INDICATE SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY/LIFT TO GENERATE FURTHER ACTIVITY. WILL CARRY LIKELY POPS EAST TO CHANCE WEST TO INDICATE THE POSITION OF BETTER FORCING AHEAD OF THE UPR LOW AXIS IN THE EAST. ELEVATED INSTABILITY MAY ALSO BE JUST SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW FOR TSTM DEVELOPMENT IN THE POST-FRONT ENVIRONMENT. SO...WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY AN ISOLD THUNDER MENTION FOR SATURDAY. THE FIRST UPR TROUGH WILL EXIT THE AREA TO THE EAST LATE SAT TO BE REPLACED BY A SECONDARY TROUGH DIGGING QUICKLY ON ITS HEELS LATE SUNDAY INTO EARLY MON. IN THE INTERIM...A REPRIEVE FROM THE SHOWER ACTIVITY MAY OCCUR ON SUN BUT THIS IS DEPENDENT ON THE ORIENTATION OF THE SECONDARY TROUGH AS IT SHEARS WIDELY NW-SE. ANYWAY...MOISTURE WILL BE RELATIVELY LIMITED IN THE DEEP TROPOSPHERIC NW FLOW REGIME. SO...MAINLY LGT SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE UPR TROUGH. INSTABILITY NOW LOOKS VERY LIMITED BASED ON LATEST GUIDANCE FOR MONDAY...SO THUNDER MENTION WAS REMOVED FROM FCST. OTHERWISE...TEMPS DURING THE SUN-WED TIMEFRAME MAY AVG ARND 10-15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL AS REINFORCING WAVES OF COOL CONTINENTAL AIR MOVE INTO THE REGION IN NWRLY DOMINATING FLOW. A RETURN TO WARMER CONDITIONS LOOKS IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT AMONGST MED RANGE GUIDANCE FOR THURS AND BEYOND AS A TROUGH DIGS IN THE WESTERN CONUS...LEADING TO DOWNSTREAM RIDGING IN THE TN/MISS VALLEY. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && UPDATED...RSB AVIATION...AMP DISCUSSION...KDW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 506 AM CDT FRI MAY 13 2011 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-131815- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 506 AM CDT FRI MAY 13 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT MAINLY NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF ALABAMA THIS MORNING. GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE FROM THESE STORMS AS THEY ENTER NORTHWEST ALABAMA BETWEEN 7 AND 8 AM. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING WILL GENERALLY BE WEST OF A LINE FROM ARDMORE...TO ATHENS...MOULTON...AND PHIL CAMPBELL. THUNDERSTORM INTENSITY IS EXPECTED TO DECREASE THIS MORNING...BUT REDEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT TO OUR WEST. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE AS THEY PUSH ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH THESE STORMS...ALTHOUGH A BRIEF ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL DIMINISH IN INTENSITY FROM WEST TO EAST THIS EVENING AS A COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY...WITH SMALL HAIL AND OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING AS THE PRIMARY THREATS. THE BEST CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL GENERALLY BE EAST OF A LINE FROM LEXINGTON...TO DECATUR AND ARAB. HOWEVER...SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING. KDW
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1004 AM CDT FRI MAY 13 2011
ALZ016-131530-
CULLMAN-
1004 AM CDT FRI MAY 13 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CULLMAN COUNTY UNTIL 1030 AM
CDT...
AT 1001 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF JASPER...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 35 MPH.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED
WITH THIS STORM.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
CRANE HILL...LOGAN.
REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE
STORM TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL
TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS
CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.
&&
LAT...LON 3387 8700 3388 8701 3389 8708 3391 8709
3392 8709 3393 8711 3394 8712 3421 8711
3422 8699 3401 8687 3387 8698
TIME...MOT...LOC 1504Z 244DEG 29KT 3397 8730
RSBThe Birmingham radar (KBMX), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:47 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Hanceville Police Department reported numerous trees blown down in the city, causing widespread power outages.
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, May 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: 321446.