As the below normal rainfall and hot conditions continued into the middle of May, drought conditions spread northward into Randolph County.
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 BMX wrote it up.
As the below normal rainfall and hot conditions continued into the middle of May, drought conditions spread northward into Randolph County.
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 May 16, 10:45 PM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1145 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2011 .UPDATE...AVIATION. && .DISCUSSION... PATCHES OF LIGHT DRIZZLE WILL CONTINUE FOR AT LEAST A COUPLE OF MORE HOURS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. CURRENT SATELLITE PICTURE SHOWS THAT CLOUD COVER HAS DECREASED SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS. IT LOOKS LIKE COVERAGE WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE AS WE HEAD INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. COLD AIR ADVECTION DOES NOT SEEM TO BE QUITE AS STRONG AS PREVIOUSLY ANTICIPATED. AS A RESULT... TEMPERATURES ARE RUNNING WARMER THAN FORECAST AND WILL HAVE TO ADJUST THEM AS A RESULT. UPDATED FORECAST WILL BE OUT SHORTLY. 10/ARM && .AVIATION...06Z TAF DISCUSSION. PESKY STRATOCUMULUS DECK HAS BEEN PLAGUING CENTRAL ALABAMA FOR THE PAST FEW FORECAST CYCLES. THE LATEST RADAR IMAGERY DEPICTS THAT THE EARLIER LIGHT ECHOES HAVE GENERALLY DISSIPATED BUT LOWER CEILINGS WERE NOTED WHERE THIS LIGHT PRECIP FELL. ALSO OF NOTE...MUCH OF THIS LIGHT PRECIP DID NOT MAKE IT TO THE GROUND. HELD ONTO MVFR CEILINGS AT BHM/EET/ANB FOR A FEW MORE HOURS BEFORE LIFTING TO VFR CEILINGS. THE REMAINDER OF THE TERMINALS WILL EXPERIENCE VFR CEILINGS. ALL CEILINGS WILL CONTINUE THINNING AND BECOME SCATTERED BY 12Z. WINDS PICK UP AFTER SUNRISE AS PRESSURE GRADIENT REMAINS RATHER TIGHT THROUGH A FEW THOUSAND FEET. A FEW GUSTS TO AROUND 20KTS CAN BE EXPECTED BY AFTERNOON. NOTICE...KEET TAF WILL HAVE (AMD LTD TO VIS WIND AND WX) AMENDED TO THE END OF THE FORECAST UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. THE CEILOMETER DATA WILL BE GOING THROUGH NUMEROUS TESTS AND MONITORED FOR ACCURACY. 75 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 739 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2011 ALZ011>015-017>050-171130- 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- 739 PM CDT MON MAY 16 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. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. 75
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
The lack of any significant rainfall and the building heat led to Severe Drought (D2) conditions spreading northward into Randolph County.
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: 316127.