A high shear-low CAPE (instability) environment supported the development of strong to severe thunderstorms during the morning hours across north Alabama. These storms were in advance of a sharp cold front dropping southeast.
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 high shear-low CAPE (instability) environment supported the development of strong to severe thunderstorms during the morning hours across north Alabama. These storms were in advance of a sharp cold front dropping southeast. Ahead of the front, very moist air was flowing northward from the Gulf of Mexico with dew point temperatures climbing into the lower to mid 60s during the overnight hours of the 15th into the morning of the 16th. A broken line (QLCS) of thunderstorms moved rapidly eastward through northern Alabama after sunrise. One of the line segments in this system became strong to severe in Franklin moving into Lawrence County where the first report of damage was received. The storm produced a narrow downburst of damaging winds in northern Madison and northwest Huntsville in Madison County. A 74 mph wind gust was measured at the 911 center in Madison County. Trees and power lines were taken down in a narrow swath across northwest Huntsville.
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 Nov 16, 5:19 AM CST, 3 hours 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 519 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011 .UPDATE...FOR 12Z TAFS. && .AVIATION... WDSPRD SHRA/TSRA WITH EMBEDDED +RA WILL ARRIVE AT KMSL BY 13Z AND KHSV BY 14Z. STRONGER TSRA ARE PSBL IN THE KHSV VCNTY...BUT THE GREATER THREAT WILL BE SE OF KHSV. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH KMSL ~15Z AND THE KHSV AREA BY ~18Z. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NW-N AND GUST AT TIMES OVER 25KT. RA/-RA WILL PERSIST AFT FROPA...BUT THE TS RISK WILL GO DOWN WITH PCPN TAPERING OFF BY THIS EVENING. EXPECT MAINLY MVFR CONDS WITH OCCASIONAL IFR IN HEAVIER RAIN. VFR CONDS SHOULD ARRIVE 10-11Z. && .DISCUSSION.../ISSUED AT 411 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011/ EARLY THIS MORNING...THE MAIN PLAYERS IN THE WEATHER FOR THE SOUTHEAST ARE A DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE CENTER LOCATED OVER THE ARK-LA-TX AND A NEAR-STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY (EXTENDING FROM SOUTHERN ARK ACROSS MEMPHIS AND TOWARD CENTRAL KY). WIDESPREAD SHRA AND SOME EMBEDDED TSRA COVER MUCH OF TN/KY/MS/AL/GA ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE POOLING UP FROM THE GULF AND BROAD SCALE LIFT AHEAD OF THE DEEPENING SYSTEM. DEWPOINTS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST ARE GENERALLY ABOVE 60-65 DEGREES...WITH 70S ALONG THE GULF COAST. A VORT MAX ASSOCIATED WITH THE 500MB SHORTWAVE TROF AND AN INCREASING LL JET ARE TRACKING INTO WESTERN MS AND TAPPING INTO THE COASTAL MOISTURE...SUPPORTING THE INTENSIFICATION OF STORMS OVER SOUTHERN MS. THE MAIN CONCERN FOR TODAY REMAINS IN THE STRENGTH FOR SHRA/TSRA TODAY AS THE LOW AND FRONTAL BOUNDARIES FINALLY PUSH NE AND OUT OF THE AREA. THE RUC AND GFS BOTH POINT TO THE LL JET INTENSIFYING AND PUSHING NE TOWARD OUR SE CWA THIS AFTERNOON AS THE LOW TRACKS TOWARD KNOXVILLE TN. THIS WILL COINCIDE WITH SOME DESTABILIZATION AHEAD OF THE FRONT (AFTN CAPE VALUES CLIMB ABOVE 500J/KG DUE TO SOME CAA AT 850MB HELPING ERODE A CAP) AND DECENTLY VEERING LL WIND PROFILES. THIS INDICATES THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG STORMS PRODUCING GUSTY TO DMG WINDS AND POSSIBLY SOME ROTATING STORMS. PWAT VALUES INDICATE THAT STRONGER STORMS SHOULD ALSO BE EFFICIENT RAIN PRODUCERS...BUT ATTM 1HR FF GUIDANCE VALUES ARE STILL WELL ABOVE 2 INCHES ACROSS THE CWA SO WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY FLOODING PROBLEMS. /THE BEST SUPPORT SILL LOOKS TO REMAIN SOUTHEAST OF OUR AREA...BUT WITH THE FRONT NOT CLEARING OUR AREA UNTIL AFTER PEAK AFTERNOON HEATING STRONG STORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT FOR THE SE CWA./ TEMPERATURES TODAY SHOULD REMAIN FAIRLY STEADY...WITH THE SE SEEING SOME LATE AFTERNOON WARMING BEFORE THE FRONT PUSHES THROUGH. THE MAJORITY OF THE COLD AIR REMAINS BEHIND THE PRECIPITATION (BEHIND A SECONDARY COLD FRONT CURRENTLY OVER S MO / CENTRAL IL) BUT SHOULD PUSH INTO THE CWA BY THIS EVENING AND DRASTICALLY DROP THE LOW TEMPS TONIGHT COMPARED TO THE 60S SEEN THIS MORNING. LOWS SHOULD BE IN THE MID 30S IN THE NW TO AROUND 40 IN THE SE. ONE OTHER NOTE FOR TODAY IS THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT. AROUND 00Z...MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOW A STRONG INVERSION BELOW 800MB ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG DUCT FUNCTION (GREATER THAN 10C). WITH STRONG MID LEVEL WINDS REMAINING ACROSS THE AREA...WILL HAVE TO MONITOR FOR STRONG WINDS TO CONTINUE FOR A SHORT PERIOD BEHIND THE FRONT (PRIMARILY AROUND 00Z TONIGHT). NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE FORECAST BEYOND THURSDAY...WITH HIGH PRESSURE SLIDING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST FOR THE END OF THE WEEK INTO SATURDAY. MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE ANOTHER LOW TRACKING ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND GREAT LAKES THIS WEEKEND AND DRAPING A FRONT ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY. THE TREND IN OUTPUT CONTINUES TO INDICATE THIS FRONT STALLING OUT AND CREATING A REPEAT OF EVENTS SEEN OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS...WITH A SW-NE CORRIDOR OF RAINFALL JUST OFF TO OUR NW ON SUN-MON. A STRONGER SHORTWAVE IS AGAIN EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE DAMPED 500MB FLOW AND CLEAR THE STALLED FRONT OUT OF THE AREA...BUT MODEL GUIDANCE HAS SLOWED THIS TREND OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. WITHOUT MUCH UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THIS SLOWING TREND CONTINUES AND PUTS THE TN VALLEY IN A REGION OF SHRA/TSRA FOR THANKSGIVING...SO HAVE TRENDED THE FORECAST IN THAT DIRECTION. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && DISCUSSION...CCC AVIATION...KULA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 248 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-161900- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 248 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... BETWEEN 4 AND 9 AM...ONE OR MORE ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL ROLL THROUGH AREAS GENERALLY SOUTHEAST OF A WINCHESTER TENNESSEE TO HUNTSVILLE AND MOULTON ALABAMA LINE. A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME BRIEFLY SEVERE...CAPABLE OF DAMAGING WINDS. THERE IS A LOW THREAT OF A BRIEF ISOLATED TORNADO AS WELL. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR ALONG AND BEHIND A COLD FRONT BEGINNING LATE THIS MORNING AND THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. GUSTY WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE...BUT FLOODING IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS POSSIBLE THIS MORNING...WITH THE GREATEST CHANCE ALONG AND EAST OF THE INTERSTATE 65 CORRIDOR. KULA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 347 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011 ALZ006>010-016-TNZ097-161200- MADISON-MORGAN-MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-FRANKLIN TN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HUNTSVILLE...DECATUR...GUNTERSVILLE... SCOTTSBORO...FORT PAYNE...CULLMAN...WINCHESTER 347 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011 ...ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING... PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY SHOWERS WILL OCCUR THIS MORNING IN A CORRIDOR FROM WEST CENTRAL THROUGH NORTHEAST ALABAMA INTO SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. THIS IS GENERALLY SOUTHEAST OF A WINCHESTER TENNESSEE TO DECATUR ALABAMA LINE. MOST OF THE STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS. HOWEVER...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF DAMAGING WINDS...AND EVEN AN ISOLATED BRIEF TORNADO WITH THE STRONGEST OF THESE STORMS. THE GREATEST RISK WILL BE AFTER SUNRISE THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE. KULA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 710 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-161600- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLORENCE...MUSCLE SHOALS...RUSSELLVILLE... MOULTON...ATHENS...HUNTSVILLE...DECATUR...GUNTERSVILLE... SCOTTSBORO...FORT PAYNE...CULLMAN...LYNCHBURG...FAYETTEVILLE... WINCHESTER 710 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011 ...ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING... PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY SHOWERS WILL OCCUR THIS MORNING. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...MAINLY IN A CORRIDOR FROM WEST CENTRAL THROUGH NORTHEAST ALABAMA INTO SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. THE GREATEST RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER IS GENERALLY SOUTHEAST OF A WINCHESTER TENNESSEE TO DECATUR ALABAMA LINE. MOST OF THE STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS. HOWEVER...THERE IS A RISK OF DAMAGING WINDS...AND EVEN AN ISOLATED BRIEF TORNADO WITH THE STRONGEST OF THESE STORMS. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE. KULA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 711 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-161600- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLORENCE...MUSCLE SHOALS...RUSSELLVILLE... MOULTON...ATHENS...HUNTSVILLE...DECATUR...GUNTERSVILLE... SCOTTSBORO...FORT PAYNE...CULLMAN...LYNCHBURG...FAYETTEVILLE... WINCHESTER 711 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011 ...ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING... PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY SHOWERS WILL OCCUR THIS MORNING. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...MAINLY IN A CORRIDOR FROM WEST CENTRAL THROUGH NORTHEAST ALABAMA INTO SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. THE GREATEST RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER IS GENERALLY SOUTHEAST OF A WINCHESTER TENNESSEE TO DECATUR ALABAMA LINE. MOST OF THE STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS. HOWEVER...THERE IS A RISK OF DAMAGING WINDS...AND EVEN AN ISOLATED BRIEF TORNADO WITH THE STRONGEST OF THESE STORMS. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE. KULA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
732 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011
ALZ003-004-161400-
FRANKLIN-LAWRENCE-
732 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FRANKLIN AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES
UNTIL 800 AM CST...
AT 730 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CENTERED NEAR DUKETON...OR 13 MILES
SOUTH OF RUSSELLVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.
WINDS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
PHIL CAMPBELL...SPRUCE PINE.
PLEASANT RIDGE...RUSSELLVILLE.
THARPTOWN.
NEWBURG.
MT HOPE...LANDERSVILLE.
THE GUSTY WINDS WILL BE CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS.
SEEK SAFE SHELTER UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
&&
LAT...LON 3430 8761 3431 8790 3432 8790 3457 8771
3456 8731 3431 8752 3430 8757
TIME...MOT...LOC 1332Z 249DEG 35KT 3434 8779
KULASPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
802 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011
ALZ004-161430-
LAWRENCE-
802 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LAWRENCE COUNTY UNTIL 830 AM
CST...
AT 759 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR HATTON...OR 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF MOULTON...
MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.
WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
CHALYBEATE SPRINGS...WHEELER.
HILLSBORO...SPEAKE.
CADDO.
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 3462 8750 3463 8748 3465 8748 3465 8745
3466 8744 3473 8715 3472 8713 3469 8711
3430 8711 3430 8739
TIME...MOT...LOC 1402Z 265DEG 36KT 3457 8735The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 110 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:27 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A roof was blown off of a porch at a residence. The lower awning from a mobile home was torn loose and nearby trees were knocked down.
Trees and power lines were knocked down in a swath from Oakwood University through the Rutledge Heights area, and across Jordan Lane to Meridian Street in northwest and north Huntsville.
A 74 mph wind gust was measured at the 911 center in northwest Huntsville.
Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated to be up to 65 mph in the Providence Main district.
A sign at Johnson High School was blown down at the intersection of Cecil Fain Drive and Winchester Road in northwest Huntsville. Time estimated.
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, November 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: 350680, 350681, 350683, 350684, 350682.