Although there were periods of rainfall across central Alabama, generally less than 3 inches of rain fell for most areas during the entire month of April. This brought very little relief to the drought stricken areas in the southeast, and drought conditions persisted for the month across Elmore, Lee, Bullock, Macon, Tallapoosa, Montgomery, Russell, Pike, Barbour, Randolph, Lowndes, Chambers,…
Every event with a place to put it; 14 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.
Although there were periods of rainfall across central Alabama, generally less than 3 inches of rain fell for most areas during the entire month of April. This brought very little relief to the drought stricken areas in the southeast, and drought conditions persisted for the month across Elmore, Lee, Bullock, Macon, Tallapoosa, Montgomery, Russell, Pike, Barbour, Randolph, Lowndes, Chambers, Coosa, and Clay 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 Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 31, 11:21 PM CST, 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1221 AM CDT SUN APR 1 2012 .UPDATE... AVIATION DISCUSSION. && .DISCUSSION... CONVECTION HAS WANED QUITE A BIT OVER THE LAST HOUR...WITH A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HUGGING THE ALABAMA MISSISSIPPI STATE LINE...AND ACTIVITY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA DIMINISHING RAPIDLY. EXPECT THIS TREND TO CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS...WITH THE FOCUS REMAINING NEAR THE STATE LINE. WILL LIKELY BE ADJUSTING THE WATCH...CANCELING MOST COUNTIES BEFORE EXPIRATION TIME. CLOUD COVER ASSOCIATED WITH THE DISSIPATING TS COMPLEX WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT SOUTHWARD...WITH SOME CLEARING EXPECTED ACROSS THE NORTHEAST THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. CLOUD COVER WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES STEADY AT MOST LOCATIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT...WITH TEMPS IN THE MID 50S IN THE NORTHEAST...AND AROUND 60 DEGREES ELSEWHERE. IN ADDITION TO THE LOW POPS ACROSS THE FAR WEST...FOG WILL BE THE OTHER WEATHER ISSUE OVERNIGHT. WITH CLOUD COVER...AT LEAST MID TO HIGH LEVEL DECKS...DO NOT EXPECT WIDESPREAD DENSE FOG. HOWEVER...WITH DEWPOINTS REMAINING IN THE UPPER 50S AND LOWER 60S...FOG IS POSSIBLE AREAWIDE...ESPECIALLY AT LOCATIONS WHICH RECEIVED RAINFALL TODAY. UPDATES ARE OUT. 14 && .AVIATION... 06Z TAF DISCUSSION. CONVECTION HAS DIMINISHED ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM REMAINS POSSIBLE ACROSS FAR NORTHWESTERN CENTRAL ALABAMA...BUT ANY ACTIVITY SHOULD NOT AFFECT TAF LOCATIONS. CLOUD COVER ASSOCIATED WITH THE EARLIER CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT SOUTHWARD...WITH MAINLY MID TO HIGH LEVEL CIGS. EXPECT PATCHY FOG TO DEVELOP AT ALL SITES. VIS REDUCTIONS WILL DEPEND ON WHETHER MID AND HIGH CLOUDS REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA. HOWEVER...GIVEN THE WET SURFACE CONDITIONS POST RAINFALL AND HIGH DEWPOINTS...EXPECT AT LEAST PATCHY FOG WITH MVFR VIS AT ALL SITES. FOG WILL DISSIPATE AFTER SUNRISE...WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES. A SMALL CHANCE OF A THUNDERSTORM DURING THE AFTERNOON...BUT CHANCES ARE TOO LOW TO MENTION AT ANY TAF SITE. 14 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 700 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012/ SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. AN UPPER LEVEL TROF AXIS (COLD POCKET) WILL PASS THROUGH NORTHERN ALABAMA AND GEORGIA THIS EVENING. SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS AND AFFECT MAINLY AREAS NORTH OF I-20...WITH LARGE HAIL BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT. FOG WILL ONCE AGAIN AN ISSUE LATER TONIGHT AND THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. THE LOWEST VISIBILITIES WILL LIKELY BE ACROSS EAST ALABAMA WHERE TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO FALL SLIGHTLY BELOW THE AFTERNOON SURFACE DEWPOINTS...CONSIDERED THE CROSSOVER TEMPERATURE. THE UPPER RIDGE BUILDS EASTWARD INTO THE SOUTHEAST STATES SUNDAY AND MONDAY AHEAD OF A DIGGING UPPER TROF OVER THE SOUTHWEST STATES. THIS WILL RESULT IN VERY WARM AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WITH HIGHS ONCE AGAIN FLIRTING WITH RECORD VALUES. RECORD HIGHS FOR THE MAIN CLIMATE SITES ARE LISTED BELOW. A FEW OF THE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW ISOLATED STORMS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA ON SUNDAY. THE MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES ARE NOT AS FAVORABLE ON SUNDAY DUE TO WARMING TEMPERATURES ALOFT...BUT THERE IS LITTLE OR NO CAP...SO AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM POSSIBLE IN THE AFTERNOON. REMOVED THUNDERSTORMS FOR MONDAY AS TEMPERATURES WARM ENOUGH ALOFT TO PRODUCE A CAPPING INVERSION. LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THE CUT-OFF LOW WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK EAST NORTHEAST AND BRING INCREASING CHANCES OF RAIN TO ALABAMA BY WEDNESDAY. THE MODELS NORMALLY HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME WITH THE PROGRESSION OF THESE SYSTEMS AND FORECAST CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW REGARDING AREAL COVERAGE OF RAIN FOR GIVEN DAY. THE ECMWF MODEL MAINTAINS THE STRENGTH OF THE UPPER LOW WHILE THE GFS WEAKENS THE LOW AND OPENS IT UP INTO A TROF. BOTH SOLUTIONS MAINTAIN SOME RISK OF PRECIPITATION THROUGH FRIDAY...AND NO BIG VARIATIONS IN POPS FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT. THE REM ANTS OF THE UPPER LOW SHOULD BE EAST OF AREA BY SATURDAY AND KEPT RAIN OUT OF THE FORECAST. 58/ROSE CLIMATE... AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE SETS UP OVER THE AREA THIS WEEKEND AND WILL TRY TO HOLD FIRM THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY. WITH THIS RIDGE IN PLACE SOUTHERLY FLOW AND PLENTY OF SUN WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO WARM UP QUITE A BIT...EVEN APPROACHING RECORD LEVELS. BELOW ARE THE RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY. WILL ADD MORE DAYS OVER THE NEXT FEW NIGHTS IF ANY FURTHER DAYS FORECAST APPEAR TO BE NEAR RECORDS. SUNDAY APRIL 1 LOCATIONS RECORD HIGHS YEAR(S) ----------------- ------------ ----------- BIRMINGHAM 86 1974 MONTGOMERY 87 1974 TUSCALOOSA 87 1970/1978 ANNISTON 87 1974 MONDAY APRIL 2 LOCATIONS RECORD HIGHS YEAR(S) ----------------- ------------ ----------- BIRMINGHAM 85 2006 MONTGOMERY 88 2006 TUSCALOOSA 88 2006 ANNISTON 87 1978 TUESDAY APRIL 3 LOCATIONS RECORD HIGHS YEAR(S) ----------------- ------------ ----------- BIRMINGHAM 87 1999 MONTGOMERY 87 1999 TUSCALOOSA 86 1963 ANNISTON 89 1999 16 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 54 85 58 86 59 / 10 20 10 10 10 ANNISTON 56 87 60 86 60 / 10 20 10 10 10 BIRMINGHAM 63 87 63 86 63 / 10 20 10 10 10 TUSCALOOSA 60 88 60 87 61 / 20 20 10 10 10 CALERA 61 87 62 85 62 / 10 20 10 10 10 AUBURN 60 85 63 84 63 / 10 20 10 10 10 MONTGOMERY 61 88 61 87 62 / 20 20 10 10 10 TROY 59 86 60 86 60 / 20 20 10 10 10 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1158 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012 ALZ011>015-017>050-020500- 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- 1158 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. WITH THE ADDED GROUND MOISTURE FROM THE STORMS ACROSS THE REGION... AREAS OF FOG MAY DEVELOP ACROSS ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA OVERNIGHT... REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO ONE MILE THROUGH 9 AM SUNDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE NEXT ROUND OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACROSS ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE HAZARDOUS THREATS INCLUDE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. THE STORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL PUSH ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA BY EARLY THURSDAY. MODELS CONTINUE TO TREND SLOWER WITH THIS SYSTEM SO THERE MAY STILL BE CHANGES AS WE APPROACH THESE DAYS. WE ARE IN THE HEART OF SEVERE WEATHER SEASON...SO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO ADDITIONAL DETAILS AS WE APPROACH THESE POTENTIAL HAZARDOUS DAYS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAY BE NECESSARY ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
957 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012
ALZ011-010345-
MARION AL-
957 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN MARION COUNTY UNTIL
1045 PM CDT...
AT 954 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES SOUTH OF RED BAY...MOVING SOUTH AT 25 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
WESTON...
SHOTTSVILLE...
BEXAR...
BYRD...
&&
LAT...LON 3432 8806 3405 8800 3406 8821 3430 8819
3433 8817
TIME...MOT...LOC 0258Z 355DEG 23KT 3431 8818
GRANTHAMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1027 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1025 PM HAIL 5 SW SHOTSVILLE 34.21N 88.18W
03/31/2012 E1.75 INCH MARION AL STORM CHASER
STORM CHASER REPORTED GOLF BALL HAIL FALLING NEAR THE
STATE LINE ON U.S. HIGHWAY 78.
&&
GRANTHAMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1108 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1105 PM HAIL 2 NE DETROIT 34.05N 88.15W
03/31/2012 E1.50 INCH LAMAR AL STORM CHASER
STORM CHASER REPORTED PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL ALONG
HIGHWAY 17 NORTHEAST OF DETROIT.
&&
GRANTHAMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1129 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012 ALZ012-010515- LAMAR AL- 1129 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN LAMAR COUNTY UNTIL 1215 AM CDT... AT 1126 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR DETROIT...OR 6 MILES NORTH OF SULLIGENT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... CREWS... BEAVERTON... && LAT...LON 3388 8795 3380 8810 3401 8817 3405 8810 TIME...MOT...LOC 0429Z 334DEG 11KT 3397 8812 GRANTHAM
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1131 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0855 PM HAIL MONTEVALLO 33.11N 86.85W
03/31/2012 E1.00 INCH SHELBY AL PUBLIC
&&
HBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1218 AM CDT SUN APR 01 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0629 PM HAIL 2 NE ONEONTA 33.97N 86.45W
03/31/2012 E1.00 INCH BLOUNT AL AMATEUR RADIO
QUARTER SIZED HAIL ON COUNTY ROAD 39. CORRECTED.
&&
TGOGGINSThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
14 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Elmore County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of April.
Lee County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of April.
Bullock County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of April.
Macon County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of April.
Tallapoosa County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of April.
Montgomery County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of April.
Russell County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of April.
Pike County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of April.
Barbour County experienced Exceptional (D4) drought conditions during the month of April.
Randolph County began the month with Severe (D2) Drought conditions and was upgraded to Extreme (D3) drought conditions on April 10th.
Lowndes County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of April.
Chambers County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of April.
Coosa County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of April.
Clay County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of April.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, April 2012
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: 375545, 375546, 375547, 375548, 375549, 375550, 375551, 375552, 375553, 375554, 375555, 375556, 375557, 375558.