A strong upper level ridge across the southeastern Continental United States combined with a moist airmass across Central Alabama for the beginning of August. Heat index values rose to over 105 degrees on August 1 for portions of the area.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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.
A strong upper level ridge across the southeastern Continental United States combined with a moist airmass across Central Alabama for the beginning of August. Heat index values rose to over 105 degrees on August 1 for portions of the area. On August 2, two locations warmed rather quickly, with heat index values briefly reaching over 105 degrees, before thunderstorms brought some relief to the area. Heat related illnesses were reported to the Alabama Department of Public Health through August, despite much of the month not reaching heat advisory criteria and for counties which also never met heat advisory criteria. A total of 79 illnesses were reported across Central Alabama for the month. Cumulative effects of the heat continued into early September, despite temperatures not warming above established thresholds and an additional eight illnesses were reported across the area.
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 Aug 1, 10:47 AM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1147 AM CDT WED AUG 1 2012 .UPDATE... FOR MORNING UPDATE. && .DISCUSSION... WITH FOG/LOW CLOUDS FROM THIS MORNING ALMOST COMPLETELY DISSIPATED THE EXPECTED WARM UP IN TEMPS HAS BEGUN. LEFT HIGHS ALONE BECAUSE THEY LOOKED GOOD... AND MADE ONLY MINOR CHANGES TO HOURLY TEMPS AND DEW POINTS. THEREFORE WILL LEAVE HEAT ADVISORY ALONE. DID GO AHEAD AND BRING SLIGHT CHANCE... 20 PERCENT... POPS IN AREA WIDE FOR TODAY. SURFACE ANALYSIS FROM THIS MORNING INDICATES A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDING FROM SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA ALL THE WAY TO SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA. THINK THE SURFACE TROUGH AND A DIFFERENTIAL HEATING BOUNDARY FROM MORNING CLOUD COVER THAT IS SET UP OVER ROUGHLY THE SAME AREA MAY HELP INITIATE AN ISOLATED STORM THIS AFTERNOON IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PART OF OUR AREA. A REMNANT FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT HPC HAS ANALYZED OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA MAY ALSO HELP INITIATE A STORM OR TWO. ALSO OF NOTE IS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER SOUTHERN MISSOURI AND ARKANSAS PER 12Z UPPER AIR ANALYSIS AND CURRENT CLOUD COVER. THIS SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL TRANSLATE SOUTHEASTWARD TODAY AROUND THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE UPPER RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND TOWARD CENTRAL ALABAMA. A COUPLE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED IN NORTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI WITH THIS FEATURE. BOTH THE 12Z NAM AND HRRR ARE SUGGESTING THE POSSIBILITY OF A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SHORTWAVE TROUGH DEVELOPING THIS EVENING OVER NORTHEAST ALABAMA AND THEN MOVING SOUTHWARD INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA OVERNIGHT. EXPANDED CHANCE POPS FOR THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF OUR AREA TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS. SEVERE POTENTIAL LOOKS MARGINAL FOR THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO DRYING IN THE ATMOSPHERIC COLUMN ABOVE 850 MB. EVEN WITH PLENTIFUL SURFACE MOISTURE AND THEREFORE SURFACE BASED INSTABILITY... AND 25 TO 30 KT OF 0-6 KM BULK SHEAR PER KBMX VWP... UPDRAFTS WILL HAVE TROUBLE MAINTAINING THEMSELVES DUE TO DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT ALOFT. WITH THAT SAID... AN ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUST DUE TO STEEP LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION IF A STRONG STORM CAN FORM. THE WET MICROBURST POTENTIAL TODAY FROM THE MODIFIED 12Z KBMX AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS IS HIGH. WILL LET AFTERNOON FORECAST PACKAGE ADDRESS POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT OVERNIGHT. UPDATES ALREADY OUT. 77/GLEASON && .AVIATION... 12Z TAF DISCUSSION. AREAS OF FOG HAVE REDUCED VISIBILITIES MORE THAN EXPECTED EARLY THIS MORNING. ALSO OF IMPACT WAS THE LOW STRATUS DECK THAT FORMED OVER MUCH OF THE AREA OVERNIGHT...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FAR WEST AL. LIFR CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED AT MANY TERMINALS FOR A FEW HOURS NOW AND WILL LIKELY CONTINUE FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF HOURS. CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY BY 14Z AS THE SUN WILL HELP MIX THINGS OUT. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR MUCH OF THE PERIOD. ISO SHOWERS/STORMS ARE POSSIBLE AREA WIDE THIS AFTERNOON BUT COVERAGE WILL BE TOO LOW TO MENTION IN THE TAFS. WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE OUT OF THE NW AROUND 5 KTS THEN BECOMING CALM AGAIN TONIGHT. WITH ABUNDANT SUNSHINE EXPECTED IN MOST AREAS TODAY BELIEVE IT WILL HELP DRY OUT THE SATURATED SOIL CONDITIONS SOMEWHAT. HOWEVER COULD STILL SOME PATCHY FOG AGAIN TONIGHT IN SOME LOCATIONS BUT WILL HOLD OFF ON MENTIONING ANYTHING UNTIL LATER ISSUANCES. 19 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 402 AM CDT WED AUG 1 2012/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY. DUE TO THE RECENT RAINFALL AND CLEAR SKIES TUESDAY EVENING...FOG HAS FORMED OVER A LARGE PORTION OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS ARE NEAR 10 KNOTS...SO THE STRATUS IS BECOMING MORE PREVALENT THAN THE FOG. DENSE FOG IS ISOLATED AT THIS TIME AND WILL HOLD OFF ISSUING A DENSE FOG ADVISORY. THE NAM MODEL DOES SHOW THE BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS DECREASING BY SUNRISE TODAY...SO VISIBILITIES MAY BRIEFLY LOWER BEFORE FOG BEGINS TO DISSIPATE AFTER SUNRISE. AREA IS STILL UNDER NORTHWEST FLOW PATTERN ALOFT. THERE ARE A FEW CLUSTERS OF STORMS UPSTREAM OF ALABAMA. NONE OF THE MODELS SHOW MUCH PRECIPITATION ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA TODAY. THE BEST CHANCE OF SEEING ISOLATED STORMS APPEARS TO BE EAST OF I-65 WHERE DEEPER MOISTURE IS PRESENT. AN IMPULSE OVER SOUTHERN MISSOURI SHOULD TRACK SOUTHEAST TODAY BUT LIKELY STAY WEST OF ALABAMA. ANOTHER IMPULSE IS EXPECTED TO DROP DOWN LATER TONIGHT ACROSS GEORGIA AND EAST ALABAMA...AND RAISED RAIN CHANCES ACROSS NORTHEAST ALABAMA AFTER MIDNIGHT. THIS IMPULSE WILL SLIDE INTO SOUTHEAST ALABAMA BY SUNRISE THURSDAY AND WENT WITH HIGHEST RAIN CHANCES ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST AREAS ON THURSDAY. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS SOUTHEAST ALABAMA OUTLOOKED FOR SEVERE STORMS ON THURSDAY. THIS IS BASED MAINLY ON ONGOING MORNING CONVECTION PRODUCING A DIFFERENTIAL HEATING BOUNDARY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THE MAN MODEL IS REALLY THE ONLY MODEL FORECASTING THIS SCENARIO...AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE A FEW MORE RUNS BEFORE HIGHLIGHTING ANY THREAT IN THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. BY FRIDAY THE PERSISTENT UPPER HIGH OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL WEAKEN AND THE BERMUDA HIGH WILL EXPAND WESTWARD TOWARDS FLORIDA. THIS WILL PRODUCE A WEAKNESS IN THE UPPER HEIGHT FIELD ACROSS ALABAMA. COMBINED WITH DAYTIME...SCATTERED STORMS WILL DEVELOP FRIDAY AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES REACHED THE UPPER 90S ACROSS WEST MISSISSIPPI TUESDAY AND THIS AIR MASS WILL SHIFT EASTWARD TODAY AND SPREAD INTO WEST ALABAMA. THE MODELS ARE TRYING TO SHOW DRIER AIR MIXING DOWN TODAY AND LOWERING SURFACE DEWPOINTS BELOW 70 DEGREES...BUT SURFACE DEWPOINTS DID NOT DROP BELOW 70 DEGREES ACROSS MISSISSIPPI YESTERDAY AND RECENT RAIN SHOULD PROVIDE HIGHER GROUND MOISTURE. TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA TODAY FOR AREAS WEST OF I-65. LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THE WEAKNESS IN THE UPPER HEIGHT FIELD WILL CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY. A FAIRLY STRONG SHORT WAVE TROF WILL PUSH THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY REGION ON SUNDAY AND PUSH A SURFACE FRONT INTO TENNESSEE. RAIN CHANCES ON SUNDAY WILL BE HIGHEST ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA WITH HIGHER RAIN CHANCES SHIFTING INTO SOUTH ALABAMA ON MONDAY AS UPPER TROF AXIS MOVES INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE UPPER TROF AXIS WILL STALL OUT OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA ON TUESDAY WITH SLIGHTLY BETTER RAIN CHANCES ACROSS SOUTH ALABAMA. TEMPERATURES DURING THIS PERIOD WILL BE CLOSER TO NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. 58/ROSE && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 96 70 94 72 92 / 20 30 20 20 40 ANNISTON 96 72 95 72 93 / 20 30 20 20 40 BIRMINGHAM 96 75 97 75 94 / 20 30 20 20 40 TUSCALOOSA 97 73 99 74 94 / 20 20 20 20 40 CALERA 96 73 96 73 92 / 20 20 20 20 40 AUBURN 95 73 95 72 91 / 20 20 40 20 40 MONTGOMERY 97 73 98 73 92 / 20 20 40 20 40 TROY 94 71 95 71 92 / 20 20 40 20 40 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: AUTAUGA...BIBB...CHILTON...DALLAS...FAYETTE...GREENE... HALE...LAMAR...LOWNDES...MARENGO...MARION...MONTGOMERY...PERRY... PICKENS...SUMTER...TUSCALOOSA...WALKER...WINSTON. && 77/19/58
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1205 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012 ALZ011>015-017>050-021200- MARION-LAMAR-FAYETTE-WINSTON-WALKER-BLOUNT-ETOWAH-CALHOUN-CHEROKEE- CLEBURNE-PICKENS-TUSCALOOSA-JEFFERSON-SHELBY-ST. CLAIR-TALLADEGA- CLAY-RANDOLPH-SUMTER-GREENE-HALE-PERRY-BIBB-CHILTON-COOSA-TALLAPOOSA- CHAMBERS-MARENGO-DALLAS-AUTAUGA-LOWNDES-ELMORE-MONTGOMERY-MACON- BULLOCK-LEE-RUSSELL-PIKE-BARBOUR- 1205 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. TEMPERATURES IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S COMBINED WITH HUMID CONDITIONS WILL LEAD TO HEAT INDEX VALUES AT OR ABOVE 105 DEGREES ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON. AREAS IMPACTED WILL GENERALLY BE WEST OF INTERSTATE 65. ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS GREATER THAN 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORM THAT FORMS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 heat. Local standard time, as filed.
Heat related illnesses were reported to the Alabama Department of Public Health as follows: one on August 3; one on August 8; and two on August 15.
One heat related illness was reported to the Alabama Department of Public Health on August 2.
Heat related illnesses were reported to the Alabama Department of Public Health as follows: two on August 1 and one on August 6.
Two heat related illnesses were reported to the Alabama Department of Public Health on August 9.
One heat related illnesses was reported to the Alabama Department of Public Health as follows on August 1.
Heat related illnesses were reported to the Alabama Department of Public Health as follows: one on August 2 and one on August 17.
Heat related illnesses were reported to the Alabama Department of Public Health as follows: one on August 2; one on August 3; and one on August 5.
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, August 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: 410937, 410938, 410939, 410940, 410941, 410942, 410943, 410944, 410945, 410946, 410947, 415387, 415388.