A quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) tracked eastward through middle Tennessee and northern Alabama during the late morning and early afternoon hours. Wind damage was reported in eastern Lauderdale, Colbert and Madison 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 quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) tracked eastward through middle Tennessee and northern Alabama during the late morning and early afternoon hours. Wind damage was reported in eastern Lauderdale, Colbert and Madison counties. Elsewhere, the storms produced brief heavy rainfall, gusty winds and frequent lightning strikes.
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 Aug 13, 9:25 AM CST, 1 hour 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1025 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012 .UPDATE... MORNING UPDATE. && .DISCUSSION... TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY ARE CURRENTLY IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 70S...WITH MUSCLE SHOALS LATEST OB REPORTING 81F AT THIS HOUR. AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS CONTINUES TO PUSH EASTWARD ACROSS NRN MS/WRN TN THIS MORNING...AND IS FINALLY ON THE DOORSTEP OF NW AL AS OF THIS WRITING. THE SFC LOW IS CENTERED OVER ERN MO...WITH THE COLD FRONT DRAPED FROM THE MO/IL/KY/TN BORDER SOUTHWESTWARD INTO THE ARKLATEX REGION. THE WARM FRONT IS SPRAWLED SOUTHEASTWARD FROM CENTRAL AR...ACROSS CENTRAL MS/AL. THE SOUTHERN EXTENT OF THE ACTIVITY TO THE WEST WILL FOLLOW THIS BOUNDARY...WITH THE NORTHERN EXTENT (CURRENTLY SPANNING MUCH OF CENTRAL TN) CONTINUING ALONG MORE OF AN EASTWARD PROGRESSION THROUGH MIDDAY. A SECOND ROUND OF SHOWERS AND STORMS IS PROGGED TO DEVELOP (VIA RAP/NAM) AND THIS WILL ARRIVE AFTER 3PM TODAY. CU IS ALREADY NOTED FIRING UP IN SRN AR ALONG THE FRONT ITSELF AS OF 15Z TO SUPPORT THIS THINKING. FOR THE PUBLIC FORECAST GRIDS TODAY...THE ONLY TWEAKS NEEDED TO THE FCST WERE THE DEWPOINT GRIDS TO FOLLOW MORE IN LINE WITH CURRENT TRENDS. ADJUSTMENTS WERE ALSO MADE TO POP/WX GRIDS THRU 18Z...BUT OTHERWISE...NO OTHER CHANGES WERE NECESSARY. WILL SEND UPDATED ZONES SHORTLY. 12 && .AVIATION... /ISSUED 639 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012/ FOR 12Z TAFS... TWO AREAS OF SHRA/TSRA ARE POISED TO POSSIBLY IMPACT EITHER TERMINAL THIS TAF PERIOD. TIMING AND CONFIDENCE ARE SUCH THAT VCSH/VCTS WERE UTILIZED ATTM...THOUGH ANY TS THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS EITHER TERMINAL WILL BRING GUSTY WINDS/REDUCED VIS. WITHIN THE WARM SECTOR...LOOK FOR A LOW STRATUS DECK TO BUILD IN TONIGHT...REDUCING VIS/CIGS AFTER 06Z. JLL && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 429 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012/ A BIG PICTURE SYNOPSIS...THE MAIN FEATURES WERE AN UPPER RIDGE CENTERED OVER NEW MEXICO AND MEAN TROUGHING FROM THE MID/UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND EASTWARD. THE UPPER RIDGING WAS WEAKER SOMEWHAT COMPARED TO A DAY OR SO AGO...WITH 595 DECAMETER MAX HEIGHTS AND RESIDUAL MONSOONAL MOISTURE FROM THE GREAT BASIN TO TEXAS. IN A MORE AMPLIFIED NORTHERN STREAM...AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE OVER THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES WAS HELPING TO DIG THE TROUGH FURTHER TO THE SOUTH AND EAST. A COUPLE AREAS OF CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DISTURBANCE WERE LOCATED OVER ILLINOIS AND NORTHERN ARKANSAS...MOVING TO THE EAST. FOR THE TENNESSEE VALLEY...AN UPPER TROUGH EARLIER WAS PRODUCING VERY LIGHT SHOWER ACTIVITY OVER WESTERN TENNESSEE/NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI. THIS PRECIP...MORE VIRGA THAN TRUE SHOWERS...AS LITTLE TO NON OF IT SURVIVED THE TRIP TO THE GROUND PER AREA SURFACE OBSERVATIONS. THE REMNANTS OF THIS PRECIP WAS ON A DISSIPATING TREND AS IT TRACKED ACROSS WESTERN MADISON COUNTY (AT LEAST PER THE HYTOP 88D VIEW). THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT PASSED ACROSS THIS REGION LATE LAST WEEK... WAS BEGINNING TO CREEP BACK TO THE NORTH AS A WARM FRONT. IT EXTENDED ROUGHLY FROM SE ARKANSAS TO THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. THIS BOUNDARY SHOULD REACH THIS REGION BY THE EVENING...PLACING THE FORECAST AREA IN A WARMER SOUTHERLY FLOW. DESPITE THE RETURN FLOW... MOISTURE LEVELS WILL BE LIMITED...THEREFORE IT WILL TAKE A WHILE FOR SHOWERS TO START AFFECTING THE REGION. WITH THE ACTIVITY IN PROGRESS TO OUR WEST...HAVE KEPT A SCATTERED CONVECTION CONFINED TO FAR NW ALABAMA THIS MORNING...WITH A SLIGHT CHANCES TO THE I-65 CORRIDOR. RAIN CHANCES SHOULD INCREASE EASTWARD DURING AFTERNOON AS THE UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT NEARS FROM THE WEST. HAVE KEPT A CHANCE (40 PERCENT) IN FOR TONIGHT. THEN HAVE RAIN CHANCES ENDING OVER NW ALABAMA FOR TUE MORNING...BUT CONTINUING FOR OUR CENTRAL/EASTERN AREAS INTO THE EARLY EVENING. INDICATIONS HAVE THIS SYSTEM WILL SLOWLY CLEARING THE AREA FROM WEST TO EAST. AS NOTED ABOVE...A WEAK MOISTURE RETURN WILL HELP LIMIT OVERALL STORM INTENSITY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THAT BEING SAID... SUFFICIENT SHEAR/LIFT PROVIDED BY UPPER SUPPORT COULD ALLOW SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS TO BECOME SMALL HAIL/GUSTY WIND PRODUCERS. PER THE DAY-1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK...THE STRONGER STORMS SHOULD REMAIN TO WEST OF THE REGION. DRY CONDITIONS SHOULD RETURN ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY FOR THE MIDWEEK...WITH THE AREA BETWEEN SYSTEMS. RAIN CHANCES RETURN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...AS ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM NEARS FROM THE WEST. THIS SYSTEM SHOULD FEATURE A MORE ROBUST COLD FRONT THAT SHOULD PASS NW-SE ACROSS THE VALLEY LATE FRIDAY/EARLY SATURDAY. GIVEN THAT MOISTURE RETURN MAY BE LIMITED...HARD TO DETERMINE HOW STRONG STORMS WILL BE WITH THIS SYSTEM. DRY CONDITIONS SHOULD RETURN BY SATURDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE NEXT SUNDAY. HIGHS BY THE WEEKEND SHOULD RETURN TO COOLER THAN AVERAGE READINGS...IN THE LOWER 80S. NORMAL HIGHS FOR THAT TIME OF YEAR ARE 91F. RSB && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/HUNTSVILLE.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 452 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-131800- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 452 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... WELL AHEAD OF A SLOWLY APPROACHING COLD FRONT...LOOK FOR ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING...MAINLY FOR AREAS WEST OF INTERSTATE 65. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO NORTHWEST ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON...SPREADING ACROSS THE REST OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY DURING THE EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA MAY BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE...CAPABLE OF GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. AS THE COLD FRONT CONTINUES ITS SLOW PATH ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL END FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ON TUESDAY...FINALLY CLEARING THE AREA EARLY TUESDAY EVENING. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL BRING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1041 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012 ALZ001-131630- LAUDERDALE AL- 1041 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST CENTRAL LAUDERDALE COUNTY UNTIL 1130 AM CDT... AT 1041 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR PINEFLAT...OR 10 MILES EAST OF CORINTH...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT EXTREME NORTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF LAUDERDALE COUNTY THROUGH 1130 AM CDT. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... WATERLOO. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. && LAT...LON 3500 8762 3489 8810 3492 8816 3501 8820 TIME...MOT...LOC 1536Z 241DEG 28KT 3498 8834 CA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1055 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012
ALZ001>003-131645-
LAUDERDALE AL-COLBERT AL-FRANKLIN AL-
1055 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN LAUDERDALE...
WESTERN COLBERT AND NORTHWESTERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES UNTIL 1145 AM
CDT...
AT 1055 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR TISHOMINGO...OR 10 MILES NORTH OF RED
BAY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CHEROKEE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO
AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE.
&&
LAT...LON 3474 8811 3483 8793 3476 8782 3465 8778
3449 8815
TIME...MOT...LOC 1553Z 236DEG 18KT 3458 8820
CASPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 1126 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012 ALZ001-002-131715- LAUDERDALE AL-COLBERT AL- 1126 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL LAUDERDALE AND NORTHWESTERN COLBERT COUNTIES UNTIL 1215 PM CDT... AT 1126 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM 12 MILES NORTHWEST OF UNDERWOOD-PETERSVILLE TO CHEROKEE...OR EXTENDING FROM 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF FLORENCE TO 11 MILES EAST OF IUKA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PEAS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... UNDERWOOD-PETERSVILLE AND LEXINGTON. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. && LAT...LON 3500 8785 3500 8721 3497 8722 3477 8804 TIME...MOT...LOC 1622Z 232DEG 44KT 3502 8783 3481 8800 12
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 118 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:02 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds near County Road 28.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds on County Road 31.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds at the intersection of County Roads 71 and 31.
Nickel size hail was reported.
A few trees and power lines were downed by thunderstorm winds.
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: 407973, 407975, 407976, 407978, 407970.