Periodic rains fell across the northern portion of central Alabama during the first part of February, however below normal rainfall fell across the southeast. This led to drought conditions persisting during the first half of February and worsening for the latter part of the month.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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.
Periodic rains fell across the northern portion of central Alabama during the first part of February, however below normal rainfall fell across the southeast. This led to drought conditions persisting during the first half of February and worsening for the latter part of the month. Drought conditions continued for Barbour, Russell, Pike, Lowndes, Randolph, Elmore, Chambers, Lee, Bullock, Macon, Tallapoosa, and Montgomery 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 Jan 31, 11:29 PM CST, 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1129 PM CST TUE JAN 31 2012 .UPDATE... FOR AVIATION. && .DISCUSSION... SHORTWAVE NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS REGION WILL SHIFT OUT INTO THE PLAINS OVERNIGHT. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO PULL MOISTURE NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF. A FEW SHOWERS SHOWING UP IN NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND SOME LIGHT SHOWERS MIGHT MOVE INTO WESTERN ALABAMA LATE TONIGHT. THE CURRENT FORECAST HANDLES THAT WELL ENOUGH SO NO CHANGES PLANNED WITH THE POPS. TEMPERATURES AND DEWPOINTS ADJUSTED PER LATEST OBSERVATIONS. CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN HOW QUICKLY TEMPERATURES DROP. EXPECT MID 40S IN THE EASTERN COUNTIES TO MID MID 50S IN THE WEST. UPDATES OUT SHORTLY. && .AVIATION... 06Z TAF DISCUSSION. REALLY ONLY CHANGE WAS TO ADD IN VCSH FOR THE LIGHT SPRINKLES THAT ARE CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH TCL...BHM...EET...AND ANB. THESE WILL BE ON AND OFF FOR THE NIGHT AND DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY SUBSTANTIAL ACCUMULATION THROUGH AT LEAST 12Z. MORE COVERAGE WILL DEVELOP DURING THE MORNING IN THE WEST AND SLIDE THROUGH DURING THE DAY. CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO LOWER THROUGH THE NIGHT AND INTO THE MORNING HOURS. TRIED TO TIME OUT WHEN THE MVFR AND EVEN IFR CEILINGS WOULD OCCUR. THERE COULD BE SOME BRIEF WINDOWS OF IFR IN THE WEST BEFORE 23Z WITH MORE PERSISTENT RAIN BANDS...BUT PREDOMINATE LOWER CEILINGS WILL BE BEHIND THE RAIN SHIELD. AS EARLY AS 22 TO 23Z IN TCL AND 1 TO 2 Z AT MGM AND TOI. && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 88/16
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 556 PM CST TUE JAN 31 2012 ALZ011>015-017>050-020000- 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- 556 PM CST TUE JAN 31 2012 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...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Elmore County began the month in Severe (D3) drought conditions and was upgraded to an Extreme (D3) drought on February 14th.
Lee County began the month in Severe (D3) drought conditions and was upgraded to an Extreme (D3) drought on February 14th.
Bullock County began the month in Severe (D3) drought conditions and was upgraded to an Extreme (D3) drought on February 14th.
Macon County began the month in Severe (D3) drought conditions and was upgraded to an Extreme (D3) drought on February 14th.
Tallapoosa County began the month in Severe (D3) drought conditions and was upgraded to an Extreme (D3) drought on February 14th.
Montgomery County began the month in Severe (D3) drought conditions and was upgraded to an Extreme (D3) drought on February 14th.
Barbour County experienced Exceptional (D4) drought conditions for the entire month of February.
Russell County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions for the entire month of February.
Pike County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions for the entire month of February.
Lowndes County experienced Severe (D2) drought conditions for the entire month of February.
Randolph County experienced Severe (D2) drought conditions for the entire month of February.
Chambers County experienced Severe (D2) drought conditions for the entire month of February.
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, February 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: 366783, 366784, 366785, 366786, 366788, 366789, 366791, 366793, 366794, 366795, 366796, 366797.