Rainfall totals of less than 4 inches occurred during the month of January over the southeastern portions of central Alabama, leaving the majority of that area in a deficit of up to 2 inches. This led to drought conditions continuing for Randolph, Elmore, Lowndes, Chambers, Lee, Barbour, Bullock, Pike, Macon, Tallapoosa, Montgomery, and Russell counties.
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.
Rainfall totals of less than 4 inches occurred during the month of January over the southeastern portions of central Alabama, leaving the majority of that area in a deficit of up to 2 inches. This led to drought conditions continuing for Randolph, Elmore, Lowndes, Chambers, Lee, Barbour, Bullock, Pike, Macon, Tallapoosa, Montgomery, and Russell 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 Dec 31, 11:56 PM CST, 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1156 PM CST SAT DEC 31 2011 .UPDATE... 06Z AVIATION. && .DISCUSSION... HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. THE FORECAST TREND OVERNIGHT IS IN GOOD SHAPE BUT MADE SOME FINE SCALE ADJUSTMENTS TO TEMPS AND DEW POINTS. ADDED MENTION OF PATCHY DENSE FOG FAR SOUTH. ALSO INCREASED WINDS JUST A TAD ON SUNDAY...15 TO 25 MPH WITH A FEW HIGHER GUSTS BUT BELOW WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA. SURFACE LOW OVER SOUTHERN IOWA AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD FRONT THROUGH MISSOURI AND INTO WESTERN ARKANSAS AND CENTRAL TEXAS. THE SYSTEM IS REALLY CHUGGING ALONG BUT THINK THE TIMING WILL BE A BIT CLOSER TO THE SLIGHTLY SLOWER NAM. RULE OF THUMB ABOUT 12 HOURS FROM LITTLE ROCK BUT THIS SYSTEM IS MOVING. VERY STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT ALONG THE FRONT PRODUCING PLENTY OF WIND GUSTS THIS EVENING. MODEL CONSENSUS INDICATES SOUTHERLY WINDS INCREASING TO 30-45KTS JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE AFTER 06Z...AND LASTING THROUGH AROUND 14Z. DO NOT THINK ANY MIXING WILL OCCUR..SO KEPT THE WINDS BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA AT THIS TIME. FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...SURFACE DEW POINTS INCREASING RAPIDLY ACROSS MISSISSIPPI AND SEA FOG NEAR COASTAL ALABAMA AND THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. THESE MOISTURE AXIS WILL SLOWLY ENCROACH ON CENTRAL ALABAMA AND BY SUNRISE...DEW POINTS INTO THE 50S FOR MUCH OF THE SOUTHWESTERN TWO THIRDS OF THE AREA. THE MAIN CONCERN HERE IS...WILL DENSE FOG DEVELOP. I THINK THE BEST CHANCE AT DEVELOPMENT WILL BE SOUTHEAST NEAR TOI WHERE TEMPS HAVE DIPPED INTO THE 40S AND DEW POINTS ARE RISING. WINDS WOULD PICK UP HOPEFULLY JUST ENOUGH TO PREVENT MORE WIDESPREAD DEVELOPMENT AS FAR NORTH AS TCL-BHM BY SUNRISE. THERE IS PLENTY OF ISENTROPIC LIFT AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND IN THE WAA REGIME AND CLOUD DEVELOPMENT WILL BE WIDESPREAD. WILL KEEP POPS AS IS WITH SCATTERED LIGHT TO ISOLATED SHOWERS. REALLY DO NO SEE MUCH ADDING UP DUE TO THE LIMITED DEPTH OF THE MOISTURE AVAILABLE. 75 && .AVIATION... 06Z TAF DISCUSSION. LOTS TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT...SO LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT. OVERALL EXPECT CONDITIONS TO DETERIORATE THRU THE NIGHT. A SURGE OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND ISENTROPIC LIFT IS TO BLAME FOR THE LOW STRATUS DECK OVER MS...WHICH WILL SPREAD NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE CWA OVERNIGHT BRINGING CIGS DOWN TO MVFR AND THEN IFR. WAA AND QUICKLY COOLING TEMPS IN THE SOUTHEAST COULD LEAD TO SOME PATCHY DENSE FOG...ESPECIALLY AT TOI. OBS TO THE SOUTH ARE SHOWING 1/4 MI VIS AND 200 FT CIGS. NOT SURE IF THOSE PREVAILING LIFR CONDITIONS WILL MAKE IT AS FAR NORTH AS TOI...BUT DID KEEP A TEMPO IN FOR LIFR AT TOI EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. WILL HAVE TO WATCH THE NORTHWARD PROGRESSION OF THE DENSE FOG CLOSELY AND MAKE AMENDMENTS IF NECESSARY. A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT AS IT MOVES THRU...BUT COVERAGE WILL JUST BE TOO LOW TO MENTION IN THE TAFS. MODELS INDICATE WINDS AT 2000 FT WILL BE OUT OF THE SW AROUND 35-45 KTS AHEAD OF THE FRONT...MAINLY BETWEEN 08Z AND 12Z...WHICH COULD LEAD TO SOME WIND SHEAR AT ALL TERMINALS. WIND SHEAR CONCERNS WILL DIMINISH AS THE FRONT PASSES. SFC WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE WNW BEHIND THE FRONT GUSTING UP TO 25 KTS. SINCE MOST OF THE WEATHER IMPACTS WILL OCCUR IN THE NEXT 12 HRS DID NOT WORRY ABOUT ADDING LINES FOR CLEARING SKIES AND DECREASING WINDS SUNDAY EVENING. 19 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 43 55 26 43 20 / 20 20 0 0 0 ANNISTON 41 62 29 44 22 / 10 20 0 0 0 BIRMINGHAM 47 58 29 45 22 / 20 20 0 0 0 TUSCALOOSA 46 59 30 48 23 / 20 20 0 0 0 CALERA 45 60 30 46 23 / 20 20 0 0 0 AUBURN 52 63 32 49 21 / 10 20 0 0 0 MONTGOMERY 50 66 32 49 23 / 10 20 0 0 0 TROY 47 67 31 50 21 / 10 20 0 0 0 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 75/19
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 637 PM CST SAT DEC 31 2011 ALZ011>015-017>050-020045- 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- 637 PM CST SAT DEC 31 2011 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...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A DRY AND COLD AIR MASS WILL WORK INTO THE AREA ON MONDAY AND REMAIN THROUGH MIDWEEK. A PROLONGED PERIOD OF LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES MAY RESULT IN A HIGH FIRE DANGER ON BOTH TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS. OUTDOOR BURNING IS HIGHLY DISCOURAGED DURING THIS PERIOD. .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.
Barbour County began the month in Extreme (D3) drought conditions and was upgraded to an Exceptional (D4) drought on January 17th.
Russell County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions for the entire month of January.
Pike County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions for the entire month of January.
Lowndes County experienced Severe (D2) drought conditions for the entire month of January.
Randolph County experienced Severe (D2) drought conditions for the entire month of January.
Elmore County experienced Severe (D2) drought conditions for the entire month of January.
Chambers County began the month with Extreme (D3) drought conditions and was downgraded to a Severe (D2) drought on January 24th.
Lee County began the month with Extreme (D3) drought conditions and was downgraded to a Severe (D2) drought on January 24th.
Bullock County began the month with Extreme (D3) drought conditions and was downgraded to a Severe (D2) drought on January 24th.
Macon County began the month with Extreme (D3) drought conditions and was downgraded to a Severe (D2) drought on January 24th.
Tallapoosa County began the month with Extreme (D3) drought conditions and was downgraded to a Severe (D2) drought on January 24th.
Montgomery County began the month with Extreme (D3) drought conditions and was downgraded to a Severe (D2) drought on January 24th.
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, January 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: 357415, 357416, 357417, 357418, 357419, 357421, 357423, 357424, 357425, 357426, 357427, 357428.