A powerful and cold upper level low tracked northeast across the Tennessee Valley during the late evening of the 10th and early morning of the 11th. Numerous showers and thunderstorms produced an initial 1 to 2 inches of rain from the evening of the 10th into the overnight hours of the 11th.
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 powerful and cold upper level low tracked northeast across the Tennessee Valley during the late evening of the 10th and early morning of the 11th. Numerous showers and thunderstorms produced an initial 1 to 2 inches of rain from the evening of the 10th into the overnight hours of the 11th. A few of the stronger storms produced small hail. One line segment produced wind damage as well in northeastern Cullman County. A lightning strike sparked a blaze in Scottsboro. Minor street flooding was reported in parts of northern Madison County during this period.
As the low moved across during the mid to late morning hours, another round of heavy rainfall and strong thunderstorms occurred. The strong storms produced prolific amounts of small hail, in some cases coating the ground, and very frequent lightning strikes. The strikes knocked power out in Gurley and in portions of Huntsville. The secondary area of rain produced another 1 to 3 inches of rainfall, producing urban flash flooding in central and northeast Huntsville, and submerging at least one vehicle and pushing flood waters into a few homes. The runoff also created rapid rises on creeks and streams in 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 Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 10, 9:59 PM CST, 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 959 PM CST TUE JAN 10 2012 .UPDATE... SCALED BACK ON STRONGER STORM COVERAGE...AND MINOR TEMP AND WIND ADJUSTMENTS. && .DISCUSSION... THE SYNOPTIC SCALE STORM SYSTEM THAT BROUGHT WINTRY WEATHER ACROSS WESTERN TEXAS AND FLOODING OVER THE SE PORTION OF THE SAME STATE CONTINUED TO MOVE EASTWARD. ITS SURFACE REFLECTION WAS OVER NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI NEAR OXFORD...MOVING TO THE NE. A COLD FRONT EXTENDED SSW OF IT TOWARD NEW ORLEANS. A WARM FRONT EAST OF THE LOW WAS DRAPED EASTWARD...MORE/LESS ALONG THE TENNESSEE RIVER TO NORTHERN GEORGIA. 9 PM TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE AREA WERE ON THE WARM SIDE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR...HOLDING IN THE 50S. KEEP IN MIND THAT NORMAL HIGHS FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR IN MUSCLE SHOALS AND HUNTSVILLE ARE ONLY 51. WINDS WERE FROM THE EAST...BECOMING SE IN THE 5-10 MPH RANGE. THE LOWEST CLOUDS WERE NOT AS PLENTIFUL AS THEY WERE EARLIER TODAY. HOWEVER WITH BELOW 1000 FEET AGL...THEY WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY FOGGY CONDITIONS IN THE MOUNTAINS. AN AREA OF RAIN...PARTIALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE WARM FRONT CONTINUED TO TRANSLATE TO THE NORTH...EXTENDING FROM EAST OF JACKSON TN...TO FAYETTEVILLE/HUNTSVILLE...TO NW GEORGIA. THE HYTOP RADAR IN TESTING MODE SHOWED THIS RAIN RATHER WELL...WITH NEWER SHOWERS FORMING BETWEEN BIRMINGHAM AND TUPELO. EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WITH THIS SYSTEM CONTINUED OVER CENTRAL/NORTHERN MS...MOVING TO THE NORTH. FURTHER TO THE SOUTH...A LARGE CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHERN GULF HAS EFFECTIVELY INTERCEPTED MUCH OF THE RICH GULF MOISTURE/INSTABILITY THAT COULD HAVE FEED ACTIVITY FURTHER INLAND. THIS AREA OF STORMS...POSITIONED SOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA EARLIER THIS MORNING CONTINUED TO HOLD THEIR OWN AS THEY NEAR THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA. GIVEN THE GULF STORMS HAVE PROVIDED A SAVING GRACE FOR OUR AREA...AS FAR AS STRONG/SEVERE STORMS AND HEAVY RAIN CHANCES. HAVE THEREFORE TRIMMED BACK ON COVERAGE/DURATION OF THE STRONGER STORMS TO AFTER MIDNIGHT FOR AREAS WEST OF I-65 AND SOUTH OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER. HOWEVER WITH THE APPROACHING UPPER LOW...COULD NOT RULE OUT A STRONG STORM OR TWO PRECEDING OR ACCOMPANYING THE COLD FRONT. MAIN THREATS FROM THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE GUSTY WINDS IN THE 45 MPH RANGE OR SO. WET BULB ZERO NUMBERS FALLING TO BETWEEN 8000/9000 FEET BEFORE THE COLD FRONT PASSES COULD ALLOW FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SMALL HAIL. TIMING FROM THE NEW NAM...THE FRONT SHOULD BE NEAR NW ALABAMA AROUND DAYBREAK...AND MOVING ACROSS THE AREA WED MORNING. THE NEW GFS (JUST IN) WAS ON A SLIGHTLY FASTER TREND CONCERNING THE FRONT'S MOVEMENT. FORECAST UPDATES TO REFLECT A LESSENING RISK OF STRONG/SEVERE STORMS HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT. RSB && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 319 PM CST TUE JAN 10 2012/ RAIN SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE AREA THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING AS WRAPAROUND MOISTURE/CLOUDS FROM THE UPPER LOW OVERSPREAD THE AREA. THE COLD FRONT SHOULD TAPER OFF THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH JUST SHOWERS THE CLOSED LOW WILL RAPIDLY MOVE NORTHEASTWARD DUE TO AN UPSTREAM DEEPENING TROUGH OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THIS DEEPENING TROUGH WILL BRING AN ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME LIGHT RAIN WITH A POSSIBLE RAIN/SNOW MIX MAINLY OVER FAR NORTH ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TN (NO SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED). THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO A REINFORCING COLD FRONT ACCOMPANYING THIS TROUGH. BREEZY NORTHERLY WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THE FROPA DURING THE DAY LEADING TO COLD BREEZY CONDITIONS THROUGH THE DAY. AS THE COLD/DRY ARCTIC AIR MASS ADVECTS OVER THE REGION, ACTIVITY SHOULD GENERALLY CEASE FROM WEST TO EAST OVERNIGHT THURSDAY NIGHT. A COMPLETE CLEARING SHOULD THEN TAKE PLACE FOR FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY AS A STRONG SFC HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM ADVECTS OVER THE AREA. AN ADDITIONAL SHORTWAVE ENVELOPED IN THE DEEPENING TROUGH WILL DROP SOUTHWARD FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS DROPPING OVER THE MID MS RIVER/OHIO RIVER VALLEYS BY LATE SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT. HAVE KEPT MAINLY CLOUD COVER INCREASING OVER THE REGION. THEN, DRY AND COOL CONDITIONS SHOULD CONTINUE ON SUNDAY BEFORE A QUICK MOVING SHORTWAVE (CROSSING JUST TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA) COULD BRING ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR PRECIPITATION EARLY NEXT WEEK. SL.77 && .AVIATION... /ISSUED 557 PM CST TUE JAN 10 2012/ FOR 00Z TAFS... MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING AS A SYSTEM AFFECTING THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI DELTA NEARS. SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ACCOMPANYING THIS SYSTEM SHOULD BEGIN AFFECTING KMSL AROUND 03Z...A COUPLE HOURS LATER AT KHSV. THIS CONVECTION WILL PRODUCE GENERALLY IFR CEILING/VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS THROUGH THE LATE NIGHT. A COLD FRONT SHOULD BRING WESTERLY WINDS TO KMSL AROUND 13-14Z...AND KHSV 16-17Z. WESTERLY WINDS OVER NW ALABAMA COULD GUST TO 22KT OR SO WED AFTERNOON. DID NOT PUT GUSTS IN THE KHSV TAF THIS ISSUANCE AS THE TIGHTER PRESSURE GRADIENT SHOULD REMAIN MOVE ACROSS NW ALABAMA. CEILINGS SHOULD RISE ABOVE MVFR THRESHOLDS DURING WED AFTERNOON...BUT STAY AT OR BELOW THIS CRITERIA THROUGH THE LATTER PERIOD. 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 820 PM CST TUE JAN 10 2012 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-111130- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 820 PM CST TUE JAN 10 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... PATCHY FOG...SOME OF IT LOCALLY DENSE WILL PERSIST INTO THE LATE EVENING...MAINLY IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. SUDDEN REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. SHOWERS ACTIVITY WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS EVENING. A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS MAY ACCOMPANY THE HEAVIER SHOWERS. BRIEF GUSTY WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS ARE THE PRIMARY THREATS. AS A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW AND COLD FRONT MOVES EASTWARD LATE TONIGHT...NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE... PRIMARILY WEST OF INTERSTATE 65 AND SOUTH OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER. THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH AND PEA SIZED HAIL. THESE STRONGER STORMS ARE EXPECTED FROM MIDNIGHT TO 6 AM. CHANCES FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE LESS FOR LOCATIONS NORTH OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 65. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS POSSIBLE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. RSB
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 114 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:54 UTC.
5 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind, 2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was knocked down onto County Road 189 west of Oakland.
Lightning struck the Emergency Management Agency office, knocking out communications and damaging electronic equipment.
A fast moving miniature supercell with a pronounced and shallow bounded weak echo region on radar tore the roof off a barn and knocked down and uprooted multiple trees. The damage occurred near the intersection of County Road 1769 about one mile north of Highway 67. Residents took refuge in a tornado shelter and remarked that the winds blew through and ended in less than a minute.
Lightning struck nearby the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) which houses the National Weather Service, NASA and University of Alabama at Huntsville atmospheric science department. The lightning destroyed two network hubs and a network card.
Flash flooding was reported along Nix Road.
Flash flooding was reported at Nick Fitcheard Road and Bob Wade Lane.
Flash flooding was reported on Plummer Road just east of Indian Creek Road.
Flash flooding was reported along Old Railroad Bed Road.
Flash flooding was reported at numerous locations in northeast through central Huntsville, especially in poor drainage areas. Dallas Branch Creek and other creeks went out of their banks, and combined with poor drainage to produce flooding of streets, homes and basements, especially in the Five Points area. An automobile was stranded on Kimberly Lou Boulevard. An occupied vehicle was stranded at Owens Drive and Sun Valley Road. Water flooded the Jaycees Building.
Here is a list of roads and intersections that were impacted by flash flooding, and in many cases were either impassible or closed:
1300 block of Fairmont Road, Bob Wallace Avenue at Poincianna Street, Drake Avenue and Dupree Drive, Oakwood Avenue, Maysville Road, Giles Drive, South Hall Drive, 15th Avenue at 1st Street, Pansy Street at Bonita Drive, McKinley Avenue at Maysville Road and Truman, California Drive, and Whitesburg Drive.
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: 356196, 356188, 354022, 356195, 356181, 356183, 356184, 356185, 356186.