A long-lived mesoscale-convective-system (MCS) which originated in southwest Missouri rolled southeastward into northwest and north central Alabama during the late afternoon and early evening hours. The line of storms was strongest across northwest into central Alabama.
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 long-lived mesoscale-convective-system (MCS) which originated in southwest Missouri rolled southeastward into northwest and north central Alabama during the late afternoon and early evening hours. The line of storms was strongest across northwest into central Alabama. The gust front produced damaging wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph. Several weather observation locations reported wind gusts of over 40 mph, with a couple reporting over 50 mph.
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 Jun 11, 2:35 PM CST, 1 hour 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 335 PM CDT MON JUN 11 2012 .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM FORECAST IS FOCUSED ENTIRELY ON CONVECTION...AND RIGHT NOW MAINLY ON AN MCS BARRELING ACROSS THE MS RIVER INTO THE MEMPHIS METRO. IT IS RAPIDLY MOVING INTO MORE MOIST/UNSTABLE LOW-LVL AIR /THETA-E RIDGE LOCATED OVER NRN MS-WRN TN/...AND RIDING NWLY FLOW INTO A WEAK TROUGH AXIS LOCATED ALONG A MONTGOMERY-FT PAYNE-CROSSVILLE TN LINE. MESOSCALE MODELS ARE ALL PICKING UP ON THIS FEATURE PRETTY WELL...AND GENERALLY ARE CONSISTENT IN BRINGING THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LINE INTO NW AL IN THE 00-03Z TIME FRAME. LINEAR EXTRAPOLATION OF THE CURRENT RADAR DATA IS FASTER THAN THAT...REACHING THE NW TIP AROUND 22Z. POPS INDICATED BELOW ARE BASED MORE ON THE MODEL TIMING...ADJUSTED SPATIALLY TO MATCH RADAR TRENDS. THEY STILL MAY BE FAR TOO LOW IN NE AL IF THE MCS/ASSOCIATED OUTFLOWS PERSIST ALL THE WAY THRU THE EVENING HRS. LOWS TONIGHT SHOULD BE MILD AND MUGGY THOUGH ADDITIONAL COOLING IS POSSIBLE WITH THE STORMS. THOSE SAME MESO MODELS SUGGEST THAT TONIGHT'S ACTIVITY MAY BE THE MAIN EVENT ASSOCIATED WITH AN APPROACHING FRONT...CURRENTLY ALONG AN AMARILLO-KANSAS CITY-DAVENPORT LINE. THAT IS A LITTLE HARD TO BELIEVE SINCE THE FRONT WILL ARRIVE 00-06Z TMRW EVENING...AND MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATE AN EXTREMELY UNSTABLE PREFRONTAL AIR MASS. SFC-BASED CAPES FROM THESE SOUNDINGS ARE ABOVE 3000 J/KG /THANKFULLY LACKING SHEAR/...AND SOME MODELS /MAINLY THE NAM/ INDICATE MID-LVL DRYING THAT WOULD BE FAVORABLE FOR MICROBURSTS. WILL CONTINUE WITH MID-HIGH POPS ANTICIPATING MORE ORGANIZED FORCING IN THIS ENVIRONMENT. TEMPERATURES ARE PROBLEMATIC AND FEEL LIKE THE MOS MAY BE OVERDOING HEATING...BUT MID 80S ARE ATTAINABLE IF ANY HEATING IS REALIZED. WEDNESDAY SHOULD BE DRY BEHIND THE FRONT...ALBEIT NOT MUCH COOLER. THE DRIER AIR MASS IS LIKELY TO BE MORE FAVORABLE FOR STRONGER HEATING AND THUS HIGHS MAY REACH 90. MOISTURE WILL RETURN QUICKLY AS SFC/UPPER HIGHS SHIFT...THOUGH TIMING REMAINS UNCERTAIN. THE GFS GENERATES CONVECTION THURSDAY AFTN...WHICH MIGHT BE A BIT FAST GIVEN LOW-LVL SERLY FLOW. MOISTURE/INSTABILITY WILL STILL INCREASE FOR THE WEEKEND AS THE REGION REMAINS ON THE EDGE OF AN UPPER HIGH...BUT A WEDGE RIDGE DOWNWIND OF THE APPALACHIANS MAY LIMIT LOW-LVL MOISTURE ENOUGH TO LIMIT DIURNAL CONVECTION. WILL CONTINUE WITH LOW-END POPS IN LINE WITH MOS BUT COVERAGE WILL BE LIMITED. TEMPS SHOULD BE QUITE SEASONABLE IF NOT COOLER THAN AVERAGE FOR LOWS DUE TO THE DRIER AIR. BCC && .AVIATION... /ISSUED 1249 PM CDT MON JUN 11 2012/ FOR 18Z TAFS... DESPITE A RICH MOISTURE PLUME ACROSS THE REGION...A FEW BREAKS IN THE CLOUD DECK AND A PASSING UPPER DISTURBANCE HAS RESULTED IN SCT SHOWERS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. MORE SHRA/TSRA ACTIVITY WILL DEVELOP INTO THE EARLY EVENING...WITH REDUCED VIS/CIGS DUE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND ERRATIC WINDS. HAVE VCSH FOR THE PRESENT...WITH VCTS FROM 20-21Z TO 12/02000Z. RAIN CHANCES SHOULD DIMINISH SOMEWHAT THIS EVENING WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING. MVFR CEILINGS/VISIBILITIES ARE POSSIBLE BEFORE DAYBREAK TUE...BUT SHOULD IMPROVE TO VFR BY THE LATE MORNING. A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WILL BE CLOSE ENOUGH TO KMSL...WITH WINDS BECOMING NW EARLY TUE AFTERNOON. RSB && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... HUNTSVILLE 70 86 66 90 65 / 70 60 20 10 10 SHOALS 71 86 65 90 63 / 80 60 10 10 10 VINEMONT 70 84 65 87 67 / 60 60 20 10 10 FAYETTEVILLE 70 86 64 88 63 / 60 60 10 10 10 ALBERTVILLE 67 85 65 89 64 / 60 60 20 10 10 FORT PAYNE 65 85 65 89 61 / 60 60 20 10 10 && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/HUNTSVILLE.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 345 PM CDT MON JUN 11 2012 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-120300- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 345 PM CDT MON JUN 11 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT... A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL APPROACH THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING BRINGING THE THREAT FOR DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...ESPECIALLY OVER NORTHWEST ALABAMA. THE SEVERE THREAT WILL DIMINISH SLIGHTLY AS THE LINE PROGRESSES EASTWARD ACROSS THE REST OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY TONIGHT. HOWEVER...GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF TUESDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE REGION. ALTHOUGH GUSTY WINDS AND LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS...THE GREATEST THREAT WITH THIS ACTIVITY WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH A FEW PERIODS OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF A HALF OF AN INCH TO AN INCH ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SL/RSB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
516 PM CDT MON JUN 11 2012
ALZ001-002-112300-
COLBERT-LAUDERDALE-
516 PM CDT MON JUN 11 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR COLBERT AND LAUDERDALE COUNTIES
UNTIL 600 PM CDT...
AT 510 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF
WALNUT GROVE TO IUKA...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 50 MPH.
PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
THREET.
CLOVERDALE.
ZIP CITY...PRIDE LANDING.
GREEN HILL...TUSCUMBIA.
MUSCLE SHOALS...KILLEN.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT MONDAY
EVENING FOR NORTHWEST ALABAMA.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL
TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS
CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.
&&
LAT...LON 3501 8753 3490 8723 3479 8733 3480 8735
3480 8743 3476 8742 3474 8743 3471 8743
3469 8745 3465 8744 3465 8748 3460 8751
3481 8811 3489 8811 3492 8816 3501 8810
TIME...MOT...LOC 2216Z 298DEG 44KT 3507 8789 3482 8809
SLThe Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 119 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:20 UTC.
21 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was blown down onto a house on Riverton Rose Trail.
A tree was downed by thunderstorm winds onto a residence, which required tarps to cover the damage.
A breezeway awning was blown apart at Cherokee Elementary School.
A few trees and powerlines were reported down on the Riverton Rose Trail.
A few small trees were downed due to thunderstorm winds.
A power line was downed by thunderstorm winds.
A tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds.
A couple of trees and power lines were downed by thunderstorm winds near the intersection of highway 247 and highway 24.
A power pole was broken and a few powerlines were downed by thunderstorm winds.
A few trees and power lines were downed on Memphis Street and a tree was downed by thunderstorm winds on second street in Muscle Shoals.
A tree was downed by thunderstorm winds.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds on County Road 16 and Highway 187 and a wind gust of 56 mph was reported by a Skycam at 29 feet agl.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds on Wilson West Road.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds along Gravel Hill Road.
A few trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds.
A 46 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured by the CWOP weather station at Speake School. A few power lines were also downed by thunderstorm winds.
A few power lines were downed by thunderstorm winds near Guthreys Crossing and County Road 222.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds across County Road 346.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds across County Road 109.
A few trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds across County Road 747.
A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds along County Road 649.
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, June 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: 394596, 394587, 394591, 394589, 394604, 394599, 394597, 394598, 394600, 394601, 394603, 394605, 394608, 394609, 394617, 394621, 394623, 395474, 394626, 394642, 394644.