0 inches of rainfall fell across much of central Alabama during May, little relief was felt in the ongoing drought across much of the southeastern portion of the area. Drought conditions persisted through the month across Elmore, Lee, Bullock, Macon, Tallapoosa, Montgomery, Russell, Pike, Barbour, Randolph, Lowndes, Chambers, Coosa, and Clay Counties.
Every event with a place to put it; 14 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.
Although between 2.0 and 8.0 inches of rainfall fell across much of central Alabama during May, little relief was felt in the ongoing drought across much of the southeastern portion of the area. Drought conditions persisted through the month across Elmore, Lee, Bullock, Macon, Tallapoosa, Montgomery, Russell, Pike, Barbour, Randolph, Lowndes, Chambers, Coosa, and Clay 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 Apr 30, 10:35 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1135 PM CDT MON APR 30 2012 .UPDATE... FOR 06Z AVIATION. && .DISCUSSION... NO MAJOR CHANGES NEEDED TO THE ONGOING FORECAST. EXPECT HIGH CLOUD COVER TO CONTINUE TO MOVE EASTWARD INTO THE AREA FROM MISSISSIPPI THRU THE NIGHT. MODELS SHOW AN AREA OF INCREASED MID LEVEL MOISTURE MOVING NORTHWARD ACROSS THE CWA TONIGHT WHICH COULD LEAD TO SOME MID CLOUD DEVELOPMENT...BUT DO NOT EXPECT ANY PRECIP WITH THIS FEATURE. MADE SOME MINOR TWEAKS TO HOURLY TEMPS AND DEW POINTS TO ACCOUNT FOR CURRENT TRENDS. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE LOW/MID 60S. UPDATES WILL BE OUR SHORTLY. 19 && .AVIATION... 06Z TAF DISCUSSION. STILL EXPECT SCT CIRRUS TO MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA OVERNIGHT...WITH SOME POSSIBLE MID LEVEL CIGS AROUND 6 KFT...BUT NOTHING OF SIGNIFICANCE. CU DEVELOPMENT IS ANTICIPATED ONCE AGAIN TUESDAY AFTERNOON WITH SOUTH SOUTHEAST WINDS AROUND 5-8 KTS. NOTE***THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS ISSUING SEASONAL TERMINAL FORECASTS FOR THE TALLADEGA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KASN) IN TALLADEGA... ALABAMA. THE FORECASTS WILL LAST THROUGH AT LEAST THE 9TH OF MAY. DUE TO THE LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF OBSERVATIONS...KASN TAF WILL HAVE AMD NOT SKED APPENDED TO THE END OF THE FORECAST. 19 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 62 89 61 87 60 / 0 20 10 10 10 ANNISTON 65 89 63 88 61 / 0 10 10 10 10 BIRMINGHAM 66 89 66 88 63 / 0 10 10 10 10 TUSCALOOSA 66 90 63 89 61 / 0 10 10 10 10 CALERA 65 89 64 87 62 / 0 10 10 10 10 AUBURN 64 87 64 86 62 / 0 10 10 10 10 MONTGOMERY 63 90 65 88 64 / 0 10 10 10 10 TROY 64 89 64 86 63 / 0 10 10 10 10 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 650 PM CDT MON APR 30 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- 650 PM CDT MON APR 30 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...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. 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.
14 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Elmore County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of May.
Lee County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of May.
Bullock County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of May.
Macon County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of May.
Tallapoosa County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of May.
Montgomery County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of May.
Russell County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of May.
Pike County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of May.
Barbour County experienced Exceptional (D4) drought conditions during the month of May.
Randolph County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of May.
Lowndes County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of May.
Chambers County experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of May.
Coosa County was experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of May.
Clay County was experienced Extreme (D3) drought conditions during the month of May.
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, May 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: 383143, 383144, 383145, 383146, 383148, 383149, 383150, 383151, 383153, 383154, 383155, 383156, 383158, 383159.