A weak upper level disturbance crossed Central Alabama during the afternoon and evening on Saturday, April 27th. This weak forcing combined with an unstable airmass resulted in isolated wind damage and hail across west 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 BMX wrote it up.
A weak upper level disturbance crossed Central Alabama during the afternoon and evening on Saturday, April 27th. This weak forcing combined with an unstable airmass resulted in isolated wind damage and hail across west Central Alabama. Thunderstorms had a difficult time maintaining severity as they moved into a more stable airmass across the eastern half of 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 Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 27, 2:07 PM CST, 2 hours 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 307 PM CDT SAT APR 27 2013 .DISCUSSION... INCREASINGLY UNSETTLED AND STORMY CONDITIONS EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS A LOW IN THE VICINITY OF HOT SPRINGS AR...WITH A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDING EASTWARD FROM IT TO NEAR MEMPHIS...HUNTSVILLE... AND ROME GA (WHERE IT BECOMES A "WEDGE FRONT"). THERE'S ALSO A SURFACE PRESSURE TROUGH (PERHAPS HEAT RELATED) ORIENTED NW TO SE...FROM ROUGHLY GREENWOOD MS TO SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA. AFTERNOON RADAR SWEEPS SHOW SEVERAL AREAS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TRYING TO GET GOING -- ONE IN NORTHEAST AR AND SOUTHEAST MO...AND ANOTHER IN CENTRAL MS EASTWARD TO NEAR THE AL STATE LINE. UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL SWING ACROSS THE OHIO AND TENNESSEE VALLEYS TONIGHT...WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND STORMS. WILL MAINTAIN HIGH POPS ACROSS OUR AREA TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. WILL CONTINUE TO ALSO WATCH FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONG/SEVERE STORMS IN OUR WESTERN COUNTIES LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING (REFERENCE THE LATEST DAY ONE CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK AND RECENT MESOSCALE DISCUSSION). SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH HERE DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY...EVENTUALLY DIMINISHING THE RAIN CHANCES FROM WEST TO EAST SUNDAY NIGHT. THE FRONT...WHICH ISN'T VERY STRONG TO BEGIN WITH...IS FORECAST TO STALL AND WASH OUT ACROSS THE GULF COAST EARLY THE UPCOMING WORK WEEK. BEYOND THAT...THERE REMAINS A LARGE DEGREE OF UNCERTAINTY IN THE FORECAST DUE TO THE EXPECTED DEVELOPMENT OF A LARGE UPPER LEVEL CUTOFF LOW. MEDIUM/LONG RANGE MODELS ARE FINALLY STARTING TO AGREE A BIT BETTER ON THE PLACEMENT AND STRENGTH OF THE LOW...ALONG WITH THE TIMING AND STRENGTH OF AN ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD FRONT PASSAGE. THE 12Z GFS HAS SHIFTED A BIT FARTHER WEST WITH ITS UPPER LOW SOLUTION...THOUGH STILL NOT QUITE AS FAR WEST AS THE 12Z ECMWF. ALTHOUGH NOW BOTH THE 12Z GFS AND 12Z ECMWF AGREE THAT THE LOW WILL FILL AND STAY/MOVE TO OUR NORTH IN THE WEEKEND/BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK TIME FRAME. JUST AHEAD OF AND DURING THE CUTTING OFF PROCESS...IT APPEARS THAT CENTRAL ALABAMA WILL BE IN A REGIME THAT LARGELY FEATURES LOW LEVEL MOISTURE RETURN. I NORMALLY DISLIKE GOING WITH SEVERAL PERIODS OR DAYS OF CHANCE POPS (EXCEPT DURING THE SUMMERTIME)... BUT IN THIS CASE IS STILL SEEMS WARRANTED. ALSO...WITH THE UPPER LOW CENTER NOW FORECAST TO BE A BIT MORE REMOVED FROM OUR AREA... IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE WOULD GET AS COLD AS THE GFS WAS PREVIOUSLY ADVERTISED. /61/ && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF DISCUSSION. MESSY TAF FORECAST CONTINUES AS OVER THE NEXT 18 HOURS...THERE WILL BE A LOT OF TRANSITION. FOR THE MOST PART...THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING SKIES WILL REMAIN GENERALLY VFR. HOWEVER...AS A WEAK COLD FRONT AND BETTER ATMOSPHERIC FORCING TRANSLATES FROM THE LOWER MS VALLEY INTO THE TN VALLEY...ALL SITES SHOULD SEE AN INCREASE IN LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...WITH ADDITIONAL LOWER CLOUDS. MOST SITES WILL TRANSITION TO MVFR OR PERHAPS IFR DURING THE OVERNIGHT THANKS TO CLOUD COVER...WITH THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY AROUND TO AFTER MIDNIGHT. CONFIDENCE IS GREATEST FOR THE NORTHERN TAF SITES TCL...BHM...ANB...ASN...AND EET...LESS FOR MGM AND TOI. NOTE:THE SEASONAL TAF FOR TALLADEGA...KASN...IS NOW BEING GENERATED BY NWS BMX. DUE TO COMMUNICATION LIMITATIONS...WILL INCLUDE /AMD NOT SKED/ IN THE KASN TAF...AS AMENDMENTS WILL NOT BE GUARANTEED. THIS TAF WILL BE AVAILABLE WITH AT LEAST 4 ROUTINE DAILY SYNOPTIC UPDATES THROUGH MAY 9 AT 00Z. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 59 71 56 76 54 / 90 90 50 10 0 ANNISTON 61 72 57 75 56 / 80 90 60 10 0 BIRMINGHAM 63 72 58 77 57 / 90 80 40 10 0 TUSCALOOSA 63 74 58 80 58 / 90 70 30 0 0 CALERA 62 73 59 77 58 / 90 80 50 10 0 AUBURN 62 74 61 78 60 / 50 90 80 20 10 MONTGOMERY 63 76 60 80 59 / 50 80 70 10 10 TROY 61 76 60 79 58 / 50 90 80 20 10 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 104 PM CDT SAT APR 27 2013 ALZ011>015-017>050-281815- 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- 104 PM CDT SAT APR 27 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A THREAT FOR SEVERE STORMS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST...MAINLY BETWEEN 8 PM AND 3 AM...AS A FRONTAL SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. THE MAIN AREA OF CONCERN WILL BE ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM ALICEVILLE TO TUSCALOOSA TO ONEONTA. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
420 PM CDT SAT APR 27 2013
ALZ022-272215-
PICKENS AL-
420 PM CDT SAT APR 27 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN PICKENS COUNTY UNTIL 515
PM CDT...
AT 420 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 12 MILES NORTHWEST OF PANOLA...OR 16 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
PICKENSVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
PICKENSVILLE...
ALICEVILLE...
CARROLLTON...
GORDO...
BEVILL LOCK AND DAM...
&&
LAT...LON 3321 8832 3338 8793 3319 8783 3315 8784
3311 8795 3299 8834
TIME...MOT...LOC 2120Z 246DEG 29KT 3307 8839
GRANTHAMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
452 PM CDT SAT APR 27 2013
ALZ012-272230-
LAMAR AL-
452 PM CDT SAT APR 27 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN LAMAR COUNTY UNTIL 530
PM CDT...
AT 451 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF BEDFORD...OR 9 MILES WEST OF
SULLIGENT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
SULLIGENT...
DETROIT...
CREWS...
BEAVERTON...
PINE SPRINGS...
&&
LAT...LON 3386 8824 3390 8824 3390 8823 3405 8822
3405 8799 3403 8799 3402 8795 3394 8796
3383 8824 3385 8824
TIME...MOT...LOC 2152Z 240DEG 28KT 3391 8829
GRANTHAMThe Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 25 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:29 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
At least four trees were blown down along Mount Hebron Road, one of which was large and blocking the roadway.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, April 2013
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: 448470, 448467.