Windy conditions developed ahead of a cold front that pushed through the Tennessee Valley during the evening of 13th into the early morning hours of the 14th. Southeast to south winds increased to 20 to 30 mph, with gusts over 40 mph reported.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 HUN wrote it up.
Windy conditions developed ahead of a cold front that pushed through the Tennessee Valley during the evening of 13th into the early morning hours of the 14th. Southeast to south winds increased to 20 to 30 mph, with gusts over 40 mph reported. A few gusts to 45 mph were observed. A few trees were knocked down in northwest Alabama and a couple of power outages were reported via social media.
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 Dec 13, 6:44 PM CST, 2 hours 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 644 PM CST SUN DEC 13 2015 .UPDATE... TO LOWER POP IN OUR EASTERN COUNTIES EARLY THIS EVENING, BUT NO OTHER CHANGES NEEDED. && .SYNOPSIS... /ISSUED 302 PM CST SUN DEC 13 2015/ A STORY OF TEMPERATURE EXTREMES IS ANTICIPATED FOR THE NEXT 7 DAYS WITH UNSEASONABLY VERY WARM TEMPERATURES FOR THE FIRST HALF AND THEN UNSEASONABLY COLD TEMPERATURES FOR THE LAST HALF. UNSEASONABLY WARM CONDITIONS PREVAIL TODAY AHEAD OF A MID-LEVEL TROUGH-INDUCED LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT. IN FACT, IT LOOKS LIKE BOTH DAILY HIGH MAXIMUM RECORDS FOR TODAY AT KHSV AND KMSL HAVE BEEN BROKEN WITH CURRENT READINGS, BUT WITH ADDITIONAL WARMING POSSIBLE, WILL WAIT UNTIL LATER TO ISSUE A RECORD EVENT REPORT. THE MID-LEVEL TROUGH THAT IS THE PRIMARY DRIVER FOR THE ONCOMING SQUALL LINE IS BEGINNING TO MOVE MORE NORTHEASTERLY OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS TO THE CORN BELT REGION WHILE A LINE OF STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS LA/AR TO MI. FURTHER NORTHWEST, THE NEXT MID-LEVEL TROUGH TO AFFECT OUR WEATHER LATER THIS WEEK IS CURRENTLY MOVING ONSHORE OVER THE PACIFIC NW. SL.77 && .DISCUSSION... S-SELY FLOW IS INCREASING THIS EVENING WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20-30 MPH AND GUSTS OVER 30 MPH IN A FEW SPOTS ALREADY. WINDS ARE SLOWER TO INCREASE IN OUR EASTERN VALLEYS, BUT THAT SHOULD CHANGE SOON. GUSTS OVER 40 MPH ARE BEING REPORTED IN WRN TN AND EASTERN MS AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING SQUALL LINE. THE KHTX VWP IS SHOWING 50KT NOW IN THE 3-6KFT LAYER WITH 30-40KT AROUND 2KFT. THE SQUALL LINE IS BEING MODELLED QUITE WELL BY THE HRRR AS FAR AS ORIENTATION AND INTENSITY. HOWEVER, THE MODEL APPEARS TO BE ABOUT AN HOUR OR TWO SLOW WITH THE PROGRESSION. THIS BEING SAID, OUR EASTERN COUNTIES SHOULD STILL REMAIN DRY THRU 03Z, IF NOT 06Z, SO MADE SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS IN THIS AREA. THE LINE SHOULD STILL ENTER NWRN AL BETWEEN 04-06Z. INTENSITY OF THE LINE MAY REMAIN STRONG THRU EARLY THIS EVENING, BUT IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH GREATLY UPON ITS ENTRY THRU MIDDLE TN AND NRN AL. THE GREATEST THREAT OF GUSTY WINDS WITH THIS LINE WILL BE IN FAR NWRN AL, BUT EXPECT THIS THREAT TO GO DOWN AS IT MOVES EAST AS IT ENCOUNTERS SLIGHTLY DRIER AIR. THE OHX AND BMX SOUNDINGS SHOWS A VERY STRONG CAPPING INVERSION AT 800 MB WHICH SHOULD ALSO TEND TO INHIBIT UPDRAFT DEPTH OVER OUR AREA. && .AVIATION... /ISSUED 518 PM CST SUN DEC 13 2015/ FOR 00Z TAFS...WIDESPREAD RAIN WILL HOLD OFF TILL AFTER 06-08Z FROM WEST TO EAST. AN ISOLATED SHOWER BEFORE THIS IS POSSIBLE BUT CONFIDENCE TO LOW TO INCLUDE IN THE TAFS. EXPECT THE CIGS TO STAY VFR UNTIL THE RAIN MOVES IN BUT CANNOT RULE OUT AN OCCASIONAL BKN030 CEILING UNTIL THEN. WIND GUSTS TO 30KT WILL REMAIN UNTIL 8-10Z...DIMINISH BRIEFLY WITH ADDITIONAL GUSTS TO AROUND 20KT POSSIBLE MONDAY AFTERNOON. THE TIMING OF CATEGORY CHANGES AS WELL AS TIMING OF THE END OF THE STRONGEST WIND GUSTS WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED AS AMENDMENTS MAY BE NEEDED. LN && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 302 PM CST SUN DEC 13 2015/ THE WELL ADVERTISED SQUALL LINE IS FINALLY MOVING TOWARDS THE TN VALLEY WITH ITS CURRENT LOCATION JUST WEST OF THE MS RIVER. SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 15-20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS HAVE DEVELOPED TODAY AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO INCREASE TO 20-30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AS THE STRONG JET STREAKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MID-LEVEL TROUGH EDGE CLOSER AND IMPACT THE AREA. WITH CURRENT UPSTREAM OBS AND MODEL FORECAST WINDS, WILL CONTINUE WITH TIMING OF WIND ADVISORY STARTING AT 4PM TODAY AND ENDING AT 4AM MONDAY. HERE ARE MORE DETAILS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL SETUP FOR THE ONCOMING QLCS. WIND SHEAR IS QUITE HIGH WITH 0-3 KM BULK SHEAR VALUES BTWN 50- 70 KTS AND 300-500 M2/S2 STORM RELATIVE HELICITY VALUES. HOWEVER, INSTABILITY PARAMETERS AND PROFILES ARE NEGLIGIBLE/CAPPED DUE TO THE WARM TEMPERATURE PROFILE AT THE SFC AND ALOFT. THOUGH LOW CONFIDENCE EXISTS FOR THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL, WILL STILL KEEP A SCHC OF THUNDERSTORMS AS THIS LINE CROSSES THE AREA FOR ANY LIGHTNING THAT DOES OCCUR. PWATS ARE STILL FORECAST TO BE HIGH. EVEN THE OBS TOTAL PRECIP WATER VALUES VIA SAT IMAGERY ARE SHOWING 1.4-2.0 IN. THE HIGHER VALUES ARE ALONG THE COAST WHILE THE LOWER AMOUNTS 1.4-1.6 ARE MAINLY INLAND EXTENDING WELL INTO THE OZARKS. SO, HEAVY RAINFALL IS STILL ANTICIPATED AT LEAST AS THE LINE INITIALLY CROSSES OVER AT LEAST THE WESTERN HALF OF THE TN VALLEY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE FORECAST TO BE GENERALLY AT OR BELOW 1.0 INCH. THE BULK OF THE VORTICITY WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL ACTUALLY LIFT TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE REGION WHICH MEANS WHATEVER IS LEFT OF THE QLCS, AS IT MOVES EAST, WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN AND BECOME MORE DISORGANIZED. NEVERTHELESS, THERE IS STILL A THREAT THAT THE WINDS JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE (50 KTS) MAY MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE WITH ANY OF THE STRONGER CONVECTIVE AREAS AND SMALL BOWING SEGMENTS THAT DEVELOP ALONG THE LINE. SO, WILL CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT THE CONVECTIVE THREAT OF GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HEAVY RAINFALL. THE QLCS SHOULD BEGIN TO IMPACT THE NW AL PORTION OF THE TN VALLEY AROUND MIDNIGHT AND HAVE ADDED/ADJUSTED POPS TO REFLECT THE POSSIBILITY OF SHOWERS THAT MAY DEVELOP JUST AHEAD OF THE LINE. THEN, THE QLCS/LINE WILL MOVE EAST DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. IT SHOULD THEN EXIT NE AL/S MIDDLE TN PORTIONS OF THE TN VALLEY BY 15- 18Z MONDAY (9AM-NOON) WITH TRAILING STRATIFORM PRECIP POSSIBLE. COOLER WEATHER SHOULD THEN PREVAIL BEHIND THIS LINE AS A MODIFIED CONTINENTAL POLAR AIRMASS ADVECTS SOUTHEASTWARD. HIGHS ON MONDAY WILL LIKELY BE AROUND 10 DEGREES LOWER IN THE LOW TO MID 60S. IN ADDITION, THIS MODIFIED COLD AIRMASS WILL TRANSLATE TO ABOUT A 10-20 DEGREE CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE BTWN SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY NIGHT AS OVERNIGHT LOWS ON MONDAY NIGHT DROP INTO THE 40S. DRY AND UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER WILL RETURN ON TUESDAY AS SYNOPTIC SCALE RIDGING PREVAILS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST WHILE THAT AFOREMENTIONED PACIFIC NORTHWEST TROUGH MOVES SOUTHEAST OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. THIS MID-LEVEL TROUGH WILL ALSO BE FORCED TO MOVE NORTHEAST ATOP THE RIDGE ON TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY DELAYING ITS PROGRESSION UNTIL AN ADDITIONAL SHORTWAVE TROUGH EJECTS OFF A CANADIAN LOW AND DEEPENS ALONG THE SOUTHERN FLANK OF THE PRIMARY TROUGH. THIS WILL SEND A STRONG POLAR AIRMASS/COLD FRONT SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE PLAINS. AS THE FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TROUGH EDGES EASTWARDS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST A SECONDARY LOW DEVELOPS OVER THE CENTRAL GULF COAST AND MOVES NORTH ACROSS MS/CENTRAL AL SENDING A WARM FRONT NORTHWARD BY WEDNESDAY EVENING. GIVEN THE LACK OF INSTABILITY AND MODEST WIND SHEAR, ONLY ANTICIPATING SHOWER ACTIVITY ALONG/JUST AHEAD OF THIS FRONT. THEN, A RETURN TO BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES IS ANTICIPATED WITH DAYTIME HIGHS INITIALLY IN THE 50S ON THURSDAY, BUT THURSDAY NIGHT WILL BE THE MOST NOTICEABLE WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS CLOSE TO FREEZING. AS THE NOW LONGWAVE TROUGH MOVES EAST ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY, A POLAR HIGH WILL GRADUALLY MOVE EAST TOWARDS THE TN VALLEY BRINGING EVEN COOLER TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY/SATURDAY WITH DAYTIME HIGHS STRUGGLING TO REACH 50 DEGREES WHILE OVERNIGHT LOWS DROP BELOW FREEZING ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY NIGHT. SL.77 && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM CST MONDAY FOR ALZ001>010-016. TN...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM CST MONDAY FOR TNZ076-096-097. && FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/HUNTSVILLE.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 613 PM CST SUN DEC 13 2015 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-141000- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 613 PM CST SUN DEC 13 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA... NORTHEAST ALABAMA...NORTHWEST ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE INTO THE 25 TO 30 MPH RANGE THIS EVENING...WITH GUSTS OF 35 TO 40 MPH AT TIMES. A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE REGION THROUGH 4 AM MONDAY. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL ACCOMPANY THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT AFTER 10 PM IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...AND AFTER MIDNIGHT EAST OF INTERSTATE 65 IN SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND NORTHEAST ALABAMA. THE LINE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...ESPECIALLY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE IMMEDIATELY AFTER SUNRISE ON MONDAY FOR FAR NORTHEAST ALABAMA. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Reports of power outages were received in the Quad Cities area of Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Sheffield and Florence.
Reports of power outages were received in the Quad Cities area of Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Sheffield and Florence. At least two trees were also knocked down in north Florence.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, December 2015
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: 609204, 609205.