A QLCS moved rapidly eastward across south Alabama during afternoon hours of March 24. The system produced large hail near the northern apex of the bow and high winds were reported on the back side of the system due to a wake low.
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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 QLCS moved rapidly eastward across south Alabama during afternoon hours of March 24. The system produced large hail near the northern apex of the bow and high winds were reported on the back side of the system due to a wake low.
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 Mar 24, 11:47 AM CST, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1247 PM CDT THU MAR 24 2016 .UPDATE... MESOSCALE UPDATE. && .DISCUSSION... THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON REMAINS UNCLEAR DUE TO THE EFFECTS OF MESOSCALE FEATURES...AND WE HAVE REMOVED THE ELEVATED THREAT FOR NOW. A PREFRONTAL BAND OF SHOWERS AND STORMS CONTINUES TO INTENSIFY IN EXTREME SOUTHWEST ALABAMA SOUTHWARD INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO WHICH IS ONLY PARTIALLY DISRUPTING SOUTHERLY FLOW TO THE WEST ACROSS LA/MS. SOUTHWESTERLY 925-850MB FLOW ORIENTED PARALLEL TO THE BAND SUGGESTS THAT ENOUGH QUALITY MOISTURE REMAINS FOR HIGHER DEWPOINTS TO POOL ALONG AND JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THIS MAY ALLOW A NARROW AXIS OF DESTABILIZATION TO OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON IN SOUTHERN MS...POSSIBLY ADVECTING NORTHEAST ALONG THE I-59 CORRIDOR INTO WEST ALABAMA. AS CONVERGENCE ALONG THE FRONT SHARPENS...THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL PROBABLY OCCUR AROUND 21-23Z NEAR I-59. IF THIS HAPPENS...SURFACE CAPE OF 500-1000 J/KG AND 0-1 KM SRH OF 150-250 M2/S2 WILL SUPPORT AT LEAST A LIMITED THREAT FOR DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND A TORNADO OR TWO WITH THE STRONGEST UPDRAFTS. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO ENCOUNTER WEAKER INSTABILITY AS THEY MOVE EAST...BUT LOW-LEVEL SHEAR IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE AFTER DARK WHICH COULD MAINTAIN A LOW-END TORNADO THREAT...ESPECIALLY IF STORMS INTERSECT ANY REMNANT BOUNDARIES FROM EARLIER CONVECTION. 87/GRANTHAM && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF DISCUSSION. BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS FORECAST AREA IS IN ADVANCE OF THE PREFRONTAL OUTFLOW CURRENTLY MOVING INTO EASTERN MISSISSIPPI. THIS BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST INITIALLY AFFECTING BHM AND EET SITES... FOLLOWED BY ASN AND ANB AND FINALLY REACHING MGM AND TOI WITH EMBEDDED MVFR/IFR CIGS/VSBYS BY LATE AFTERNOON. BEHIND THIS BAND EXPECT TO GET A TEMPORARY BREAK IN PRECIPITATION COVERAGE BUT A SECOND ROUND OF SHOWERS/STORMS WILL LIKELY OCCUR LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING AS COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA FROM THE WEST. EXPECT FOR PRECIPITATION TO END FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE AREA BEHIND THE FRONT AFTER 00Z...BUT MVFR CIGS LIKELY TO PERSIST THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. AFTER 12Z EXPECT TO SEE VFR CONDITIONS RETURN TO MOST AREAS...ALTHOUGH MVFR CIGS MAY LINGER THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD AT MGM AND TOI. /41/ && .FIRE WEATHER... SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY A THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHWEST THIS MORNING. BETTER COVERAGE AND HIGHER POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL ENTER THE NORTHWEST AFTER 10 AM AND SLIDE EAST THROUGH THE DAY AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS. MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE DRY OVERNIGHT WITH JUST A LINGERING SHOW IN THE SOUTHEAST. DRY FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...WITH RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS RETURNING FROM THE SOUTH BY LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. NO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. 16 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 47 66 41 73 52 / 70 0 0 10 20 ANNISTON 50 67 43 75 55 / 90 0 0 10 30 BIRMINGHAM 47 68 45 75 56 / 60 0 0 10 30 TUSCALOOSA 47 68 45 75 56 / 30 0 0 10 30 CALERA 49 68 46 74 57 / 70 0 0 10 30 AUBURN 56 70 51 75 59 / 80 10 0 20 40 MONTGOMERY 56 71 49 79 61 / 80 10 0 20 50 TROY 58 72 51 79 62 / 70 10 10 20 50 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1254 PM CDT THU MAR 24 2016 ALZ011>015-017>050-252100- 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- 1254 PM CDT THU MAR 24 2016 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 RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...INCLUDING DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL ALABAMA TODAY. THE FOCUS IS SHIFTING MORE EASTWARD THIS EVENING AS THE MORNING AND MID AFTERNOON RAIN HAS WORKED TO STABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE. THE THREAT SHOULD BEGIN IN 4PM IN THE WEST AND NEAR NEAR MIDNIGHT IN THE EAST. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THERE IS A RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...INCLUDING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA ON SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING DUE TO THE THREAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:25 UTC.
1 high wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees uprooted and power lines downed on Elmore Road near the intersection of McCain Road. Damage was caused by winds associated with a wake low.
Large hail reported at Scotts Farm Supply Store.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, March 2016
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: 625870, 625874.