An upper level short-wave trough passed through Alabama during the afternoon and evening hours on March 3. A strong thermal gradient developed over southeast Alabama due to rain cooled air to the north and mostly skies to the south.
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.
An upper level short-wave trough passed through Alabama during the afternoon and evening hours on March 3. A strong thermal gradient developed over southeast Alabama due to rain cooled air to the north and mostly skies to the south. As a line of thunderstorms moved south of Interstate 85, a bow echo developed and produced damaging winds and isolated large hail.
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 3, 4:16 PM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 416 PM CST THU MAR 3 2016 .DISCUSSION... TODAY HAS CERTAINLY BEEN INTERESTING WEATHER-WISE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. RAIN SPREAD INTO THE AREA THIS MORNING...SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE...WITH THE AIRMASS INITIALLY BECOMING SATURATED ABOVE 5KFT WITH MOST IF NOT ALL OF THAT SATURATED LAYER BELOW 0C. AS PRECIP FELL THROUGH THE DRIER SURFACE LAYER...COOLING PROCESSES ALLOWED IT TO STAY FROZEN...DESPITE SURFACE TEMPERATURES 2-8F DEGREES ABOVE FREEZING. AT THE ONSET OF PRECIPITATION...SLEET AND LIGHT SNOW WERE REPORTED ACROSS MANY LOCATIONS IN NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...BEFORE THE PRECIP QUICKLY TRANSITIONED TO A RAIN/SLEET MIX. WATCHING RADAR TRENDS THIS MORNING...GREATER PRECIPITATION RATES WITHIN HEAVIER SHOWERS ALLOWED TEMPERATURES TO REMAIN COOL IN THE SURFACE LAYER...RESULTING IN LOCALIZED AREAS OF A RAIN/SLEET MIX BACK WITHIN THE RAIN SHIELD...PARTICULARLY IN NORTHEAST CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE PRECIPITATION THIS MORNING WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A MIDLEVEL SHORTWAVE CROSSING THE TENNESSEE RIVER VALLEY AND BROAD LOW PRESSURE...WHICH HAS NOW SETTLED ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI. A DISTINCT WARM FRONT STRETCHES FROM THE LOW ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA. WITH COLD ADVECTION AND PRECIP COOLED AIR TO THE NORTH AND WARM SOUTHERLY FLOW TO THE SOUTH...QUITE THE TEMPERATURE GRADIENT EXISTS ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. AS OF 2PM...IT WAS 70 AT EUF AND 44 AT AUO...A DISTANCE OF 50 MILES. AS THE COOL AIR SINKED SOUTHWARD...ELEVATED INSTABILITY ALLOWED FOR A FEW STORMS TO DEVELOP AND PRODUCE SMALL HAIL. EARLIER TODAY...A SLEET/RAIN MIX WAS REPORTED IN NORTHERN RANDOLPH COUNTY WHILE A STORM IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY WAS PRODUCING SMALL HAIL....TWO DIFFERENT PROCESSES PRODUCING FORMS OF FROZEN PRECIP. THROUGH THE REST OF THE AFTN AND EVENING...THE RAIN SHIELD WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EASTWARD AHEAD OF THE SURFACE LOW SLOWLY CROSSING SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH THE SOUTHERN EXTENT OF THE RAIN SHIELD FOR ISOLATED STORMS THAT COULD PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND/OR A STRONG WIND GUST. TO THE NORTH...RAIN WILL END AND TEMPERATURES COULD REBOUND A COUPLE DEGREES BEFORE SUNSET. HAVE LEFT LOW POPS ACROSS THE WEST BEYOND SUNSET AS THE SHORTWAVE AXIS MOVES THROUGH THE AREA PROVIDING LIFT FOR A FEW SHOWERS. EXPECT THE AREA TO BE RAIN-FREE BY MIDNIGHT...WITH LOW CLOUDS LINGERING OVERNIGHT. THE REST OF THE WEEK AND WEEKEND WILL BE DRY AS HEIGHTS INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA AND HIGH PRESSURE PUSHES ACROSS MUCH OF THE EASTERN CONUS. A STORM SYSTEM WILL CROSS THE MIDWEST SATURDAY AND DROP A WEAK AND DRY BOUNDARY INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. EXPECT AN INCREASE IN CLOUDS ACROSS THE NORTH BUT THE AREA SHOULD REMAIN DRY. RIDGING AMPLIFIES THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK ACROSS THE EASTERN CONUS. MODELS CONTINUE TO TREND STRONGER WITH THIS RIDGE...DELAYING THE ARRIVAL OF THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM. A COUPLE SHORTWAVES ROTATING THROUGH THE AMPLIFYING TROUGH WELL TO OUR WEST WILL TRACK TO OUR NORTHWEST...PULLING MOISTURE BACK NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF. BEST MOISTURE TRANSPORT REMAINS TO OUR WEST...WHERE BOTH LOWER AND UPPER LEVEL JETS STRENGTHEN. THE ENTIRE WAVE PATTERN SLOWLY SHIFTS EASTWARD...BECOMING MORE AMPLIFIED DUE TO THE STRENGTHENING RIDGE. RAIN WILL INCH TOWARD WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA BY MID WEEK. HAVE DECREASED POPS AGAIN FOR MOST PERIODS FROM MIDWEEK FORWARD...AND IT COULD BE THE END OF THE WEEK BEFORE MOST OF THE AREA SEES WIDESPREAD RAINFALL. 14 && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF DISCUSSION. MESSY AVIATION FORECAST FOR THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL ALABAMA AS RAIN AND STORMS HAVE OVERTAKEN ALL OF THE NORTHERN TERMINALS. EMBEDDED TSRA WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY IN HEAVIER DOWNPOURS. CIGS SHOULD BEGIN TO LOWER WITH TIME THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND BECOME AT LEAST MVFR THROUGH 00Z TONIGHT. RAIN AND EMBEDDED STORMS WILL CONTINUE PUSHING SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE EVENING AND COULD IMPACT KMGM AND KTOI INTO THE LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. 56/GDG && .FIRE WEATHER... RAIN WILL PUSH SOUTH AND EAST OF THE AREA TONIGHT. LOW CLOUD DECK WILL LINGER ACROSS THE AREA OVERNIGHT WITH CLOUDS DIMINISHING FRIDAY MORNING. BEYOND TONIGHT...DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. NO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE FORECAST. 14 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 36 57 33 63 37 / 40 0 0 0 0 ANNISTON 38 58 34 63 38 / 50 0 0 0 0 BIRMINGHAM 39 58 36 65 40 / 30 0 0 0 0 TUSCALOOSA 39 59 37 67 41 / 20 0 0 0 0 CALERA 39 58 37 65 41 / 30 0 0 0 0 AUBURN 42 60 38 65 42 / 80 0 0 0 0 MONTGOMERY 42 62 38 68 42 / 60 0 0 0 0 TROY 43 62 39 68 43 / 90 0 0 0 0 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 602 AM CST THU MAR 3 2016 ALZ011>015-017>050-041515- 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- 602 AM CST THU MAR 3 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM. .DAY ONE...OUTLOOK THROUGH TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1210 PM CST THU MAR 03 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1205 PM HAIL HACKNEYVILLE 33.06N 85.93W
03/03/2016 E0.88 INCH TALLAPOOSA AL EMERGENCY MNGR
NICKEL-SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN HACKNEYVILLE.
&&
GSATTERWSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1228 PM CST THU MAR 3 2016 ALZ029-038-031900- CHAMBERS AL-RANDOLPH AL- 1228 PM CST THU MAR 3 2016 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN RANDOLPH AND NORTHEASTERN CHAMBERS COUNTIES UNTIL 100 PM CST... AT 1228 PM CST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER WELCH...OR OVER STROUD...MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... ROANOKE...STROUD...POST OAK FORKS...WELCH...FREDONIA...VEASEY CREEK PARK...STANDING ROCK...ROANOKE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...ROCK MILLS... STROUD CREEK AND ROCKY POINT. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE. && LAT...LON 3297 8543 3315 8545 3318 8525 3298 8521 TIME...MOT...LOC 1828Z 264DEG 50KT 3308 8534 56
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1231 PM CST THU MAR 3 2016 ALZ037-031900- TALLAPOOSA AL- 1231 PM CST THU MAR 3 2016 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL TALLAPOOSA COUNTY UNTIL 100 PM CST... AT 1231 PM CST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER WIND CREEK STATE PARK...OR NEAR ALEXANDER CITY...MOVING EAST AT 75 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... ALEXANDER CITY...DADEVILLE...CAMP HILL...JACKSONS' GAP...EASTERN LAKE MARTIN...WIND CREEK STATE PARK...NORTHERN LAKE MARTIN...WESTERN LAKE MARTIN...HORSESHOE BEND NATIONAL MILITARY PARK...HORSESHOE BEND... EAGLE CREEK AND DARE PARK. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE. && LAT...LON 3278 8601 3295 8601 3302 8559 3280 8559 TIME...MOT...LOC 1831Z 263DEG 65KT 3288 8595 56
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1256 PM CST THU MAR 3 2016
ALZ033-039-040-031930-
PERRY AL-MARENGO AL-DALLAS AL-
1256 PM CST THU MAR 3 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN PERRY...WEST CENTRAL
DALLAS AND NORTHEASTERN MARENGO COUNTIES UNTIL 130 PM CST...
AT 1256 PM CST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
OVER CHICKASAW STATE PARK...OR NEAR LINDEN...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.
PEA SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
LINDEN...UNIONTOWN...ORRVILLE...FAUNSDALE...DAYTON...BOGUE CHITTO...
PIN HOOK...CHICKASAW STATE PARK...MARION JUNCTION...VAIDEN...
PROVIDENCE...VAIDEN FIELD AIRPORT...PERRY COUNTY CORRECTIONAL
CENTER...OLD SPRING HILL AND HAMBURG.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
&&
LAT...LON 3249 8773 3248 8772 3248 8752 3252 8752
3257 8724 3230 8720 3228 8788 3246 8790
TIME...MOT...LOC 1856Z 263DEG 48KT 3238 8780
56SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
227 PM CST THU MAR 3 2016
ALZ042-032100-
LOWNDES AL-
227 PM CST THU MAR 3 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL LOWNDES COUNTY UNTIL 300
PM CST...
AT 227 PM CST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
GORDONVILLE...OR 8 MILES WEST OF MOSSES...MOVING EAST AT 65 MPH.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MOSSES...HAYNEVILLE...WHITE HALL...GORDONVILLE...LOWNDESBORO...
BEECHWOOD...MANACK...LETOHATCHEE...COLLIRENE AND FOSTORIA.
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 65 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 151 AND 158.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
&&
LAT...LON 3222 8691 3223 8681 3224 8681 3224 8683
3227 8686 3228 8683 3234 8649 3233 8647
3231 8649 3228 8648 3227 8645 3224 8641
3211 8641 3208 8691
TIME...MOT...LOC 2027Z 261DEG 56KT 3219 8682
56SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
249 PM CST THU MAR 3 2016
ALZ038-047-032115-
CHAMBERS AL-LEE AL-
249 PM CST THU MAR 3 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN LEE AND SOUTHERN
CHAMBERS COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM CST...
AT 249 PM CST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
WAVERLY...OR 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CAMP HILL...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.
PEA SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
AUBURN...OPELIKA...VALLEY...LANETT...WAVERLY...CUSSETA...WEST
CHAMBERS...BEANS MILL...RIVER VIEW...BEULAH...HUGULEY...FAIRFAX...
CHAMBERS COUNTY LAKE...OAK BOWERY...STURKIE...MOUNT JEFFERSON...I 85
WELCOME CENTER AT LANETT AND LANETT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 85 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 64 AND 79.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
&&
LAT...LON 3263 8561 3271 8562 3272 8561 3273 8561
3273 8559 3282 8559 3290 8519 3286 8518
3286 8516 3285 8515 3283 8517 3281 8517
3278 8512 3276 8514 3274 8511 3270 8512
3266 8509
TIME...MOT...LOC 2049Z 261DEG 49KT 3274 8554
56The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees uprooted and several power lines downed on County Road 2227.
Numerous trees uprooted along County Road 21 near the town of Henderson.
Barn roof torn off and mobile home damaged on County Road 2287.
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: 625849, 625850, 625851, 625853.