Many locations across central Alabama received little or no rainfall during a majority of the month of November. Drought conditions continued to worsen with Extreme (D3) to Exceptional Drought (D4) conditions covering all 39 counties in central Alabama.
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 BMX wrote it up.
Many locations across central Alabama received little or no rainfall during a majority of the month of November. Drought conditions continued to worsen with Extreme (D3) to Exceptional Drought (D4) conditions covering all 39 counties in central Alabama. The Governor of Alabama expanded the Drought Emergency Declaration on November 7th to include all of central Alabama. The declaration prohibited all outdoor burning.
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 Nov 14, 11:55 PM CST, 5 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Birmingham AL 1155 PM CST Mon Nov 14 2016 .UPDATE... Evening Update. && .DISCUSSION... Showers and thunderstorms, yes that stuff that falls for the sky, was detected across the mid south headed this way. Very little in the way of low level moisture return. So the moisture will have be advected with the trough itself. Also, not much in the way of low level convergence as winds keep a westerly component. But there is some elevated instability and plenty of lift to get a few thunderstorms going west of here. There is an outside shot that a some of this activity may approach the state line before 12z, so added some pops far west. Increased rain chances a small amount for western locations tomorrow, but the drier airmass should win out for eastern locations. Made some minor lower of low temperatures as the current clear skies have allow radiational cooling to quickly drop temps. 75 && .AVIATION... 06Z TAF Discussion. Once again, a VFR forecast. An upper trough and associated surface cold front approach the state on Tuesday. Virtually no moisture return is anticipated ahead of the front and low level convergence is virtually absent. But there is some moisture ahead of the front and lift with the upper trough. Therefore, expect an increase in cloud cover. Have some ceilings entering the picture 11-16z moving west to east. These clouds should generally be in the 4-10k ft range. Local radars are also picking up some convection across the mid south. The rain/thunder chances are currently too low to mention at any terminal. Winds will remain light overnight with a westerly component early with a bit of a northwest turn late in the period for northern terminals. 75 && .FIRE WEATHER... A weak system will move across Central Alabama tomorrow, bringing a low chance of an isolated light rain shower to west Central Alabama. No airmass change behind this system with afternoon relative humidity values remaining in the 30 to 45 percent range and light winds thru the week. Next chance of rain comes Friday night and Saturday, although intensity and amounts will be light. Slightly drier air will spread into the area over the weekend. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 335 PM CST Mon Nov 14 2016/ SHORT TERM... Tonight through Tuesday. Surface ridging at the surface, brief zonal flow aloft, and over all dry atmospheric column has resulted in another day of dry and mostly clear conditions across Central Alabama. Smoke from ongoing wildfires across north Georgia and North Carolina is blowing to the east and southeast today, and away from the local area. Tonight, a shortwave will drop southward into the Tennessee Valley with a weak front approaching the area by sunrise Tuesday. Very subtle warm advection and an increase in cloud cover late tonight across the west should prevent temperatures from cooling as much as last night. Expect overnight lows in the upper 30s to mid 40s, with the typically cooler spots in the northeast in the lower 30s. Moisture still looks meager, but there could be enough to squeeze out a few light showers tomorrow morning. Hi-res guidance shows isolated shower activity dissipating before reaching I-65 as it encounters drier area, and already weak forcing with the system diminishes. Will carry low (15-20%) PoPs across portions of the west tomorrow. Ridging builds back into the area quickly for mid week. 14 .LONG TERM... Wednesday through Sunday. No significant changes were made to the extended forecast with this forecast package. Below is the previous long term discussion. This ridge remains in place for the majority of the work week giving us unseasonably warm high temperatures. Thursday looks to be the warmest day of the week with 1000-850mb thickness values and 850mb temperatures supporting afternoon highs reaching into the upper 70s to low 80s. Therefore, have leaned more towards the warmer guidance in the forecast. For now, the highs on Thursday are just shy of records but still 8-10 degrees above normal for this time of year. Next chance of rain comes on Friday with a long-wave trough swinging a cold front into the southeast US. For Central AL, models have been trending drier with each run, largely due to how much weight the models put into climatology in the long term. The low level ridging in place ahead of the front is expected to maintain generally easterly flow, preventing deep moisture return from the Gulf of Mexico. With limited moisture advection coupled with the prolonged drought, have kept only chance PoPs for areas north and west of I-59 Friday night into Saturday morning. Slight chance of rain exists elsewhere through Saturday afternoon, but any precipitation amounts will be low. Cooler and drier weather follow behind the front on Sunday and Monday with high temperatures staying at or below 60 for most locations. 25/Owen && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Gadsden 36 69 41 73 42 / 0 0 0 0 0 Anniston 39 70 44 72 44 / 0 0 0 0 0 Birmingham 43 70 47 73 49 / 10 10 0 0 0 Tuscaloosa 41 72 45 75 47 / 20 20 0 0 0 Calera 43 71 47 73 48 / 0 10 0 0 0 Auburn 45 71 49 73 49 / 0 0 0 0 0 Montgomery 42 74 47 77 48 / 0 0 0 0 0 Troy 38 74 44 75 44 / 0 0 0 0 0 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES/... None. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 432 AM CST MON NOV 14 2016 ALZ011>015-017>050-151345- 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- 432 AM CST MON NOV 14 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...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. 08
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought intensity increased from Moderate (D1) to Extreme (D3).
Drought intensity increased from Moderate (D1) to Extreme (D3).
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, November 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: 668243, 668245.