Many locations across central Alabama received little or no rainfall during the month of October. Drought conditions continued to worsen with Extreme Drought (D3) conditions expanding to cover a large portion of central Alabama, with Exceptional Drought (D4) conditions across east central Alabama.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 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 the month of October. Drought conditions continued to worsen with Extreme Drought (D3) conditions expanding to cover a large portion of central Alabama, with Exceptional Drought (D4) conditions across east central Alabama. Observing sites across east central Alabama were 10-15 inches below normal for 2016. The Governor of Alabama issued a Drought Emergency Declaration on October 12th for 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 Sep 30, 10:19 PM CST, 1 hour 41 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Birmingham AL 1119 PM CDT FRI SEP 30 2016 .UPDATE... For 06Z Aviation. && .SHORT TERM... Tonight. Afternoon satellite and obs show a few mid-level cumulus clouds and moderate temps across the forecast area. The dry air aloft and northerly flow will keep these conditions around for the rest of the day and into the evening. Highs this afternoon are still projected range between the upper 70s to low 80s. Tonight due to the northerly flow and dry air, Central AL will see mostly clear skies and temps in the low 50s and upper 40s. 92/Baird .LONG TERM... Saturday to Friday. Over the weekend and into the beginning of next week, the upper low will slowly drift north from the Ohio River valley to New England. This feature will continue to pour in dry air and subsidence aloft and will keep rain chances low. The 850mb low will slowly follow suit, thus changing the advection regime from cold to warm and allow temps to slowly increase to the upper 80s. Rain chances begin to go up slightly on Wednesday through Thursday as the southerly flow brings an increase in moisture into the region. Also another upper trough will exit the Rockies and begins crossing the Central Plains. Thursday night and into Friday morning a cold front, associated with the trough, will push into the region. Currently, models diverge on the amount of moisture return associated with the front. Therefore chances are keep only in the slight category at this time. 92/Baird && .AVIATION... 06Z TAF Discussion. Overall VFR conditions expected once again for the next 24 hours. There will be another lobe of energy that will slide into the northern areas again tonight. Models are hinting at the best low level moisture in place over TCL so went with tempo MVFR ceilings here from 11 to 14Z. For the rest of the sites went with a tempo of scattered MVFR. Not that confident with the rest of the sites as most models again keep the moisture north and west of most sites. TOI is already near the 1 degree dewpoint depression so there may be a brief window around sunrise for some patchy fog for this site so included as well. 16 && .FIRE WEATHER... Dry weather is expected through the next 7 days. No fire weather concerns are anticipated. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Gadsden 50 80 56 83 56 / 0 0 0 0 0 Anniston 52 81 56 84 57 / 0 0 0 0 0 Birmingham 54 82 57 84 58 / 0 0 0 0 0 Tuscaloosa 53 83 58 85 59 / 0 0 0 0 0 Calera 53 83 57 84 58 / 0 0 0 0 0 Auburn 55 84 57 85 60 / 0 0 0 0 0 Montgomery 55 86 58 87 60 / 0 0 0 0 0 Troy 52 85 58 86 60 / 0 0 0 0 0 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 423 AM CDT FRI SEP 30 2016 ALZ011>015-017>050-011230- 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- 423 AM CDT FRI SEP 30 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...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. 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.
13 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought intensity increased from Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3).
Drought intensity increased from Severe (D2) to Exceptional (D4).
Drought intensity increased from Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4).
Drought intensity increased from Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4).
Drought intensity increased from Severe (D2) to Exceptional (D4).
Drought intensity increased from Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4).
Drought intensity increased from Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4).
Drought intensity increased from Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3).
Drought intensity increased from Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3).
Drought intensity increased from Severe (D2) to Exceptional (D4).
Drought intensity increased from Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4).
Drought intensity stayed at Extreme (D3).
Drought intensity stayed at Severe (D2).
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, October 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: 663241, 663242, 663243, 663245, 663247, 663248, 663249, 663250, 663251, 663253, 663254, 663255, 663256.