A narrow fast-moving line of showers and a few embedded thunderstorms produced isolated wind damage.
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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 HUN wrote it up.
A narrow fast-moving line of showers and a few embedded thunderstorms produced isolated wind damage.
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 Nov 18, 5:55 PM CST, 21 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 555 PM CST Sat Nov 18 2017 .UPDATE... For 00Z TAFS. && .NEAR TERM...(Tonight) Issued at 312 PM CST Sat Nov 18 2017 A powerful storm system continued developing as it moved to the northeast across northern Ohio, with its surface low now in the upper 980s mb intensity. A tightening pressure gradient around this system, and high pressure east of the Carolina's coast, was creating windy conditions across the Tennessee Valley. Southwest winds have been averaging in the 20-30 mph range, with gusts over 40 mph in the higher and more exposed terrain. The strong southerly flow has drawn deeper Gulf moisture well inland, raising area dewpoints into the upper 50s and lower 60s, and real air temperatures has warm as the lower 70s. A few passing light showers or drizzle have affected some locations, especially downwind of up sloping terrain. The main event - a strong cold front was moving across the Mississippi River region, extending from SW Indiana, to east of Memphis, and near Greenville MS. A line of showers and thunderstorms was accompanying this frontal boundary as it heads rapidly eastward. A quick timing of convection south of Memphis suggests it will reach far NW Alabama in the next 2-3 hours or 5-6 PM. A concern with that convection is that the area is modestly unstable, with strong lower level shear also in place. However, the strongest shear in the 1 and 3km was displaced to the north and east of the region. Also, point soundings indicated an inversion aloft, that flattens just as the line of convection moves in. Thus there exists a very narrow window for severe storms to occur. A strong and severe convective threat will end as one moves further east - mainly from a loss of daytime heating/instability and the shear being displaced even further to the east of the region. Much cooler air will filter in behind the cold front. Low temperatures towards daybreak Sunday will chill into the mid/upper 30s. A wind of 5-10 mph will be sufficient to keep frosting concerns minimized. .SHORT TERM...(Sunday through Monday) Issued at 312 PM CST Sat Nov 18 2017 Skies will become sunny to begin a new week Sunday. But with much colder air invading from the NW, High temperatures on Sunday will struggle into the upper 40s, a good 20-25 degrees cooler than today. Sunday night, a real good chance for an area wide hard freeze is still in the forecast, as cold air continues flowing across the region. Nighttime lows will chill into the mid/upper 20s in most spots. Only locations near large bodies of water may be spared freezing temperatures, or at least will "only" cool to around 32 degrees. A tad warmer is expected on Monday with highs in the mid 50s. Not as cool Monday night with lows in the mid/upper 30s under generally clear skies. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday through Friday) Issued at 240 PM CST Sat Nov 18 2017 Early Tuesday, a broad trough will be present across the East CONUS, with the axis extending southward generally along/near the Miss River. Although short waves will be rotating through the base of the trough across the region, a lack of sufficient moisture along zones of lift will prevent rain/showers from developing in our area. Instead, the greatest height falls and thus low pressure development is expected to take place in the NE Gulf during the day. Moisture advection in concert with the best lift will take place well to our SE-E as the area of low pressure likely strengthens and moves to the NE across the FL peninsula and into the W Atlantic. A secondary upper wave will push into the base of the trough (and across the TN Valley) by late on Wednesday and help with this process. Cold advection and deepening northerly flow in association with the reinforcing upper trough will lead to cold advection and cooler temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday. A freeze may again occur in many locations on Thursday and Friday mornings, but conditions will likely remain dry for Thanksgiving and Friday. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Sunday evening) Issued at 555 PM CST Sat Nov 18 2017 Squall line has moved ewd thru the KMSL terminal and is now approaching the KHSV airport. The line should move thru KHSV between 00-01Z, with VRB winds gusting near 40KT at times. The cold front itself is moving into NW AL behind the squall line, with sfc winds turning to the WNW around 20KT with gusts near 30KT. MVFR cigs around 2-3K ft are briefly in place with the frontal passage, but should eventually lift above 3K ft around 03-05Z with the front continuing to move ewd thru the remainder of the area. Sfc winds should gradually lower closer to 12KT out of the NW near 06Z with skies clearing. VFR conds are then xpcted thru remainder of the TAF period from late tonight thru the day Sun, with sfc winds out of the NW near 12-14KT with higher gusts. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...Wind Advisory until 9 PM CST this evening for ALZ001>010-016. TN...Wind Advisory until 9 PM CST this evening for TNZ076-096-097. && NEAR TERM...RSB SHORT TERM...RSB LONG TERM...KDW AVIATION...09 For more information please visit our website at weather.gov/huntsville.
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Huntsville AL 839 AM CST Sat Nov 18 2017 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-190030- Lauderdale-Colbert-Franklin AL-Lawrence-Limestone-Madison-Morgan- Marshall-Jackson-De Kalb-Cullman-Moore-Lincoln-Franklin TN- 839 AM CST Sat Nov 18 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north Alabama and portions of southern middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight... A strong cold front will move across the region this afternoon and evening, accompanied by a fast moving band of numerous showers and scattered thunderstorms. Some of these storms could become strong to severe in intensity, with damaging wind gusts to 60 MPH the primary impact. A brief spin-up tornado cannot be ruled out within the heavier showers and/or stronger storms. Tornado formation is possible over Southern Middle Tennessee, and portions of Northwest and North Central Alabama - mainly north of the Tennessee River and west of the Interstate 65 corridor. Outside of any heavier shower and thunderstorm activity, sustained southerly winds will increase to between 20 and 25 MPH, with gusts up to 35 to 40 MPH, especially in the higher terrain locations of Northeastern Alabama and Southern Middle Tennessee. As the front shifts across the region late this afternoon and early evening, winds will become westerly in the evening. Please consult the Wind Advisory that is in effect for more information. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday... The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. Conditions will be favorable for a hard freeze Monday morning, with lows forecast to reach the mid to upper 20s. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management personnel may be requested for the afternoon and early evening.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
421 PM CST SAT NOV 18 2017
ALZ001-002-182245-
Lauderdale AL-Colbert AL-
421 PM CST SAT NOV 18 2017
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN LAUDERDALE AND WESTERN
COLBERT COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM CST...
At 421 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Walnut Grove to near Burton in
Mississippi. Movement was east at 40 mph.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with these storms.
Locations impacted include...
J P Coleman State Park, Cherokee, Waterloo, Malone, Posey Loop,
Allsboro, Wright, Riverton, Oakland and Red Rock.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Strong gusty winds will be capable of knocking down small tree limbs
along with other small unsecured items. Seek safe shelter until this
line of storms has passed.
&&
LAT...LON 3500 8767 3459 8787 3458 8798 3458 8814
3489 8810 3492 8816 3501 8820
TIME...MOT...LOC 2221Z 263DEG 47KT 3508 8807 3458 8835
LNSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
537 PM CST SAT NOV 18 2017
TNZ076-096-190000-
Moore TN-Lincoln TN-
537 PM CST SAT NOV 18 2017
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MOORE AND LINCOLN COUNTIES UNTIL
600 PM CST...
At 537 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Lewisburg to near Pulaski. Movement was
east at 50 mph.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Fayetteville, Lynchburg, Petersburg, Howell, Mimosa, Blanche,
Coldwater, Kelso, Mulberry and Chestnut Ridge.
LAT...LON 3541 8625 3539 8628 3538 8625 3537 8627
3535 8626 3501 8652 3502 8684 3526 8683
3525 8675 3531 8668 3533 8660 3537 8659
3535 8654 3536 8649 3533 8646 3532 8642
3535 8641 3536 8633 3541 8629
TIME...MOT...LOC 2337Z 247DEG 46KT 3540 8671 3516 8694
KTWThe Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 28 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:15 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Tree reported down along 4th Avenue SW in the Winchester area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, November 2017
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: 726090.