A line of showers and thunderstorms produced a few reports of wind damge in northwest Alabama during the mid afternoon hours.
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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 line of showers and thunderstorms produced a few reports of wind damge in northwest Alabama during the mid afternoon hours.
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 Dec 31, 1:24 PM CST, 40 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 124 PM CST Mon Dec 31 2018 .NEAR TERM...(Tonight) Issued at 123 PM CST Mon Dec 31 2018 QLCS will continue to enter northwest AL and exit ouer eastern counties by 01-02Z. The near storm environment appears most favorable for damaging winds or a brief tornado in northwest AL into southern middle TN. The risk should wane further east. We will carry early evening showers/thunderstorms in our eastern counties, with possibly a few showers redeveloping along the cold front this evening further west. Low ceilings should persist through the night, and temps will be slow to fall only into the u40s- l50s. .SHORT TERM...(Tuesday through Wednesday night) Issued at 123 PM CST Mon Dec 31 2018 On Tuesday, the 5h high over the eastern Bahamas will build a ridge westward into the Gulf of Mexico and keep slightly anti-cyclonic flow over the Gulf States including our portion of the TN Valley. However, the main forecast challenge will be determining if the lower clouds can dissipate in the wake of the departing cold front. Confidence is rather low in the sky forecast, but will go slightly more optimistic with our southern and eastern counties seeing some breaks in the clouds Tuesday, but keeping southern TN and northwest AL cloudy through the day. This is how temps are arranged as well (warmer southeast w/u50s-a60/cooler northwest w/u40-l50s). Low overcast may persist through Tuesday night into Wednesday, before mid and high clouds overspread the region on Wednesday afternoon and evening. Isentropic lift should bring increasing light rain on Wednesday, while stronger low level flow suggests heavier showers or a small MCS that propagates east-northeast along the 8h front just to our south. Where this first main "band" of rain sets up is still uncertain, but the models seem to be pointing toward central and northern MS into north AL and GA. .LONG TERM...(Thursday through Sunday) Issued at 123 PM CST Mon Dec 31 2018 Thankfully, the medium range models are much more in sync with the evolution of the upper low and attendant surface low/frontal features. Also, this run appears to have slowed down the system by 12-18 hours. Hefty QG dynamics along with a very good southerly flow of PWs of 1.5-1.7 inches will feed a well defined warm conveyor belt of convection that originates in AR/LA/northwest Gulf of Mexico early Thursday, and then across AL and middle TN Thursday evening. A rather pronounced dry slot is forecast as well which should sweep into the region late Thu night or early Fri with the occluded front. Will keep the highest PoP on Thursday into Thursday evening, then lower them with the dry slot late Thursday night into Friday. At this point, will leave thunderstorms out, but due to the strong upper dynamics and cooling aloft, we may need to add them at a later point. Friday night, wraparound showers will pivot east with the upper low, but at this point, only including a few snow flurries/showers Friday night atop the Cumberland Plateau in Franklin County TN. A welcome dry period is foreseen over the weekend with moderating temps as a modified airmass across the Plains warmed by downsloping arrives in the lower MS and TN valleys. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Tuesday afternoon) Issued at 1104 AM CST Mon Dec 31 2018 Stout southerly flow will continue to gust at 25-30kt with ceilings of 012-025agl (MVFR) and periodic showers. LLWS will persist as well until a strong line of showers and thunderstorms arrives this afternoon. Arrival at KMSL should be around 19Z and at KHSV around 21Z. Gusts up to 40kt and +RA will occur with this line, with the potential for higher gusts possible. Behind the line, a wind shift to the southwest will occur with diminished speeds of 10kt or less. Ceilings of 020-030agl (MVFR) will persist into this evening, but may lower to around 010-015agl by 07-08Z. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...Wind Advisory until 6 PM CST this evening for ALZ001>010-016. TN...Wind Advisory until 6 PM CST this evening for TNZ076-096-097. && NEAR TERM...17 SHORT TERM...17 LONG TERM...17 AVIATION...17 For more information please visit our website at weather.gov/huntsville.
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Huntsville AL 1222 PM CST Mon Dec 31 2018 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-010300- Lauderdale-Colbert-Franklin AL-Lawrence-Limestone-Madison-Morgan- Marshall-Jackson-DeKalb-Cullman-Moore-Lincoln-Franklin TN- 1222 PM CST Mon Dec 31 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north Alabama and portions of southern middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight. A line of strong to severe thunderstorms will move across the area from approximately 1 PM this afternoon through about 7 PM this evening. Damaging winds are the primary threat, with a lesser threat of a few brief tornadoes. The highest threat for severe weather is across northwest Alabama, near the Mississippi border. In addition, most locations will receive up to one inch of rainfall very quickly, which could lead to minor flooding. Also, wind gusts of 30 to 40 MPH will continue ahead of the line of storms this afternoon and evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Another storm system will impact the Tennessee Valley late this week, with an additional 2 to 3 inches of rain possible between Wednesday and Friday. This will enhance the potential for flooding once again. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management personnel is requested this afternoon and evening. BCC
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
1251 PM CST MON DEC 31 2018
ALZ001>003-311930-
Lauderdale AL-Franklin AL-Colbert AL-
1251 PM CST MON DEC 31 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN LAUDERDALE...WESTERN
COLBERT AND WESTERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES UNTIL 130 PM CST...
At 1249 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms
along a line extending from Corinth to Tupelo Mississippi. Movement
was east at 40 mph. At their current pace, the line will will move
across the state line into northwest Alabama between 115 and 130 PM
CST.
Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph will be possible with these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Red Bay, Cherokee, Vina, Waterloo, Malone, Pogo, Mt Hester, Srygley
Church, Maud and Allsboro.
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.
These storms may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
&&
LAT...LON 3501 8774 3431 8804 3432 8817 3489 8810
3492 8816 3501 8820
TIME...MOT...LOC 1849Z 268DEG 34KT 3498 8841 3430 8868
BCCSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
126 PM CST MON DEC 31 2018
ALZ001>003-312015-
Lauderdale AL-Franklin AL-Colbert AL-
126 PM CST MON DEC 31 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LAUDERDALE...COLBERT AND FRANKLIN
COUNTIES UNTIL 215 PM CST...
At 125 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Waterloo to Walnut Grove to near Fairview
Mississippi. Movement was east at 40 mph.
Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph will be possible with these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Florence, Muscle Shoals, Russellville, Sheffield, Tuscumbia, Red Bay,
Killen, Cherokee, Littleville and St. Florian.
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.
These storms may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
&&
LAT...LON 3490 8810 3501 8805 3500 8744 3431 8776
3432 8817
TIME...MOT...LOC 1925Z 268DEG 33KT 3499 8798 3435 8829
BCCThe Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 127 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:01 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was knocked down on CR 8 east of CR 139 near the bridge.
A large tree was knocked down in downtown Russellville. Report via social media.
A tree was knocked down at 3871 CR 63 and was blocking the road.
A tree was knocked down and blocking one lane at the intersection of CR 61 and CR 24.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, December 2018
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: 794404, 794406, 794407, 794409.