Monthly rainfall totals one-third of normal in January brought worsening drought conditions across all of Central Alabama. The driest areas were along the I-20 corridor and across the southeast counties.
Every event with a place to put it; 15 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.
Monthly rainfall totals one-third of normal in January brought worsening drought conditions across all of Central Alabama. The driest areas were along the I-20 corridor and across the southeast counties.
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 Jan 23, 11:22 AM CST, 38 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Birmingham AL 1122 AM CST Tue Jan 23 2018 .UPDATE... For 18Z Aviation. && .SHORT TERM... Today and Tonight. Watching the cold front finally clear the area this morning. A few showers have developed along the front and will push through the southeast through the early morning before exiting by sunrise. High pressure will begin to build into the area by the afternoon behind a weak shortwave that will slide across the north. Really the only impact to the area will be a little bit more sky cover across the north through the afternoon. Behind the shortwave we will clearing skies across the north with temperatures back to freezing and below 16 .LONG TERM... Wednesday through Monday. We'll be in the middle of a stretch of fair weather on Wednesday, and a shortwave passing through will have little to no sensible weather impacts. Afternoon highs should be in the 50s for most locations. A cold night is expected to follow as surface high pressure becomes centered nearby. Lows on Thursday should range from the mid 20s North to lower 30s South. Many locations may reach or exceed the 60F mark on Thursday and again on Friday as a deep-layer ridge builds across the region. Southerly flow is expected to increase Friday night through the weekend as the trough to our west approaches. The advection of moisture and warmer air northward in advance of a cold front could yield widespread showers for Saturday and Sunday. This surface front should get booted eastward on Sunday by the upper-level shortwave, leading to cool and dry conditions on Monday. 87/Grantham && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF Discussion. NW winds will be a tad gusty this afternoon, but they will relax this evening. May see some scattered cumulus in the north later today as a shortwave passes by just to our north. Otherwise, dry and clear thru the period. 19 && .FIRE WEATHER... Fair weather is expected to persist through Friday, and RH values are forecast to remain above critical values. There are no fire weather concerns. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Gadsden 53 29 52 26 56 / 0 0 0 0 0 Anniston 54 31 53 28 58 / 0 0 0 0 0 Birmingham 54 32 53 30 59 / 0 0 0 0 0 Tuscaloosa 56 32 55 30 61 / 0 0 0 0 0 Calera 55 32 53 30 59 / 0 0 0 0 0 Auburn 57 32 55 30 59 / 0 0 0 0 0 Montgomery 59 33 58 31 61 / 0 0 0 0 0 Troy 61 34 57 30 61 / 0 0 0 0 0 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES/... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Birmingham AL 307 AM CST Tue Jan 23 2018 ALZ011>015-017>050-241215- 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- 307 AM CST Tue Jan 23 2018 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...Wednesday through Monday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management is not expected at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
15 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Much below normal rainfall caused the drought intensity to worsen from a D1 to a D2.
Much below normal rainfall caused the drought intensity to worsen from a D1 to a D2.
Much below normal rainfall caused the drought intensity to worsen from a D1 to a D2.
Much below normal rainfall caused the drought intensity to worsen from a D1 to a D2.
Much below normal rainfall caused the drought intensity to worsen from a D1 to a D2.
Much below normal rainfall caused the drought intensity to worsen from a D1 to a D2.
Much below normal rainfall caused the drought intensity to worsen from a D1 to a D2.
Much below normal rainfall caused the drought intensity to worsen from a D1 to a D2.
Much below normal rainfall caused the drought intensity to worsen from a D1 to a D2.
Much below normal rainfall caused the drought intensity to worsen from a D1 to a D2.
Much below normal rainfall caused the drought intensity to worsen from a D1 to a D2.
Much below normal rainfall caused the drought intensity to worsen from a D1 to a D2.
Much below normal rainfall caused the drought intensity to worsen from a D1 to a D2.
Much below normal rainfall caused the drought intensity to worsen from a D1 to a D2.
Much below normal rainfall caused the drought intensity to worsen from a D1 to a D2.
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, January 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: 737798, 737799, 737800, 737801, 737802, 737803, 737804, 737805, 737806, 737807, 737850, 737851, 737852, 737853, 737854.