Widespread heavy rainfall impacted the area from February 28th through the 1st of March, with lingering flooding conditions lasting the better part of 7 days. Rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches fell across much of the area, leading to areal and river flooding.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 HUN wrote it up.
Widespread heavy rainfall impacted the area from February 28th through the 1st of March, with lingering flooding conditions lasting the better part of 7 days. Rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches fell across much of the area, leading to areal and river flooding. All of the WFO Huntsville HSA river forecast points had some type of product out for them during this event. To date, that's only happened one or two other times in the office's history.
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 Mar 1, 3:18 AM CST, 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 318 AM CST Thu Mar 1 2018 .NEAR TERM...(Today) Issued at 318 AM CST Thu Mar 1 2018 Latest surface analysis shows a warm front draped eastward from an area of low pressure over north-central Mississippi, and a secondary warm front extending southwestward through Louisiana. The main cold front, which will impact the TN Valley later today, remains northwest of the area, from Illinois and into the Southern Plains. North of the warm front, a widespread area of light to moderate rain continues to drift to the east, with this activity mainly impacting extreme northwest Alabama and our southern middle Tennessee counties. Observations over the last 24 hours suggest rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches across much of the area, with the highest amounts north of the TN River. Some locations have received slightly higher amounts, but these are relatively localized. Despite the recent break in the rainfall, rain chances will quickly ramp up just before daybreak as the cold front to our west begins to move eastward and the rain to our west propagates into the area. Meanwhile, the surface low over Mississippi is expected to lift to the northeast over the next couple of hours, dragging the warm front northward. This will place the TN Valley within the warm sector and may increase the threat for an isolated strong storm. Although instability is fairly lacking, a 40 to 50 kt low level jet has combined with a 90 kt mid level jet streak to give us fairly high wind shear across the area. So, with the added lift by the warm front, along with some slightly higher dewpoints later this morning, this could give us just enough to produce an organized storm. Main threat would be gusty winds and this threat is fairly marginal as the cloud cover and rainfall may prevent us realizing any surface based instability. Of course the main focus for today will continue to be the threat for localized flooding, along with river flooding, as an additional 1 to 2 inches of rainfall is expected, especially north of the TN River. This will obviously exacerbate the already swollen creeks and streams, so flooding may increase by the late morning hours. Although areas across the southeast have generally received less than 1.5 inch of rain so far, will maintain the Flood Watch for the whole area given some uncertainty on rainfall amounts today and to avoid any confusion. The watch will end by 6 pm tonight, with the last of the rainfall exiting the area. However, river flooding is expected to continue into Friday and over the weekend as well. The front will slowly move through the area during the day, bringing an end to the rainfall late this afternoon. The movement of the front is a bit challenging when it comes to the diurnal temperatures trend, as temps may cool initially through noon and then rise again this afternoon before the colder air begins to filter into the area. Regardless, high temperatures will not rise much above the lower 60s. .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Saturday) Issued at 318 AM CST Thu Mar 1 2018 The axis of a weakening upper level trough will swing through the area early this evening, pushing the cold front well south of the TN Valley. This will give us a much needed break from the widespread rainfall, at least for a few days. Clouds may struggle to push out of the area initially tonight, so overnight lows will be dependent on the strength of the cold air advection. At this point, lows look to fall into the upper 30s bringing a return to seasonable temperatures to the TN Valley. A beautiful, albeit chilly day is forecast for Friday, as high pressure settles in and a strong northwest flow filters in cooler air. Although skies are expected to remain clear, high temperatures will generally be in the lower to mid 50s thanks to the cold air advection. An upper ridge will build eastward Friday night and into Saturday, as the surface high begins to move off the Atlantic Coast. Radiational cooling will be efficient Friday night and help temperatures fall into the lower 30s, with many locations experiencing their first freeze in quite some time. Under mostly clear skies, and with mid/upper level height rises, temperatures will rebound nicely on Saturday, with highs in the upper 50s. .LONG TERM...(Saturday night through Wednesday) Issued at 318 AM CST Thu Mar 1 2018 The upper ridge will continue to shift eastward Saturday night and into Sunday. Another sub-freezing night is expected, with temps falling to or slightly below freezing before daybreak on Sunday. Warmer conditions are expected across the area during the day, as surface winds veer to the south and the axis of the upper ridge moves into the TN Valley. Forecast highs are expected to rise into the lower to mid 60s under mostly clear skies, making for a very pleasant day across the area. The southerly flow will help advect moisture across the area and help keep overnight lows on Sunday night in the upper 30s to lower 40s. The upper ridge will move east of the area by Monday, as a trough ejects east of the Rockies. This trough will move eastward through the day, with a cut-off low developing as it reaches the upper Mississippi Valley. At the surface, a cold front will extend from the parent low and track eastward through the day Monday and into Monday night. Return flow ahead of this system will not be as efficient as we've seen with our recent rainfall events, however PW values will still climb to around 0.85 inch, which is near the 75 percentile for early March. Timing of the system is a bit uncertain, as the GFS is roughly 6 to 12 hours quicker in moving the system through, as well as further south with the low. However, at this point, it looks like the best chances for rain will be Monday night, with rain pushing out of the area during the day Tuesday. A strong upper ridge will then try to build eastward through the remainder of the extended, placing the TN Valley under northwest flow aloft. This, along with northerly surface flow, will bring a more seasonal pattern across the TN Valley for the end of next week. Expect highs to generally be in the mid to upper 50s, with lows in the 30s. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Thursday night) Issued at 1130 PM CST Wed Feb 28 2018 Most of the shower activity has become more isolated to scattered in the late evening, as a frontal boundary was oriented in a west to east manner just south of the region. This front should move northward as a warm front in the overnight. The northward movement of this boundary, and the approach of a cold front from the west will bring more widespread showers to the region before daybreak Thu. With stronger lift/dynamics with the front, have maintained thunder as a TEMPO group around sunrise. Southerly winds should become northwesterly as the front passes Thu AM. Shower activity should taper off west to east in the afternoon, as slightly drier air filters in from the NW. NW winds could increase into the 10-20kt range late Thu afternoon and evening. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...Flood Watch through this afternoon for ALZ001>010-016. TN...Flood Watch through this afternoon for TNZ076-096-097. && NEAR TERM...73 SHORT TERM...73 LONG TERM...73 AVIATION...RSB For more information please visit our website at weather.gov/huntsville.
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Huntsville AL 140 PM CST Wed Feb 28 2018 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-011100- Lauderdale-Colbert-Franklin AL-Lawrence-Limestone-Madison-Morgan- Marshall-Jackson-De Kalb-Cullman-Moore-Lincoln-Franklin TN- 140 PM CST Wed Feb 28 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north Alabama and portions of southern middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Tonight... Additional rainfall of 1 to 2 inches is expected from this afternoon through tonight, with locally higher amounts possible. River and areal flooding is expected, with isolated flash flooding possible. A Flood Watch is in effect through Thursday. Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms are possible late this afternoon and evening, mainly along and south of Highway 72 and west of I-65. These thunderstorms may be capable of strong winds. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday... Another round of showers and thunderstorms will move through with a cold front on Thursday morning into the early afternoon. This will bring up to an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain. This will bring storm total rainfall amounts into the 2 to 5 inch range. River and areal flooding will continue on Thursday and possibly linger into this weekend. A Flood Watch continues through Thursday. In addition, a few of the thunderstorms could be strong producing gusty winds. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management personnel is possible today through Thursday for flooding, and perhaps isolated strong to severe thunderstorms.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
940 PM CST WED FEB 28 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 PM FLOOD 3 NE HOLLYWOOD 34.75N 85.94W
02/28/2018 JACKSON AL EMERGENCY MNGR
2 FEET OF WATER REPORTED OVER COUNTY ROAD 36
IN THE 1200 BLOCK.
&&
JMSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
948 PM CST WED FEB 28 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 PM FLOOD 4 SSE PISGAH 34.62N 85.82W
02/28/2018 JACKSON AL EMERGENCY MNGR
ABOUT A FOOT OF WATER OVER US HIGHWAY 40
NEAR THE HAPPY HOME BAPTIST CHURCH.
&&
JMSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
955 PM CST WED FEB 28 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 PM FLOOD 2 NW HOLLYWOOD 34.74N 85.99W
02/28/2018 JACKSON AL EMERGENCY MNGR
AROUND A FOOD OF WATER ACROSS COUNTY ROAD
229.
&&
JMSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1007 PM CST WED FEB 28 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 PM FLOOD 4 WSW HOLLYWOOD 34.70N 86.02W
02/28/2018 JACKSON AL EMERGENCY MNGR
ABOUT A FOOT OF WATER OVER TUPELO PIKE NEAR
CENTER POINT BAPTIST CHURCH.
&&
JMSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1214 AM CST THU MAR 1 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1050 PM FLOOD 7 W SKYLINE 34.80N 86.25W
02/28/2018 JACKSON AL AMATEUR RADIO
ESTIMATE OF 14 INCHES OF WATER FLOWING OVER
HIGHWAY 65 AT MILE MARKER 11 NEAR MT NEBO
BAPTIST CHURCH.
&&
JMSThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Water covering the roadway at King Drake Road and Caldwell Lane.
McMullen Lane at Old Cove Place are covered with water. Flooding is from heavy rainfall, not river flooding just yet.
Floodwaters from the Paint Rock River covering portions of Butler Mill Road.
Floodwaters from Flint River covering the roadway on Old Big Cove Road. Road is being closed at this time.
Little Cove Road being closed due to floodwaters from the Flint River covering the roadway.
Patterson Hill Road between Buck Island Road and Cotton Belt Road is barricaded due to the road being washed out. It is closed indefinitely pending repairs.
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, March 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: 738456, 738457, 738459, 738460, 738463, 738464.