Thunderstorms developed during the midday into the afternoon hours, producing a few reports of mostly minor tree damage.
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.
Thunderstorms developed during the midday into the afternoon hours, producing a few reports of mostly minor tree 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 Aug 31, 1:32 PM CST, 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 232 PM CDT Mon Aug 31 2020 .NEAR TERM...(This Evening and Tonight) Issued at 232 PM CDT Mon Aug 31 2020 The remnants of a MCS that tracked across Arkansas and into Mississippi earlier this morning are now moving into northwest Alabama as of 19z. This activity is now largely driven by outflow boundary and cold pool interactions, as well as a weak differential heating boundary that is draped across parts of the area. Thus, expect this activity to increase in coverage through the afternoon, before diminishing quickly by the early evening with the loss of heating. With PWATs around 2.1" and the already saturated soils, think the main impacts thru this evening with this activity will be heavy rainfall and localized flash flooding, especially west of I-65. Additionally, a few localized damaging wind gusts cannot be ruled out as well. As mentioned above, convection will generally wane after 00z with the loss of heating. However, think that at least a few isolated to widely scattered storms will be possible during the overnight hours, mainly along any remnant outflow boundaries. For this reason, have maintained a 20-30 PoP overnight. Think that any remnant shower activity, combined with the dense canopy of stratus that will reform after midnight will help to limit the formation of fog for the most part once again. Overall another muggy and humid night, with lows in the lower 70s. .SHORT TERM...(Tuesday through Wednesday) Issued at 232 PM CDT Mon Aug 31 2020 Active pattern continues on Tuesday as a weak shortwave trough will shift NE from the lower Mississippi Valley and across the Mid-South and Tennessee Valleys. Additionally, a remnant outflow boundary from today's convection will also stall over the area, serving as an additional focus for convection. The end result will be another round of scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms from the mid/late morning through the afternoon. As is the case today, locally heavy rainfall/flooding will be the primary concern, along with the possibility of some localized gusty winds from a couple of strong storms. Would expect this activity to wane fairly quickly with the loss of heating and the fact that the aforementioned shortwave will have lifted well NE of the area after 00z. An upper-high over FL/GA will then attempt to briefly build in the Deep South on Wednesday. This ridge will help to keep a stronger frontal system stalled to our northwest (at least for the time- being), and subsequently result in a mostly dry day. In fact, the latest guidance indicates that Wednesday will likely be mostly sunny at times, with highs potentially reaching the lower 90s (and heat indices around 100 degrees). Given this, Wednesday may well be the warmest day of the week for most locations across our area. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday night through Sunday) Issued at 232 PM CDT Mon Aug 31 2020 The Tennessee Valley will remain wedged between a frontal system just to its north and west across the Ohio Valley/Southern Plains and a fairly strong Bermuda High that will attempt to remain established across much of the Deep South for the remainder of the work week. Behind this boundary much drier (more autumn-like) air exists, while continued warm, muggy conditions will exist ahead of this feature underneath the ridge. For Thursday and Friday, expect a gradual uptick in the coverage of convection as an upper-trough swings into the Ozarks and approaches the Mid South region. This feature will help to generate some scattered showers and storms along the aformentioned boundary just to our northwest which should be stalled along the I-40 corridor of TN. Eventually, this boundary will sag further south and east into the region on Friday afternoon and evening , but do not expect to see more than scattered thunderstorm chances once again as the stronger ridging aloft should win out. However, as mentioned above, a cooler, drier air mass does exist behind this boundary as the high retreats back off the NC/SC coast. As a result, we can expect an early taste of autumn this weekend, with lower RH and highs in the low to mid 80s -- to go along with plenty of sunshine and lower PoPs. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Tuesday afternoon) Issued at 1227 PM CDT Mon Aug 31 2020 Showers and thunderstorms will increase in coverage through the afternoon hours, with fairly widespread storms observed over northern Mississippi. This activity will move eastward over the next couple of hours, impacting the KMSL and KHSV terminals this afternoon. Although confidence is fairly high that TSRA will impact the terminals, there is lesser confidence on the exact timing and duration, therefore have included a TEMPO for TSRA at KMSL between 18Z and 22Z and KHSV between 19Z and 23Z. Amendments may be necessary if storms look to impact the terminals for a longer duration than currently forecast. MVFR cigs should lift over the next hour or so. However, lower cigs are anticipated again on Tuesday morning, with cloud bases lowering to around 1500 feet. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && NEAR TERM...AMP.24 SHORT TERM...AMP.24 LONG TERM...AMP.24 AVIATION...73 For more information please visit our website at weather.gov/huntsville.
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Huntsville AL 240 PM CDT Mon Aug 31 2020 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-011045- Lauderdale-Colbert-Franklin AL-Lawrence-Limestone-Madison-Morgan- Marshall-Jackson-DeKalb-Cullman-Moore-Lincoln-Franklin TN- 240 PM CDT Mon Aug 31 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north Alabama and portions of southern middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Tonight... Numerous to widespread thunderstorms are expected this afternoon, and scattered storms may continue tonight. Heavy rainfall may lead to localized flooding, and gusty winds are possible in any stronger storms. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday... Numerous thunderstorms are again likely on Tuesday with heavy rainfall and gusty winds possible. Isolated to scattered storms are possible Wednesday through Sunday, primarily in the afternoon and evening. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management personnel is not anticipated at this time.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
201 PM CDT Mon Aug 31 2020
ALZ003-311930-
Franklin AL-
201 PM CDT Mon Aug 31 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL FRANKLIN COUNTY UNTIL 230
PM CDT...
At 200 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 9
miles east of Red Bay, moving northeast at 25 mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Belgreen, Vina, Hodges, Cedar Creek Reservoir, Atwood, Dempsey,
Duketon, Little Bear Creek Reservoir and Halltown.
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
storm has passed.
&&
LAT...LON 3444 8813 3457 8787 3435 8773 3431 8787
3431 8805 3432 8805
TIME...MOT...LOC 1900Z 241DEG 23KT 3439 8799
25Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Huntsville AL 251 PM CDT Mon Aug 31 2020 ALZ005-006-TNZ096-312015- Madison AL-Limestone AL-Lincoln TN- 251 PM CDT Mon Aug 31 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN MADISON... NORTHEASTERN LIMESTONE AND SOUTHWESTERN LINCOLN COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM CDT... At 251 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Harvest, or 10 miles northwest of Meridianville, moving east at 25 mph. Winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Northern Huntsville, Meridianville, Moores Mill, Hazel Green, Ardmore, Alabama A And M University, Harvest, Elkwood, Belleview and Cash Point. 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 storm has passed. && LAT...LON 3507 8652 3476 8653 3482 8684 3503 8684 TIME...MOT...LOC 1951Z 269DEG 21KT 3492 8675 25
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:02 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was knocked down across the railroad tracks at 4305 Old Memphis Pike. Time estimated by radar.
A tree was knocked down. Time estimated by radar.
A tree was knocked down at 1745 Frankfort Road. Time estimated by radar.
A tree was knocked down near Old Moulton Road and Pleasant Hill Road. Time estimated by radar.
A tree was knocked down. Time estimated by radar.
A tree was knocked down near the intersection of Corsbie Street Southwest and Speegle Street. Time estimated by radar.
A tree was knocked down near the intersection of Old Silo Road and U.S. Highway 231. Time estimated by radar.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, August 2020
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: 918068, 918069, 918070, 918071, 918072, 918073, 918074.