A line of strong to severe thunderstorms pushed east across the region during the late evening hours of the 28th into the early morning hours of the 29th.
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.
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms pushed east across the region during the late evening hours of the 28th into the early morning hours of the 29th.
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 28, 10:40 PM CST, 34 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 1140 PM CDT Sat Mar 28 2020 .MESOSCALE DISCUSSION... Issued at 1137 PM CDT Sat Mar 28 2020 Tornado Watch #75 continues to be in effect for our Lincoln and Moore counties in southern middle Tennessee and all of northern Alabama, except Marshall, DeKalb, and Jackson counties until 4 AM. This is all occurring ahead of a cold front that extends from the border of MS/AR into southwestern Louisiana. Closer to home, a warm front extends southeast of the main cold front and snakes from NW MS into central Alabama. Supercell like storms are in place currently ahead of a line of strong to severe thunderstorms that have developed along the front to the west of these supercells. Low level shear has increased over the past hour over NE MS and NW AL climbing to between 200 and 350 m2/s2. Mid-level Lapse rates in spc meso-analysis are around 7 degrees celsius/km. These are supported by area UAH soundings at 10 PM in the Courtland area. Give this climb in low level helicity, watching closely over the next few hours these quasi- supercell like storms as they move closer to the AL/MS border ahead of a main squall line. Thinking that this may evolve into primarily a high shear/low CAPE type of squall line around and after midnight, with embedded supercells possible (as low level helicity remains high in models along the front). Large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes all look possible. There is some question as we go forward later into this event overnight if the better SBCAPE will be shunted more southeast of the area, but for now models still show ample SBCAPE building right along the front as it moves through northern Alabama and southern middle Tennessee. && .NEAR TERM...(Tonight) Issued at 850 PM CDT Sat Mar 28 2020 Main focus this evening is on the severe threat developing to our west. As of 0130Z/8:30 PM, the line has moved east of Memphis and is approaching Jackson TN, and it appears to have accelerated a bit in the last 30-45 minutes. Extrapolating the line movement yields an arrival time of 03-04Z/10-11 PM in far NW AL. All threats are in play. The 0-3 and 0-6km shear vectors are expected to be nearly parallel to the line, and low-level helicity is also expected to increase near the front. The actual cold front remains well to the west, over Arkansas. The forecast is largely on track, but arrival of higher PoPs has been accelerated slightly in line with the timing mentioned above. .SHORT TERM...(Sunday through Monday) Issued at 206 PM CDT Sat Mar 28 2020 The line of storms will push out of NE Alabama by 7 am tomorrow morning, with the cold front lagging behind by a few hours. Weak surface high pressure underneath zonal flow aloft will create a pleasant Sunday with mostly sunny skies and high temperatures reaching the low 70s. Light and variable winds continue into tomorrow night into Monday as the surface high tracks over the TN Valley. A shortwave trough crossing the Southern Plains will increase southerly winds at mid-levels, advecting in more moisture and keeping skies mostly cloudy through the remainder of the short term period. Highs on Monday will reach the upper 60s to low 70s. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday through Friday) Issued at 206 PM CDT Sat Mar 28 2020 A deepening upper trough will shift from Texas into the Lower Mississippi Valley and eventually the Tennessee Valley Monday night into Tuesday, bringing widespread showers and the potential for another round of moderate to heavy rainfall. The one change in this forecast package was to remove the mention of thunder as instability looks to be virtually non-existent. However, deep SW flow will help to advect some rich Gulf moisture into the region ahead of this system (with PWATs increasing to around 1.5"), creating an environment favorable for efficient rain-producing showers. The main window for rainfall appears to be between 12z Tuesday to 00z Wednesday, where up to 1.5" of accumulation is expected. This rain could result in additional rises along areas creeks and rivers and potentially some minor flooding issues. Rain will begin to taper off Tuesday evening as the trough shifts into the Central/Southern Appalachians and a drier air mass filters in behind the cold front. This will begin a sharp pattern change to kickoff the month of April as the extended forecast will be characterized by much cooler temperatures and dry weather. By Wednesday, a ridge of high pressure builds into the region from the Great Lakes which will linger through at least the end of the work week. This will favor northerly flow, with highs peaking in the upper 50s to lower 60s and lows in the upper 30s to lower 40s, especially by late next week. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Sunday evening) Issued at 648 PM CDT Sat Mar 28 2020 Despite increasing cloud cover, VFR conditions are expected until a line of storms arrives at KMSL (~04Z) and KHSV (~06Z). Confidence in storm timing is high but current TEMPO windows may need to be tweaked as storms approach. Some trailing showers with MVFR visibility could persist past sunrise, but low clouds should clear out by mid- morning at latest, with a return to VFR for the rest of the day. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && MESOSCALE...KTW NEAR TERM...BCC SHORT TERM...30 LONG TERM...AMP.24 AVIATION...BCC For more information please visit our website at weather.gov/huntsville.
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Huntsville AL 127 PM CDT Sat Mar 28 2020 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-290930- Lauderdale-Colbert-Franklin AL-Lawrence-Limestone-Madison-Morgan- Marshall-Jackson-DeKalb-Cullman-Moore-Lincoln-Franklin TN- 127 PM CDT Sat Mar 28 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north Alabama and portions of southern middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Tonight... A line of strong thunderstorms will move into the Tennessee Valley after Midnight. Some of these storms could be severe, especially across Northwest Alabama. Damaging winds and quarter hail will be the main threat with the strongest activity. A tornado or two cannot be ruled out. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday... A low pressure system moving through the region will bring moderate to heavy rainfall to the region Monday night through Tuesday. This rainfall could result in rises along area creeks and rivers and cause minor areal flooding. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management personnel is possible late tonight.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
1203 AM CDT Sun Mar 29 2020
ALZ001-002-290530-
Lauderdale AL-Colbert AL-
1203 AM CDT Sun Mar 29 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN LAUDERDALE AND
NORTHWESTERN COLBERT COUNTIES UNTIL 1230 AM CDT...
At 1202 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Cherokee, or 11 miles southeast of J P Coleman State Park, moving
northeast at 55 mph.
Pea size hail and winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Florence, Cherokee, Lexington, St. Florian, Underwood-Petersville,
Waterloo, Green Hill, Riverton, Wright and Oakland.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
This storm 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 8800 3500 8727 3471 8808 3482 8811
3489 8810 3492 8814
TIME...MOT...LOC 0502Z 240DEG 49KT 3485 8799
25The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 123 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:14 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was knocked down on CR 15 near Wesley Chapel. Time estimated by radar.
A tree was knocked down on Mt. Mills Road.
A tree was knocked down across the road on Bennett Way. Time estimated by radar.
A tree was knocked down at River Road and Gargis Hollow Road. Time estimated by radar.
A tree was blown down on Buster Owen Road.
A tree was knocked down on Westview Lake on Brindley Mountain.
A few trees were knocked down in New Hope. 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, March 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: 880688, 880689, 880690, 880691, 880692, 880693, 880694.