The active Spring storm season continued with another round of severe storms Friday night into Saturday. A strong storm system moved across the area.
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 MOB wrote it up.
The active Spring storm season continued with another round of severe storms Friday night into Saturday. A strong storm system moved across the area. Ahead of this system, a very moist and unstable airmass developed, setting the stage for widespread severe storm development. Very cold temperatures in the mid levels of the atmosphere allowing very large hail to develop, including the largest hail stone ever recorded in Baldwin County. Along with the very large hail, damaging winds were also widespread.
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 Mobile, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 8, 10:59 PM CST, 2 hours 55 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Mobile AL
1159 PM CDT Thu Apr 8 2021
.AVIATION...
06Z issuance...VFR conditions will be replaced by an IFR ceiling
first near the coast which spreads over the remainder of the area
overnight along with patchy fog developing. Isolated to scattered
showers are possible late tonight, then numerous showers and
storms are expected over much of the area on Friday. Light
southerly winds tonight increase to 10 to 15 knots on Friday. /29
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 1058 PM CDT Thu Apr 8 2021/
NEAR TERM /Now Through Saturday/...An active weather period is
expected, culminating in a strong squall line sweeping through
the area late Friday night into Saturday. Currently, a weak
boundary oriented is east-west over the central portion of the
area, seen best in surface dewpoints. This boundary moves
northward through the remainder of the forecast area overnight as
a deep layer southerly flow strengthens somewhat over the area and
brings increasing deep layer moisture into the region, especially
over the southern portion of the area. As a series of shortwaves
begin to affect the area, this results in moderate isentropic lift
mainly in the 300-305K layer which along with the improving deep
layer moisture will support slight chance to chance pops overnight.
For Friday into Saturday, an upper trof advances across the
Plains then continues towards the Mississippi River valley. Two
important changes occur during this evolution, the first of which
is a series of shortwaves continue to move across the area on
Friday leading to convective development over the forecast area,
and second a squall line organizes in response to the upper trof and
advances eastward across Arkansas Friday evening. The squall
lines increases in strength and size Friday night and advances
rapidly eastward into the northwestern portion of the forecast
area Friday night (potentially reaching the I-65 corridor as early
as 12Z Saturday) then continues through the remainder of the area
Saturday morning. On Friday, MLCAPE values of 1500-2500 J/kg are
indicated, although it was noted that model soundings show more
moisture in the 700-900 mb layer roughly along and south of I- 65
compared with north of I-65, and this becomes more pronounced
further north of I-65. Model soundings also show mid level dry air
present to strengthen convective downdrafts and contribute to
potential hail development. 0-6 km bulk shear values on Friday
will be 30-40 knots, with the higher values generally over the
southern portion of the area. Considering the distribution of
moisture seen in model soundings and shear distribution, the fact
that some Convective Allowing Models (CAMS) favor convective
development mostly along and south of I-65 looks reasonable and
supports likely to categorical pops. That said, have opted to
stay with likely pops over the remainder of the area as convective
development is possible elsewhere with the series of shortwaves.
The CAMS show that the strongest storms are favored over the
coastal counties which lines up well with the bulk shear values,
but given dry air present in model soundings areawide, see at
least isolated potential severe thunderstorm development over the
entire area. Moving on to the squall line meanwhile organizing
west of the area and set to advance into the northwestern portion
of the area overnight, MLCAPE values look to diminish only
somewhat to 1000-2000 J/kg despite the nocturnal timing, with
similar values expected along/ahead of the line until it exits to
the east. With the 850 mb flow strengthening over the area
overnight, 0-3 km helicity values of 200-300 m2/s2 will be present
along with 0-6 km bulk shear values around 45 knots with similar
values expected as the line moves through the remainder of the
area. These conditions are certainly supportive of severe storm
development, and is well reflected in SPC outlooks with a Slight
Risk over the area as the squall line moves through, including an
Enhanced Risk over interior southeast Mississippi and interior
southwest Alabama Friday night, and this Enhanced Risk area may be
expanded to include more of the area. Lows tonight and Friday
night range from the lower to mid 60s. Highs on Friday will mostly
be in the upper 70s to lower 80s. Highs on Saturday will be in
the mid to upper 70s. A High Risk of rip currents continues
through the period. /29
&&
.MOB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...High Rip Current Risk through Sunday afternoon for ALZ265-266.
FL...High Rip Current Risk through Sunday afternoon for FLZ202-204-
206.
MS...None.
GM...Small Craft Advisory from 10 PM Friday to 4 PM CDT Saturday for
GMZ631-632-650-655.
Small Craft Advisory from 10 PM Friday to 7 PM CDT Saturday for
GMZ670-675.
&&
This product is also available on the web at:
http://weather.gov/mobThe Mobile radar (KMOB), 142 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:54 UTC.
14 thunderstorm wind, 11 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
High winds downed several large trees, blocking some roads.
High winds downed several large trees, causing power outages. Some of the trees fell on houses.
Hail up to tennis ball size reported on Highway 69 between Coffeeville and Salipta. The hail caused vehicle damage.
High winds downed several trees.
High winds downed trees on CR 34 west of Millry and on Mitchel Road north of CR 34 east of Millry.
High winds downed trees and powerlines on Peavey's Landing Road.
High winds downed large tree limbs across northern Mobile County, especially near Lott and Spice Pond Roads.
Two separate reports of softball size hail in Orange Beach. Significant hail damage reported to numerous vehicles and metal roofs in the area. This also set the record as the largest hail stone ever reported in Baldwin County.
High winds downed trees across the entire county. Dime size hail was also reported.
High winds downed trees in Camden.
High winds downed a large tree on CR30 and Burnt Corn Road.
High winds downed a large tree on CR99 near Loree Road.
A private weather station KALDAUPH6 measured a 79 mph gust.
High winds blew roofs off the dugouts at the Summerdale ball park.
Recorded by private weather station KALGULFS41.
Recorded by weather flow site XGLF.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, April 2021
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: 954196, 954198, 953977, 953978, 953979, 953982, 953983, 953989, 954201, 954205, 954206, 954207, 954216, 954217, 954218, 954202, 954219, 954204, 954220, 954221, 954222, 955542, 956796, 956797, 956798.