A strong pressure gradient in advance of a cold front helped to produce strong and gusty south winds on the 18th. This resulted in multiple trees and power lines being knocked down across the area, causing a few spotty power outages.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 HUN wrote it up.
A strong pressure gradient in advance of a cold front helped to produce strong and gusty south winds on the 18th. This resulted in multiple trees and power lines being knocked down across the area, causing a few spotty power outages. Wind gusts as high as 52 mph were measured in north Alabama.
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 Feb 17, 5:11 AM CST, 2 hours 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 511 AM CST Thu Feb 17 2022 .UPDATE... For 12Z TAFS. && .NEAR TERM...(Today) Issued at 314 AM CST Thu Feb 17 2022 The lead story continues to be the threat for severe storms later this afternoon. The SPC has nearly the entire forecast area in an enhanced risk for severe weather. Locations along and east of an Arab to Skyline to Winchester line are in a slight risk. The primary threat continues to be damaging winds. A few tornadoes will be possible as well with best chances for a tornado or two west of I-65. Southerly winds will increase ahead of the system today with gradient (non-thunderstorm) winds gusting in the 40-50 mph range at times. These winds will also be capable of blowing down trees and powerlines. For a more detailed discussion see below. A mild start to the day with breezy southerly winds advecting in warm air and moisture ahead of the approaching cold front. Temperatures early this morning are in the mid 50s to low 60s. The upper level pattern features a negatively tilted trough moving into the southern high Plains. A couple of other shortwaves of note with one moving southeastward across the Northern Plains and another positively tilted trough near the Four Corners region. At the surface, the low is centered across north central Texas with a front extended southward. Another front extends to the northeast from the surface low into the Great Lakes region. The negatively tilted trough will race to the northeast today and dampens as it moves across the Mid-Mississippi River Valley into the Great Lakes region. Concurrently, the trough over the Northern Plains will race into the Great Lakes region by the end of the day. It doesn't appear that these two troughs will phase today. A jet streak will develop to the northwest of the area today with a sharp temperature gradient along the front. The low-level jet will respond to this mass divergence aloft caused by the strengthening jet streak aloft. Winds at 850 mb will increase into the 60-80 kt range. Due to this, a wind advisory has been issued for the entire area. These strong low level winds will advect in warm air and moisture throughout the day. Models soundings indicate that the atmosphere will saturate throughout the day with PW values climbing to around 1.5 inches. These overly saturated atmospheres support lapse rates near moist adiabatic and height falls look to be rather minimal with the trough dampening and passing well to the north. The threat for severe weather will be highly dependent on the amounts of instability. Dewpoints are currently in the mid 40s to low 50s but are forecast to climb into the low to mid 60s later today with temperatures in the low to mid 70s. If these values are achieved SBCAPE values of 500-750 J/Kg will be possible. As mentioned already, the low-level wind field is very impressive with 0-1 km SRH values later today in the 300-500 m2/s2 range. Storms look to develop along a pre-frontal trough to the west across Mississippi later this afternoon and track into northwestern Alabama around 2-5 pm. Instability will decrease a good bit to the east of I-65. Additionally, the surface low will be lifting well to the north and east around 00z. The main threat with any storms will be damaging winds. It will not take much to lead to damaging gusts at the surface. Additionally, a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out with the low level wind shear, especially to the west of I-65. The system will move through the area quickly and do not expect any flooding issues. There could be a few more storms along the front later in the evening but think these will not have much of a severe risk associated with them. .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Saturday) Issued at 314 AM CST Thu Feb 17 2022 Dry and cold air advection will feature during the overnight period. There may be an isolated shower or two late this evening across northeast Alabama but most areas will remain dry. Northerly winds will remain elevated overnight around 10 mph with gusts to around 20-25 mph. However, these winds will be below advisory criteria and have the advisory ending at midnight tonight. Temperatures will be noticeably cooler on Friday morning with lows in the upper 20s and lower 30s and wind chill values in the low to mid 20s. Model soundings indicate a shallow layer of moisture trapped below a subsidence inversion on Friday. Looks like this moisture eventually mixes out later in the afternoon with skies becoming sunny. Cold air advection will continue on Friday behind the departing cold front. High temperatures will be on the cool side in the low to mid 40s for most locations. If cloud cover lingers throughout the day, temperatures could struggle to make it to the 40 degree mark. Radiational cooling conditions will set up Friday night into Saturday morning with light winds and clear skies. Overnight lows will drop down into the low to mid 20s for most locations. An upper level trough will move across the Great Lakes into New England on Saturday. This trough will bring a clipper front across the Ohio River Valley and Great Lakes region. For now, it appears that the front will pass to the north of the area with a moderating trend in temperatures on Saturday. Highs will climb into the low to mid 50s under mostly sunny skies. .LONG TERM...(Saturday night through Wednesday) Issued at 314 AM CST Thu Feb 17 2022 The low-level ridge axis will shift to the east of the area on Sunday with southerly to southwesterly flow returning in the low-levels. Warm and moist advection will return to the area with highs climbing into the upper 50s to low 60s on Sunday. This will also be the last dry day in the forecast period. Models are all in good agreement that rain will return to the area late Sunday into early Monday as a warm front lifts northwards from the northern Gulf Coast. Southwesterly flow will develop aloft with a persistent ridge centered across the Caribbean. An upper trough will move through the southwesterly flow aloft late Monday into early Tuesday. An area of low pressure will develop along a cold front to the west. This will lead to another round of shower and storms. A few of these storms could be strong to severe depending on timing and the parameter space. The front will stall to the north and west of the area as this trough lifts out quickly late Tuesday. The upper level flow becomes parallel to this surface boundary. Additional, southwesterly flow shortwave troughs will move along this boundary throughout the remainder of the long-term forecast period and elevated PoPs are featured throughout much of the upcoming work week. These period of prolonged rainfall could lead to some flooding issues during the week. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Friday morning) Issued at 510 AM CST Thu Feb 17 2022 The main aviation impact today will be the strong southerly winds. Winds are already gusting to near 25 kts. These winds will continue to increase with gusts into the 40-45 kt range possible this afternoon. These winds will increase ahead of an approaching cold front. A line of showers and storms will move in around 21z at MSL and 22z at HSV. Strong to severe storms will be possible in this line with the potential for even higher gusts in these storms. Winds will shift around to the west and eventually northwest early tomorrow morning. Winds will subside some put will remain gusty overnight with gusts around 25-30 kts. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...Wind Advisory until midnight CST tonight for ALZ001>010-016. TN...Wind Advisory until midnight CST tonight for TNZ076-096-097. && NEAR TERM...MA SHORT TERM...MA LONG TERM...MA AVIATION...MA For more information please visit our website at weather.gov/huntsville.
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Huntsville AL 359 AM CST Thu Feb 17 2022 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-180100- Lauderdale-Colbert-Franklin AL-Lawrence-Limestone-Madison-Morgan- Marshall-Jackson-DeKalb-Cullman-Moore-Lincoln-Franklin TN- 359 AM CST Thu Feb 17 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north Alabama and portions of southern middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight... Strong to severe storms will be possible this afternoon and early evening. The main threat with these storms will be damaging winds. A few tornadoes will also be possible, especially to the west of Interstate 65. Gradient wind gusts up to 20-30 mph are forecast today, with gusts of 40-50 mph. A Wind Advisory is in effect through 12 AM Friday morning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday... No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management personnel is possible this afternoon and evening.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Sustained gradient winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts between 40 and 50 mph occurred across much of the county. Some trees brought power lines and trees, which caused power outages to occur.
Sustained gradient winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts between 40 and 50 mph produce power outages in portions of the county, including the Huntsville community.
Sustained gradient winds of 20 to 30 mph gusting to between 45 and 50 mph occurred across the county. A gust to 48 mph was measured at the Muscle Shoals ASOS. These winds led to downed trees, some fell on powerlines and produced power outages.
Sustained gradient winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts around 35 mph occurred. These winds caused some power lines to be knocked down providing outages in the county.
Sustained gradient winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts just over 35 mph were measured. Some tree limbs were blown down and shingles were blown off of a roof 12 miles west of Good Hope.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, February 2022
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: 1008893, 1008901, 1008888, 1008900, 1008897.