Alabama, 2022

Excessive Heat and Heat in Alabama, July 20 to 22, 2022

July 20 to 22, 2022 · NWS HUN · 10 events in 6 counties and zones

Heat index values peaked at 111 degrees in Muscle Shoals and 110 in Huntsville on the 20th and 21st. In Vinemont, the heat index peaked at 110 on the 21st.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS HUN wrote it up.

Heat index values peaked at 111 degrees in Muscle Shoals and 110 in Huntsville on the 20th and 21st. In Vinemont, the heat index peaked at 110 on the 21st. Overnight low temperatures were in the middle to around 80. High temperatures were in the middle to upper 90s.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jul 20, 9:31 AM CST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 9:31 AM CST, 1 hour 29 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 heat, 4 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Franklin

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Franklin forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
34.442, -87.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values reached 105 to 109 degree range on the 20th, 21st and 22nd. High temperatures were in the middle 90s. Overnight low temperatures were only in the lower to middle 70s.

Heat, Lawrence

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 22, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Lawrence forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
34.522, -87.311 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values reached 105 to 109 degree range on the 20th, 21st and 22nd. High temperatures were in the middle 90s. Overnight low temperatures were only in the lower to middle 70s.

Heat, Madison

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
34.763, -86.550 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index reached reached 105 to 109 degrees during the early afternoon hours before climbing later in the day (see Excessive Heat entry).

Heat, Cullman

When
July 20, 11:00 AM CST to July 21, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Cullman forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
34.132, -86.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index reached reached 105 to 109 degrees on the afternoon of the 20th and again during the midday through early afternoon hours of the 21st before higher heat was experienced during the late afternoon (see Excessive Heat entry). Overnight lows were only in the lower to middle 70s.

Excessive Heat, Colbert

When
July 20, 12:00 PM CST to July 21, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Colbert forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
34.700, -87.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index peaked at 111 degrees on the 20th and 21st in Muscle Shoals. High temperatures were in the middle to upper 90s. Overnight low temperatures were in the middle to upper 70s.

Excessive Heat, Lauderdale

When
July 20, 12:00 PM CST to July 21, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Lauderdale forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
34.901, -87.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index peaked at 111 degrees on the 20th and 21st in Muscle Shoals. High temperatures were in the middle to upper 90s. Overnight low temperatures were in the middle to upper 70s.

Excessive Heat, Madison

When
July 20, 2:00 PM CST to July 21, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
34.763, -86.550 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index peaked at 110 degrees on the 20th and 21st at the Huntsville International Airport. The heat index peaked at 110 degrees on the 20th at the Madison County Airport in Meridianville. High temperatures were in the middle to upper 90s. Overnight low temperatures were in the middle to upper 70s.

Excessive Heat, Cullman

When
July 21, 2:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Cullman forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
34.132, -86.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index peaked at 111 degrees on the 20th and 21st in Muscle Shoals. High temperatures were in the middle to upper 90s. Overnight low temperatures were in the middle to upper 70s.

Heat, Colbert

When
July 21, 7:00 PM CST to July 22, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Colbert forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
34.700, -87.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values remained in the 105 to 109 degree range into the evening hours of the 21st, and again during the midday through middle afternoon hours of the 22nd.

Heat, Lauderdale

When
July 21, 7:00 PM CST to July 22, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Lauderdale forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
34.901, -87.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat index values remained in the 105 to 109 degree range into the evening hours of the 21st, and again during the midday through middle afternoon hours of the 22nd.

What these are

Heat
Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.
Excessive Heat
Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Alabama in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, July 2022

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1038212, 1038213, 1038214, 1038216, 1038205, 1038206, 1038215, 1038207, 1038209, 1038210.