A late season cold front pushed southward across Central Alabama on July 9th. The air mass ahead of the front was very unstable with afternoon surface based CAPE of 4000-4500 J/kg and lifted indices around -7 Celsius.
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 BMX wrote it up.
A late season cold front pushed southward across Central Alabama on July 9th. The air mass ahead of the front was very unstable with afternoon surface based CAPE of 4000-4500 J/kg and lifted indices around -7 Celsius. PWAT's were above two inches which also supported heavy rainfall and flash flooding.
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 Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 8, 1:44 PM CST, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Birmingham AL 244 PM CDT Fri Jul 8 2022 .UPDATE... Long Term and Fire Weather Update. .SHORT TERM... /Updated at 1236 PM CDT Fri Jul 08 2022/ Scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue through the afternoon and evening. CAPE values are between 3000 and 3500 J/kg with LI around -7/-8. Wind profiles will remain light...and PW values will be max for this time of year around 2.2 inches. A few storms may become strong today...but severe is not expected. Although localized flooding may be a concern for any storms that train over the same area producing high rainfall rates. High temperatures will be in the mid to upper 90s. These temperatures combined with the high moisture content could cause heat index values to be around 105 or a few degrees higher. Will let the Heat advisory continue through today. Tonight...activity should weaken after sunset...with dry conditions by the late evening. Lows in the morning will be in the 70s. Saturday...a front will move from north to south through the afternoon and evening. Ahead of this front...scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible through the morning and early afternoon. Instability will be between 3000 and 4000 J/kg with LI around -8. A few storms could become strong to severe by the afternoon...especially in areas south of I20. The front will move into northern AL late afternoon between 3 and 5 pm...moving south reaching Birmingham between 6 and 8 pm and areas around I85 between 10 pm and 12 am. Instabilities will be around 3000 J/kg with very saturated profiles. A weak mid level jet will move through northern Alabama ahead of this front...allowing winds to become slightly breezy around 10 mph. Models are trying to hint at this front becoming a linear feature...so will include a risk for damaging winds and keep the severe threat wording in the forecast. High temperatures on Saturday will be in the 90s...though increased cloud cover and early onset of showers and thunderstorms should keep most places a few degrees cooler than today. Heat indices will again be in the triple digits...and a Heat Advisory will remain in effect. 24 .LONG TERM... /Updated at 0243 PM CDT Fri Jul 08 2022/ Sunday through Thursday. Sunday. Broad mid to upper level ridging will become centered back to our west over the Four Corners states Sunday into Monday as longwave troughing digs further over the Northeast into the Ohio River Valley region. Toward the surface, high pressure across much of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico will move further southeast of the region while a weak front arrives from the north. The result will be scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms continuing into Sunday across the area. Lows will be in the low to mid 70s with highs from the upper 80s in the higher elevations east to the lower 90s elsewhere. Monday and Tuesday. The longwave trough aloft will continue to dig over the Carolinas as the surface front moves further south toward the Northern Gulf Coast by Monday morning. As a result, rain and storm chances will become increasingly confined to the south and east on Monday. A mid level weakness is progged to develop over the Northern Gulf Coast Tuesday. The front stalls across the Gulf Coast and beings lifting northward with time. PoPs will remain highest across the south and southeast. Lows will range from around 70 east to the mid 70s south and west. Highs will range from the upper 80s to the low 90s across the area. Wednesday and Thursday. Aloft, a residual weakness in the H500 pattern persists over the area while strong ridging remains over the Desert Southwest while weaker ridging is positioned to our southeast from the Southwest Atlantic to over Central Florida. The boundary to our south dissipates with time as another front approaches to the area from the northwest. The result will be a return to scattered to numerous shower and thunderstorm activity both days with the higher chances generally across the eastern and southern counties. Lows will be in the low to mid 70s. Highs will range from the upper 80s to the low 90s across the area. 05 && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF Discussion. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will remain across the area through the afternoon and early evening. Due to uncertainty in coverage and timing...will include VCTS at each TAF for now. Tonight...activity will weaken after sunset...with dry conditions expected around midnight. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop again on Saturday morning ahead of a frontal boundary expected to move through in the afternoon. 24 && .FIRE WEATHER... Hot and humid conditions will persist through the weekend with heat indices above 105 at times. Scattered showers and storms are expected through the weekend as a front approaches from the northwest. There will be a risk for strong to severe storms Saturday afternoon. RH minimums will be in the 45 to 60 percent range during the afternoon hours with light 20 ft winds. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Gadsden 73 91 71 90 70 / 30 80 70 40 10 Anniston 73 90 72 90 72 / 30 80 70 50 20 Birmingham 77 93 74 90 72 / 30 80 70 40 10 Tuscaloosa 77 94 74 93 74 / 30 70 70 40 10 Calera 75 91 74 92 73 / 30 70 70 50 20 Auburn 74 87 74 90 72 / 30 70 70 70 40 Montgomery 76 91 76 95 75 / 30 70 70 70 40 Troy 75 89 75 91 73 / 30 70 70 80 50 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Heat Advisory until 7 PM CDT Saturday for the following counties: Autauga...Barbour...Bibb...Blount...Bullock... Calhoun...Chambers...Cherokee...Chilton...Clay...Cleburne... Coosa...Dallas...Elmore...Etowah...Fayette...Greene...Hale... Jefferson...Lamar...Lee...Lowndes...Macon...Marengo...Marion... Montgomery...Perry...Pickens...Pike...Randolph...Russell... Shelby...St. Clair...Sumter...Talladega...Tallapoosa... Tuscaloosa...Walker...Winston. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Birmingham AL 338 AM CDT Fri Jul 8 2022 ALZ011>015-017>050-091145- Marion-Lamar-Fayette-Winston-Walker-Blount-Etowah-Calhoun-Cherokee- Cleburne-Pickens-Tuscaloosa-Jefferson-Shelby-St. Clair-Talladega- Clay-Randolph-Sumter-Greene-Hale-Perry-Bibb-Chilton-Coosa-Tallapoosa- Chambers-Marengo-Dallas-Autauga-Lowndes-Elmore-Montgomery-Macon- Bullock-Lee-Russell-Pike-Barbour- 338 AM CDT Fri Jul 8 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the counties served by the National Weather Service office in Birmingham. .DAY ONE...Outlook through Tonight. Heat indices are expected to be near or above 105 degrees this afternoon across Central Alabama, with some locations approaching 109 degrees. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Heat indices are expected to be near or above 105 degrees Saturday afternoon across much of Central Alabama. Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible Saturday afternoon and evening across all of Central Alabama. Threats include damaging winds up to 60 mph. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management may be needed Saturday afternoon and evening.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
1241 PM CDT Fri Jul 8 2022
ALZ043-081815-
Elmore AL-
1241 PM CDT Fri Jul 8 2022
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of central Elmore
County through 115 PM CDT...
At 1240 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Eclectic, or 8 miles south of Equality, moving southeast at 5 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Eclectic, Dexter, Santuck, Central and Claud.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3261 8625 3272 8613 3266 8592 3253 8605
TIME...MOT...LOC 1740Z 306DEG 5KT 3264 8606
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
17/KLAWSSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
125 PM CDT Fri Jul 8 2022
ALZ036-081900-
Coosa AL-
125 PM CDT Fri Jul 8 2022
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Coosa
County through 200 PM CDT...
At 125 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Rockford, moving southeast at 5 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Rockford, Equality, Speed, Pentonville, Highway 9 and Highway 22,
Cottage Grove, Nixburg, Fishpond, Hissop and Ray.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3275 8609 3275 8627 3282 8635 3297 8622
3289 8601 3285 8601
TIME...MOT...LOC 1825Z 306DEG 5KT 3286 8622
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
17/KLAWSSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
127 PM CDT Fri Jul 8 2022
ALZ038-081900-
Chambers AL-
127 PM CDT Fri Jul 8 2022
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern
Chambers County through 200 PM CDT...
At 127 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Ridge Grove, or near Lafayette, moving southeast at 10 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
La Fayette, Penton, Trammel Crossroads, Ridge Grove, Buffalo, West
Chambers and White Plains.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3282 8552 3286 8560 3302 8559 3306 8556
3297 8533
TIME...MOT...LOC 1827Z 301DEG 10KT 3291 8551
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
17/KLAWSThe Ft Rucker radar (KEOX), 49 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:55 UTC.
10 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A metal roof structure was blown off a barn and several trees uprooted at the Country Club of Alabama.
Several roads flooded and impassable in the city of Lanett.
A large storage shed was destroyed along Hopewell Road in far northern Blount County.
Several trees uprooted and power lines downed along Hopewell Road in far northern Blount County. A few manufactured homes were also damaged.
Several trees uprooted in the city of Hamilton.
A trained spotter reported a gust to 68 mph near Gallant in western Etowah County.
A few trees uprooted in the town of Guin.
Several trees uprooted in the city of Winfield.
Numerous trees uprooted across southern Jefferson County, including the cities of Vestavia Hills, Hoover, and Mountain Brook.
A line of very intense thunderstorms produced several inches of rain in a short period of time across southern Jefferson County. Many secondary roads along the I-65 corridor were flooded and impassable. Several vehicles were stranded in the flood waters.
Several trees uprooted in the city of Chelsea.
Several trees uprooted and blocking roadways in Jemison.
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, July 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: 1044421, 1044425, 1044424, 1044427, 1044428, 1044426, 1044429, 1044430, 1044432, 1044431, 1044433, 1044434.