A complex of strong to marginally severe thunderstorms developed in southern Alabama during the early afternoon and spread northward into north Alabama by early evening. Brief but strong and gusty winds with the gust front produced wind damage in a couple of locations in northwestern Alabama.
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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 complex of strong to marginally severe thunderstorms developed in southern Alabama during the early afternoon and spread northward into north Alabama by early evening. Brief but strong and gusty winds with the gust front produced wind damage in a couple of locations in northwestern 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 May 24, 5:38 PM CST, 6 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 638 PM CDT Tue May 24 2022 ...New AVIATION... .NEAR TERM... (Tonight) Issued at 246 PM CDT Tue May 24 2022 Cloud cover has persisted through the day, keeping daytime highs so far in the 70s, and below our convective temps. Showers with a few rumbles of thunder lifting through the TN Valley at this hour are associated with the warm front. Wind gusts 20-30 and moderate rainfall have been reported with this line. Additional showers and thunderstorms are expected within this warm sector through the evening and into tonight as a shortwave lifts through. Kept coverage mainly scattered to isolated with a few locations in numerous coverage, however the CAMS are not resolving the current conditions well and have low confidence in the predicted coverage for tonight. Regardless, the short wave combined with the shear in place could allow for a storm to become strong to severe. Main threats would be gusty winds and heavy rainfall. && .SHORT TERM... (Wednesday through Thursday) Issued at 246 PM CDT Tue May 24 2022 We said we needed the rain due to a rainfall deficit, and we'll get it as the wet pattern continues through mid-week. A trough will continue to strengthen and amply across the Southern Plains on Wednesday as the sfc low lifts out of TX and up into the Midwest. This will pull a cold front into the lower MS Valley. Deep southerly flow ahead of the system will pull moisture up from the Gulf and advect in warmer temps. Daytime highs are forecasted to reach the lower 80s. Forecast soundings show greater instability will be present Wednesday morning into early afternoon but have concerns on the 2k J/kg of CAPE with the amount of cloud cover in place and the occurrence before daytime heating. Models currently show two rounds of convection in the warm sector tomorrow, one in the morning with another in the afternoon when a small LLJ lifts through. Storms that do develop in this warm sector, if the forecast soundings hold true, a few storms could become strong to marginally severe with the main threats of gusty winds and heavy rainfall. Will also note that outside of any convection, conditions will be breezy through the day with gusts 20-25mph in the afternoon hours. There's another round expected ahead and along the cold front Wednesday night into Thursday morning. This will align with a 40-50kt LLJ providing good shear, however the instability is not as great due to the soundings becoming more saturated and lapse rates are poor. As the sfc low lifts up into the Great Lakes, it will slowly pull the cold front through the TN Valley throughout the day on Thursday, keeping the chance for showers and thunderstorms in. Precip chances will decrease through Thursday night as the cold front exits the forecast area. && .LONG TERM... (Friday through Tuesday) Issued at 246 PM CDT Tue May 24 2022 A few showers will linger as we start out Friday as secondary sfc low scoots into the Mid MS Valley and into the OH Valley and the upper level trough axis slides through. Dry conditions are expected to return late afternoon into early evening and prevail through Tuesday thanks to a ridge of high pressure moving in. Have low confidence in the models returning isolated showers on Tuesday with a disturbance sliding into the Southeast, so kept the forecast dry for this forecast package. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 638 PM CDT Tue May 24 2022 An area of showers and thunderstorms approaching from the south will impact the terminals early this evening. VSBY/CIGs reductions to MVFR/IFR (possibly lower), gusty erratic winds and frequent lightning could accompany this activity. A break in the action is expected later this evening, however CIGs should be reduced to MVFR in the late evening. Also, SE winds of 15-25kt are forecast from the late evening and into the overnight. Another round of convection is forecast to impact the terminals again late Wed morning and into the afternoon. More reductions of VSBY/CIGs are possible with this activity. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...None. TN...None. && NEAR TERM...JMS SHORT TERM....JMS LONG TERM....JMS AVIATION...RSB
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Huntsville AL 248 PM CDT Tue May 24 2022 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-252000- Lauderdale-Colbert-Franklin AL-Lawrence-Limestone-Madison-Morgan- Marshall-Jackson-DeKalb-Cullman-Moore-Lincoln-Franklin TN- 248 PM CDT Tue May 24 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central Alabama, northeast Alabama, northwest Alabama and southern middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. The probability of widespread hazardous weather is low. Scattered thunderstorms will move through the Tennessee Valley region this afternoon and evening. A few storms could become strong with heavy downpours and gusty winds will be the primary impacts. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Storm coverage and intensity will increase on Wednesday and Thursday, when conditions could become favorable for a few strong to perhaps marginally severe storms. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
508 PM CDT Tue May 24 2022
ALZ016-242245-
Cullman AL-
508 PM CDT Tue May 24 2022
...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of Cullman County
through 545 PM CDT...
At 507 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Oakman to near Dallas to near Westover.
Movement was northeast at 25 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 30 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...
Cullman, Hanceville, Good Hope, Holly Pond, Dodge City, Baileyton,
Garden City, Colony, Phelan and Walter.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3389 8701 3390 8710 3392 8708 3399 8715
3399 8711 3410 8711 3429 8654 3424 8652
3419 8655 3418 8655 3412 8660 3408 8670
3405 8668 3406 8671 3403 8670 3395 8679
3394 8688 3391 8692 3387 8692 3386 8696
TIME...MOT...LOC 2207Z 206DEG 23KT 3377 8743 3388 8670 3336 8649
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH
09Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
545 PM CDT Tue May 24 2022
ALZ007-016-242315-
Morgan AL-Cullman AL-
545 PM CDT Tue May 24 2022
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of north central
Cullman and southeastern Morgan Counties through 615 PM CDT...
At 545 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Holly Pond, or 7 miles east of Cullman, moving north at 30 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 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...
Morgan City, Baileyton, Eva, Walter, Ryan Crossroads and Florette.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
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 3410 8678 3450 8679 3448 8656 3442 8657
3409 8667
TIME...MOT...LOC 2245Z 190DEG 26KT 3418 8670
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
09Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
613 PM CDT Tue May 24 2022
ALZ006>008-242345-
Marshall AL-Madison AL-Morgan AL-
613 PM CDT Tue May 24 2022
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of west central
Marshall...south central Madison and Morgan Counties through 645 PM
CDT...
At 612 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8
miles west of Morgan City, or 12 miles east of Hartselle, moving
north at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 30 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...
Southern Huntsville, Decatur, Hartselle, Redstone Arsenal,
Priceville, Owens Cross Roads, Falkville, Morgan City, Somerville and
Eva.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3434 8698 3464 8701 3459 8693 3457 8688
3453 8679 3468 8643 3431 8659 3430 8668
TIME...MOT...LOC 2312Z 185DEG 31KT 3445 8671
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH
09Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
639 PM CDT Tue May 24 2022
ALZ005-006-250015-
Madison AL-Limestone AL-
639 PM CDT Tue May 24 2022
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of western Madison and
northeastern Limestone Counties through 715 PM CDT...
At 638 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Madison, moving north at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 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...
Huntsville, Madison, Moores Mill, Redstone Arsenal, Meridianville,
Hazel Green, Ardmore, Triana, Alabama A And M University and Marshall
Space Flight Center.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3497 8648 3461 8658 3458 8668 3459 8669
3459 8671 3457 8675 3461 8683 3499 8689
TIME...MOT...LOC 2338Z 185DEG 29KT 3467 8674
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
09The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 108 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:41 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A single tree was reported down at 1565 Poplar Creek Loop near Missionary Baptist Church south of Leighton. An additional tree was reported down near that address.
A couple of trees were reported down along county road 157 in Hatton.
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, May 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: 1025599, 1025598.