A band of showers and thunderstorms pushed east across north Alabama during the evening hours, out ahead of an advancing cold front and upper level disturbance. A few of the thunderstorms produced gusty winds of 30 to 40 mph, but a couple also produced gusts that knocked down a couple of trees.
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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 band of showers and thunderstorms pushed east across north Alabama during the evening hours, out ahead of an advancing cold front and upper level disturbance. A few of the thunderstorms produced gusty winds of 30 to 40 mph, but a couple also produced gusts that knocked down a couple of trees. One storm produced up to quarter sized hail between Huntsville and New Market in Madison County.
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 Apr 21, 12:30 PM CST, 4 hours 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 130 PM CDT Fri Apr 21 2023 ...New NEAR TERM, SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .NEAR TERM... (This Evening and Tonight) Issued at 130 PM CDT Fri Apr 21 2023 Clouds have overspread the region this afternoon as a cold front and its associated showers (and a few storms) approach the area from the west. This activity has some drier air to contend with further to the east across the Tennessee Valley and as a result we expect locations along and east of I-65 to remain dry until early this evening. Sounding profiles and mesoanalysis data indicate some modest surface-based instability present and subsequently this will support a few thunderstorms late today into this evening. However, the primary mode will be widespread (100%) rain showers as the front moves in during the 00-06z window. Moderate to locally heavy downpours will also be possible in a few of these clusters of convection -- generally amounting to 0.5" to 1.0" of rainfall across the entire area. As the front shoves eastward late tonight into early Saturday morning, precipitation will taper off from west to east, with cooler air filtering in as lows will drop to the upper 40s to lower 50s. && .SHORT TERM... (Saturday through Monday) Issued at 130 PM CDT Fri Apr 21 2023 Cloud cover will break up by mid morning on Saturday as a drier air mass moves into the region. Cooler conditions will prevail in spite of the sunshine as northerly flow will keep highs in the upper 60s to lower 70s. We will really begin to feel the effects of this air mass Saturday night into Sunday morning as temperatures will drop off quickly due to a good setup for radiational cooling. Low temperatures will bottom out in lower 40s across much of the region -- with a few pockets in the upper 30s possible in sheltered valleys. Clouds will return Sunday thanks to a passing shortwave just to our southwest, though dry conditions will continue. Main impacts will be a cool day for Sunday with highs in the low to mid 60s. Sunday night these clouds will gradually move south and lows will drop off into the upper 30s to lower 40s. If cloud cover exits sooner Sunday evening, it's possible the temperatures could dip a few degrees lower and patchy frost may be an issue. This bears watching, but for now have stuck pretty close to NBM. Northerly flow will continue to reinforce the cooler air mass on Monday in spite of the sunshine as highs will once again peak in the 60s. && .LONG TERM... (Monday night through Friday) Issued at 130 PM CDT Fri Apr 21 2023 An active pattern is expected mid to late next week as southerly flow at the surface sets up across the Deep South underneath zonal flow aloft. Moisture will begin to creep into the area by Tuesday night into Wednesday as seen by dewpoints climbing into the 50s and PWATs increasing to 1.3". Long range guidance and ensemble data shows a couple of disturbances passing across the Deep South and Tennessee Valley -- the first being Wednesday and Wednesday night and the second Thursday night into Friday. Periods of showers and some thunderstorms would be possible -- along with some moderate to locally heavy rainfall. Refinements to the timing and track of these systems will dictate later QPF/PoP forecasts and the threat for any additional impacts. For now have stuck close with NBM indicating a 60-70% of rain on Wednesday and 30-50% for Thursday and Friday. Given the cloud cover and higher rain chances, high temperatures will run below normal for this period with highs in the 60s expected each day. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1210 PM CDT Fri Apr 21 2023 VFR conditions with gusty southerly winds of about 15-20 knots are expected this afternoon as a cold front slowly creeps into the Tennessee Valley. SHRA/TSRA will gradually expand into the area this evening and overnight as ceilings lower to MVFR levels for MSL and HSV, with prevalent chances of thunder in MSL. AWWs and amendments are possible during this window. Chances for precipitation will increase to near 100% during this timeframe. Rain will taper off early/mid Saturday morning with OVC MVFR ceilings prevailing through the remainder of the period. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...None. TN...None. && NEAR TERM...AMP.24 SHORT TERM....AMP.24 LONG TERM....AMP.24 AVIATION...AMP
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:39 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was knocked down at 4090 Riverton Rose Trail road. Time was estimated from radar.
A tree was knocked down at the intersection of Buchanon Peninsula road and Riverton Rose Trail road. Time was estimated from radar.
Hail up to quarter size was reported on River Walk Trail off of Winchester road. Time was estimated by radar.
A tree was knocked down and a trampoline moved along Cullman CR 1193.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, April 2023
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: 1095874, 1095875, 1095818, 1095877.